A Very Intelligent Man By Lewis Carroll - 1258 Words

People often perceive the truth in numerous ways. Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice s Adventures in Wonderland, illustrates this as one of the many themes in the novel. Carroll a very intelligent man, often known by his real name: Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. At the age of twelve, he attended Richmond Grammar School a well known public school. Most of his publications included math books. Dodgson came from a family with eight younger siblings, which enabled him to develop the knack of amusing young children. Consequently, Dodgson was also known as the most outstanding child photographer during the 19th century. Although Dodgson was a busy man, he managed to write many novels. One of his most prominent novels is Alice’s Adventures in†¦show more content†¦Alice, a curious little girl, always looks forward to meeting new people and discovering new places. Alice at the moment was confused and worried about locating the little golden key to enter the garden. When the rabbit comes by Alice tries to ask him for help, but the rabbit completely ignores her. Because Alice is sensitive, â€Å" her eyes filled with tears† (Carroll 26). At that moment Alice is so upset that â€Å"[she] even wishes she were back home† (Blake 2). For Alice not being acknowledged by others causes her to feel awful about herself. For this reason, Alice’s attitude changes and she quickly burst into tears. Thus, Alice displays how her attitude immediately changes when she feels lonely. Alice is subject to loneliness throughout the whole novel, on numerous occasions she tries to fit in with the creatures, and her attitude quickly changes with these encounters. She wanders around Wonderland, looking for others to talk to. Alice comes upon a tea party and decides to join them. She is always looking â€Å" to play along civilly â€Å" (Blake 4 ). Although they are not friendly to her and cried out â€Å" No room! No room! †(Carroll 79). Even though there was plenty of room. Alice continues to join the tea partiers, because of her desperate need to converse with them. Throughout the tea party, they continue to be rude to her, so she decides to leave. Seeing that, Alice’s need for company causes her the need toShow MoreRelatedNonsense Is Defined by Its Inability to be Defined Lewis Carroll and Edward Lears Alice in Wonderland521 Words   |  3 Pagestechniques of style, structuralization and various motifs. Authors such as Lewis Caroll in Alice and Won derland and Edward Lear’s The Complete Nonsense of Edward Lear use such techniques to invoke the language of nonsense as well as to create nonsense within their writing. Both Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear use the language of nonsense is also defined by paradoxes, the play on stereotypes, and the usage of polysemy. Lewis Carroll demonstrates paradoxes within Alice and Wonderland as Alice is tossedRead More The Mathematical Aspects of Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland1310 Words   |  6 PagesThe Mathematical Aspects of Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland The story Alice in Wonderland was written about a little girl named Alice who was a child of the dean of the Church of Christ. Alice Liddell was the one who convinced Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) to write down the verbal story originally known as Alices Adventure Underground.Actually, the book is known by several different names, Alices Hours in Elfand,Alices Adventures in Wonderland, and Alice in Wonderland.I found it interestingRead MoreAlices Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll2354 Words   |  9 Pagesis Charles Lutwidge Dodgson also known as Lewis Carroll. Lewis is acknowledged as one of the best writers that have ever lived; he is also well appreciated in the English culture. 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It contains several references to the book Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. There is much that can be interpreted by reading in betweenRead More Siobhan Somerville’s essay Passing through the Closet in Pauline E. Hopkins’s Contending Forces2347 Words   |  10 Pagesinstitution of marriage in relation to the African-American female, I do not believe the argument is as polarized as a difference between homosexual and heterosexual attraction in relation to politics between the sexes. Instead, I would argue that the very ambiguity of sexuality within the text serves to comment on a larger issue of what makes a woman female and the importance of intimate bonds between women in society. The most important piece of textual evidence in Somerville’s argument is the atticRead MoreHalo Effect Essay2917 Words   |  12 Pagesthe perception of a positive trait in a person or product positively influences further judgments about traits of that person or products by the same manufacturer. One of the more common halo effects is the judgment that a good looking person is intelligent and amiable. There is also a reverse halo effect whereby perception of a negative or undesirable trait in individuals, brands, or other things influences further negative judgments about the traits of that individual, brand, etc. If a personRead MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 PagesHughes, in Toluca, Mexico. Langston had not seen his father since he was a small child, and he was excited about making the trip. However, during this visit, no affectionate bond would develop between Langston and Jim. Jim Hughes was a cold, difficult man, who was driven by ambition to make money and achieve respect. He had moved to Mexico to avoid segregation and racial injustice in the United States. As the manager of an electric company and owner of a ranch and mines, Jim expressed contempt for blackRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pages.............................................................................................. 248 Fallacy of Circular Reasoning........................................................................................................... 250 Straw Man Fallacy.............................................................................................................................. 251 False Dilemma Fallacy........................................................................................

