Kofi Annan Leadership Traits

The Five Virtues of Kofi Annan: Case Study Having sat at the helm of the United Nations for two terms, Kofi Annan exhibited astute and strong leadership skills. Admiration for his ability to bring different warring parties together was unending. He always wished for a world where sufferance of innocent global citizens would end. Among the virtues he stand out to have entrenched in his leadership is dignity.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Kofi Annan Leadership Traits specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He always believed that all people regardless of their social-economic status, nationality, race and other lines of segregation would have a dignified life. Indeed, the life that Annan envisaged for all people was free of atrocities, poverty and pandemics such as Aids. Ciulla (2003) postulates that he always saw both sides of the coin in that he could negotiate with perceived criminals such as Saddam Hussein for the sake of innocent civilians who in many instances were caught in the crossfire. To him, dignity was a major virtue of leadership. Second, throughout his mission as the Secretary General to the UN, he never fell short of confidence in all his actions and attitude. Despite taking positions that put him at loggerheads with major world leaders like Madeleine Albright, Annan had confidence that his cause of action was the best in delivering peace to the world. Third, Annan held courage as an important virtue that all leaders should learn. He never feared to enhance access to medical care, food and other humanitarian assistance regardless of the risks and dangers this action predisposed him to. Fourth, Annan values compassion, which is a major aspect of transformative and supportive leadership. He never shied away from the poor and the meek. Indeed, Ciulla (2003) pinpoints an instance where he randomly got out of his motorcade and spent over an hour with a refugee who had fled war in I raq. Finally, Annan always preached faith. He believed that all leaders should have faith in their actions whenever their actions would end up bringing peace to the world. Standpoints Held by Different Critical Thinkers Ruth Benedict The major concept of her works revolves around explaining anthropology and the way it affects normalcy of different people especially those holding leadership positions in organizations and groups. She articulates that leadership is nurtured and can be uniform across the entire world despite different social, religious, racial and national backgrounds. Leaders should be consistent in their actions regardless of the contexts they encounter. To that end, Benedict says that all leaders are able to differentiate between right and wrong and inspire followership that brings about happiness to all people. Mary Midgley She concentrates her main ideas on themes of leadership by articulating that a leader should be ready to try out ‘his/her sword’ . By that, she means that every leader has special attributes, which he/she should use to achieve the goals that the followers. It is important to note that Midgley holds the view that different leaders are unique and their leadership skills are dependent on the goals they seek to accomplish. It is therefore upon the leaders to understand their ‘swords’ and act in a way that can provide the best form of leadership to their organizations. F.G Bailey Bailey emphasizes on values and beliefs in leadership. He asserts that virtuous leaders should be able to make decisions that do not contradict the beliefs of the