The Effects Of Incarceration On Children s Life - 803 Words

Incarceration on individuals can either have a negative or positive effect on the outcome of a person’s life. There are many different trails that people go through when they are incarcerated. Depending on their situations, it can either help change them for the better or take them backwards. The question is does being incarcerated affect recidivism? There are three reasons why incarceration is important. The first reason of incarceration is the purpose of punishing the offender. It is a way for the criminal justice system to punish individuals as a result of their consequences. Judges will incorporate a type of treatment and rehabilitation for the individual. Secondly, incarcerating will provide treatment for the offenders. The point of providing treatment is to manage the condition before entering an effective rehabilitation stage. Thirdly, rehabilitation will support in restoring the condition of the offender. While the individual will be under constant watch, it will make it easier to monitor the results of their behavior. It has been in debate whether or not longer sentences reduce or increase recidivism. There has been research that states longer sentences are capable of both increasing and reducing recidivism. The pros of long sentences will help people who need more time to adjust their behavior. The short sentences are able to provide quick treatment for individuals who realize their behavior has been inappropriate. Specific deterrence is a method of punishment inShow MoreRelatedAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( Adhd )1365 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to a study by The Pew, more than 2.7 million children have an incarcerated parent. The following consequences are often underestimated and undetectable. Incarcerated parents are extremely detrimental to the well-being of the children involved. 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Bill Gates - Strategic Thinker free essay sample

Bill Gates – Strategic Thinker Leader? Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to explore the published work on strategic leadership in order to develop an inventory of qualities, skills and behaviours that define and explain the concept of strategic leadership. A full review of literature on this topic aims to shed light on this definition. Having discussed and defined this concept the report will then focus on Bill Gates, former CEO of the Microsoft Corporation, with the aim of answering the following question. Is Bill Gates a Strategic Thinker and Leader? Introduction Throughout history we will recall that in the past, the word leader conjured up visions of an almost mythical figure astride a warhorse, slaying dragons or single-handedly rallying troops to achieve victory over superior foes. These leaders projected their authority so that others would follow; they could do any task better than their followers. They achieved success through personal tenacity, brute strength, and physical boldness, sometimes at the cost of their own lives. Much of the initial work in leadership theory revolved around the idea of identifying the traits of popular political and military heroes such as Caesar, Wellington, Roosevelt and Churchill. However, the problem with the ‘great man’ approach was that no congruent body of traits could be identified, that much of leadership success was evidently dependent upon the particular situation. Nevertheless, the tabloid press helps us to think of the corporate leader as the great man. For instance we often read of Bill Gates or Jack Welch as if they were primarily responsible for many years of success at Microsoft and General Electric. Although both were unarguably highly effective chief executives, what is it that drove these men and their companies to their success? What is Strategic Thinking? Many theorists say the ability to think strategically is the key to leadership success. While vision and results may be outputs of strategic thinking, the ability to think strategically involves much more. One definition is that of (Liedtka 1998) who stated that strategic thinking is an individual activity, but one that is supported by organizational contexts and dialogue. Strategic thinking, to some it is about creativity and to others analytical. Mintzberg (1994) referred to it as a synthesizing process that utilizes creativity and intuition, whilst Porter (1987) stated that good strategic planning was a necessary contributor to strategic thinking. Hanford (1995), states that it requires taking a high-level, long-term view that includes reflection about the past as well as creativity regarding the future. According to Stumpf (1989), strategic thinking involves an interrelated set of skills encompassing; motivating, controlling, planning, delegating and setting objectives. These in turn influence the leaders’ ability to †¢ Know the business markets Manage subunit rivalry †¢ Find and overcome threats †¢ Stay on Strategy †¢ Be an entrepreneurial force †¢ Accommodate adversity This supports the definition provided by (Bonn 2004). That strategic thinking is a way of solving problems that combines both rational and convergent approaches with creative and divergent thought processes. We will see late r how Gates epitomized Stumpfs theory. What is Strategic Leadership? Strategic Leadership is more than just strategy and planning. It’s about handling the human element as well as the task issues and doing so in such a way that engages people instead of alienating them. People in organisations particularly have a number of basic needs, one of which is some idea of certainty about the future. Effective strategic leaders provide that certainty by having a clear vision and workable strategies for bringing that future into reality. Vision is a key facet in the ability to think strategically. Research by Collins and Porras (1998) stressed the necessity for leaders to have a vision and beliefs about the desired future and outcome. This links to the views of Senge (1990) who stated that a genuine vision is â€Å"a calling rather than simply a good idea† (p. 142). The ability to share this vision helps to provide a sense of direction and meaning to the decision making process (Liedtka 1998). Liedtka (1998) also recognises the need for hypothesizing. Strategic thinking has to be hypothesis driven which again links us to the need for creativity along with analysis. Hypothesis testing involves â€Å" What if†¦? † (creative) followed by â€Å"If†¦then† (critical analysis). This ability to use causes and effect transcends leadership thinking to another level. Leadership at the strategic level is about setting the direction for the organisation as a whole, getting policy and strategy right and making things happen. It frequently involves organising and reorganising the way things operate in the organisation and relating the organisation to other organisations and society as a whole. Effective strategic leaders, in the words of Prof. John Adair, need to ‘release the corporate spirit’. Literature Review Over the past 10-15 years research on leadership theory and has provided considerable support for the effectiveness of transformational and charismatic leadership in organisations. The focus of such leadership models centers on the leader’s creation, communication, and implementation of a vision. Vision as defined by Larwood and Falbe, 1995, and Strange and Mumford, 2002, is a highly desirable and vivid future organisational state that motivates followers, as cited in Groves, 2005. Infact, most current academics argue that exemplary leaders are described by their followers as visionary and inspirational (Rafferty and Griffin, 2004; Bass and Avolio, 1994; Conger, 1999 in Groves, 2005), while recent empirical studies demonstrate the powerful effects of visionary leadership at the individual, group, and organisation levels. Beginning as early as the late 1980s, leadership academics have examined emotional Intelligence skills as key predictors of effective visionary leadership. Empirical studies by Howell and Frost (1989), Holladay and Coombs (1994), Awamleh and Gardner (1999) and Den Hartog and Verburg (1997) assessed the relationships among vision content and communication style using trained actors as leader figures and students as followers reporting their perceptions of visionary leadership, charisma, and leadership effectiveness. The results of these studies and others generally support the relationship between an emotionally expressive communication style, characterised by eye contact, facial expressiveness, effective gestures, and vocal variety, and follower perceptions of visionary leadership, charisma, and leadership effectiveness. Emotional Intelligence appears to play a critical role in such leadership, suggesting that further study on the effects of emotional intelligence and leadership behavior is warranted. Mary Parker Follett (1987) describes leadership in holistic terms when she states that it is the leader who â€Å"can organise the experience of the group †¦ it is by organising experience that we transform experience into power. The task of the chief executive is to articulate the integrated unity which his business aims to be †¦ the ablest administrators do not merely draw logical conclusions from the array of facts †¦ they have a vision of the future† (quoted in ampden-Turner and Trompenaars, 1994, pp. 341-2). The model developed by Westley and Mintzberg (1989), suggested using drama to describe the process of visionary leadership, see figure 1. They suggested that the repetition stage, was the equivalent of rehearsal – ‘crafting’ the vision. Moving next to representation – whereby the leader communicates the vision which leads to buy from the audience – assistance stage. Later I will apply this framework to the work of Bill Gates Figure 1: Using drama to describe visionary leadership (adapted from Westley and Mintzberg, 1989) The Vision Communication Buy In Rehearsal Performance Audience Westley and Mintzbergs framework echoed that proposed by Bennis (Bennis and Nanus, 1985) who defines leadership in terms of the capacity to create a compelling vision, to translate it into action, and to sustain it. Bennis’s 1985 study of 90 successful US public figures identified the following leadership skills: ? The ability to create a vision that others can believe in and adopt as their own. Such vision is long term in its orientation. The leader uses vision to build a bridge from the present to the future of the organization. ? The capacity to communicate that vision, and to translate it into practicalities. ? The ability to create a climate of organisational trust. Trust acts as emotional glue that unites leaders and followers in a common purpose, and helps achieve the outcomes of that vision. Further study by Hickman’s (1992) in his influential Mind of a Manager, Soul of a Leader was first published in 1990. Hickman (1992, p. 7) suggests that â€Å"the words ‘manager’ and ‘leader’ are metaphors representing two opposite ends of a spectrum. Manager’ tends to signify the more analytical, structured, controlled, deliberate, and orderly end of the continuum; while ‘leader’ tends to occupy the more experimental, visionary, flexible, uncontrolled, and creative end†. Hickman (1992) notes in this context McNamara’s First Law of Analysis, which states tha t a person should â€Å"always start by looking at the grand total. Whatever problem you are studying, back off and look at it in the large†. Hickman suggests that when a leader wishes to view this full picture, they may do so by simplifying it. The leader searches for patterns, connections, frameworks, or concepts that encompass all the confusing details surrounding a particular issue. As a result of this inclination, leaders tend to create simple visions or perceptions of reality, encouraging a philosophy of ‘keep it simple’ (KIS). Leaders use the detail to find patterns and frameworks in order to simplify the complexity. Hickman (1992) suggests that when leaders want to enhance their effectiveness, they pursue dreams because dreams represent new visions and new possibilities. Leaders may evaluate their performance on the basis of dreams achieved. Bill Gates personal response to the vision and innovation was through his ‘think weeks’ (Heritage, 2006), whereby dedicated time is spent developing proposals, demonstrating the leadership buy-in that contributed to Microsoft’s success. It was, however, on one of these retreats, that when pushed for time, email was scrubbed off the priority list! Zaccaro 1996, categorised existing literature on leadership into four bodies of major theories: conceptual complexity, behavioral complexity, strategic management, and visionary/inspirational leadership. Visionary/inspirational leadership theories and models include theories of charismatic and transformational leadership. The common theme is that leaders develop and use their vision to structure and to motivate collective action. Considerable emphasis is placed on empowerment and development of human resources, especially subordinates. These models of leadership offer a number of characteristics that enhance a leaders ability to lead, including cognitive abilities (e. g. , creativity, reasoning skills, intelligence, verbal ability), self-confidence, motivation, propensity for risk, and social skills. One definition of vision comes from Burt Nanus, a well-known expert on the subject. Nanus defines a vision as a realistic, credible, attractive future for [an] organisation. Nanus goes on to say that the right vision for an organization, one that is a realistic, credible, attractive future for that organization, can accomplish a number of things for the organization: †¢ It attracts commitment and energizes people †¢ It creates meaning in workers lives †¢ It establishes a standard of excellence †¢ It bridges the present and the future Another definition of vision comes from Oren Harari: Vision should describe a set of ideals and priorities, a picture of the future, a sense of what makes the company special and unique, a core set of principles that the company stands for, and a broad set of compelling criteria that will help define organizational success. A FORMULA FOR VISIONARY LEADERSHIP Burt Nanus sums up his concepts with two simple formulas (slightly modified): STRATEGIC VISION X COMMUNICATION = SHARED PURPOSE SHARED PURPOSE X EMPOWERED PEOPLE X ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES X STRATEGIC THINKING = SUCCESSFUL VISIONARY LEADERSHIP Each one of the terms places unique and special demands on the strategic leader. If you can put these elements together in an organisation, and you have a good vision to start with, you should be well on the way to achieving excellence. Collins and Porras (1998), affirm: The function of a leader the one universal requirement of effective leadership is to catalyze a clear and shared vision of the organisation and to secure commitment to and vigorous pursuit of that vision. It is this definition of a leader I will use to answer the question of whether Bill Gates is a strategic thinker and leader. Findings Over the past 30 years much has been written and spoke about Bill Gates, some good, some bad and some ugly – what is without doubt is that for over 13 years he was the richest and most powerful man in the world. All this from the basic guiding vision of â€Å"Every business and household must have a computer and must run Microsoft software† Nanus describes visionary leadrship like this: A vision portrays a fictitious world that cannot be observed or verified in advance and that, in fact, may never become reality (emphasis added). However, if it is a good mental model, it shows the way to identify goals and how to plan to achieve them. Look at Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt: they said, This is what it’s going to be. And then they did it. Big, bold changes, forcefully articulated. When you get leaders who confuse popularity with leadership, who just nibble away at things, nothing changes† (Tichy and Sherman, 1994, p. 298). â€Å"In the new culture, the role of a leader is to express a vision, get buy-in, and implement it. That calls for open, caring relations with employees, and face-to-face communication. People who cannot convincingly articulate a vision won’t be successful† (Tichy and Sherman, 1994, p. 48). Gates was born and grew up in Seattle Washington USA. His father, William H. Gates II, was a prominent lawyer, his mother, Mary Maxwell Gates, served on the boad of directors for the Interstate Bank and the United Way. His parents recognised his intelligence and enrolled him in Lakeside, a private school known for its intense academic environment it was here that Bill Gates was first introduced to computers. Gates went on to Harvard University and while there teamed up with Paul Allen, a childhood friend and co-founder of Microsoft, to write a new ersion of Basic programming language for the first personnel computer the Altair 8800. The company was impressed with Gates and Allens work and licensed the soft ware resulting in Gates and Allen forming the company Microsoft to develop software for other companies. Bill dropped out of Harvard to spend more time on the new business. After dropping out of Harvard, Bill Gates and his partner Paul Allen set about revolutionizing the computer industry. Gates believed there should be a computer on every office desk and in every home. In 1975 the company Micro-soft was formed, which was an abbreviation of microcomputer software. It soon became simply Microsoft and went on to completely change the way people use computers. The success of Microsoft began with the MS-DOS computer operating system (OS) that Gates licensed to IBM, it is rumored that he ‘borrowed’ this from a close colleague, also rumored that the initial meeting was set up by Bills mum. It was this licensing and stipulation that all applications must use MS-DOS to be compatible that give Microsoft the monopoly and set the standard for home computing. It was practically impossible to purchase a computer without Microsoft pre-installed, unless it was a Mac (another study! Microsoft used its position as keeper of the OS, as a way to destroy the opposition – it was about being the best, but being the only one. Over the next few years Microsoft was continually updating its OS and keeping ahead of the competition. Gates oversaw the invention and marketing of the MS-DOS operating system, the Windows operating interface, the Interne t Explorer browser, and a multitude of other popular computer products. Along the way he gained a reputation for fierce competitiveness and aggressive business savvy. During the 1990s rising Microsoft stock prices made Gates the worlds wealthiest man; Gates looked invincible, inconceivably he missed the rise of the internet. As late as 1993, Windows has no net access built in, Gates saw the Web and email as a passing fad. However, he turned it around within a year and released Windows 95 – 100% internet compatible. With his great success in the computer software industry also came many criticisms. With his ambitious and aggressive business philosophy, Gates or his Microsoft lawyers have been in and out of courtrooms fighting legal battles almost since Microsoft began. The Microsoft monopoly sets about completely dominating every market it enters through either acquisition, aggressive business tactics or a combination of them. Many of the largest technology companies have fought legally against the actions of Microsoft, including Apple Computer, Netscape and sun Microsystems. Bill brings to the company the idea that conflict can be a good thing, says Steve Ballmer, ex-Harvard colleague and current CEO of Microsft. Bill knows its important to avoid that gentle civility that keeps you from getting to the heart of an issue quickly. He likes it when anyone, even a junior employee, challenges him, and you know he respects you when he starts shouting back. The contentious atmosphere can promote flexibility. The Microsoft Network began as a proprietary online system like CompuServe or America Online. When the open standards of the Internet changed the game, Microsoft was initially caught flat-footed. Arguments ensued. Soon it became clear it was time to try a new strategy and raise the stakes. Gates turned his company around in just one year to disprove the maxim that a leader of one revolution will be left behind by the next. Rob Glaser, a former Microsoft executive who now runs the company that makes RealAudio, is an admirer who compliments Gates on his vision. But, he adds, Gates is pretty relentless. Hes Darwinian. He doesnt look for win-win situations with others, but for ways to make others lose. Success is defined as flattening the competition, not creating excellence. When he was at Microsoft, for example, Glaser says the atmosphere was like a Machiavellian poker game where youd hide things even if it would blindside people you were supposed to be working with. It comes down to the same traits that his psychologist noted when Gates was in sixth grade. In Bills eyes, says Glaser, hes still a kid with a startup whos afraid hell go out of business if he lets anyone compete. Esther Dyson, one of the industrys fabled gurus, is another longtime friend who shares such qualms. He never really grew up in terms of social responsibility and relationships with other people, she says. Hes brilliant but still childlike. He can be a fun companion, but he can lack human empathy. If we werent so ruthless, wed be making more creative software? Wed rather kill a competitor than grow the market?!? Conclusions In part Bill Gates fits into the frameworks provided by Westley and Mintzberg (1989) and Bennis (1985) with the ability to create and communicate his vision – however, his single-mindedness and obsessiveness with crushing the opposition led to a lack of trust and integrity. Bill Gates epitomizes the work of Stumpf (1989), throughout the early y ears Bill Gates was: Motivating – the desire to achieve his vision Controlling – the systematic way he monopolized home computing Planning – the calculated way that Microsoft became the OS of choice, Delegating and setting objectives – Involving key players in his mission In turn he achieved the following: †¢ Knew the business markets †¢ Managed subunit rivalry †¢ Found and overcome threats †¢ Stayed on Strategy †¢ Became an entrepreneurial force †¢ Accommodated adversity Thus, strategic vision is part style, part process, part content, and part context, while visionary leadership involves psychological gifts, sociological dynamics and the luck of timing. True strategic visionaries are both born and made, but they are not self-made. They are the product of the historical moment. This research suggests that, despite their great skills, it is a mistake to treat leaders such as Bill Gates as possessing superhuman qualities. He is the product of the times, of his followers, of his opportunities. As times and contexts change the visionaries of yesterday fade into obscurity, or worse, become the villains of today. His story is an extraordinary one. Windows may not be the best operating system in the World, but computers needed a standard and he and Microsoft provided it. If he hadn’t someone else undoubtedly would had but maybe not with the same degree of obsessiveness and drive. Affirming Collins and Porras (1998),: The function of a leader the one universal requirement of effective leadership is to catalyze a clear and shared vision of the organisation and to secure commitment to and vigorous pursuit of that vision. In short Bill Gates is a visionary thinker and leader of his time – but without the opportunity and IBMs millions would he have been able to take his chances. Since the turn of the decade Microsoft has had more failures than success; Google is on the march to become the Microsoft of the 21st Century. Further Study The effectiveness of long-term vision is crucial to the long-term health of any organisation. At all levels, leaders must make trade-off decisions, generally with the use of resources. Critical trade-offs reflect a choice between current effectiveness and projected future effectiveness , whether to do more research and development on a future, qualitatively superior software system, or to buy more of the available system; whether to make the investment in current technology or wait for the next quantum step. Each decision is surrounded by risk, imposed by cost and the uncertainty of future developments. Strategic leadership is a balancing act, a thin line between maximizing present effectiveness, and maximising future effectiveness, decisions that, to some extent, are mutually exclusive. Resources expended today in the wrong direction become a loss. This is why strategic vision is crucially important to organisations. Strategic leadership is a risky business. Strategic decisions are rarely clear-cut. There will always be uncertainties and often ambiguities. Contributing to the uncertainty is the fact that decisions must be made with some set of presumably valid assumptions in mind. However, strategic decisions may play out over long time spans: 10, 15, 20 years-or more. Word Count: 3572 Reference List Ambilie, T. M. (1998) How to kill creativity Harvard Business Review, September/October, pp. 77-87 Bass, B. M. and Avolio, B. J. (1994), Improving Organizational Effectiveness through Transformational Leadership, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Bennis, W. and Nanus, B. 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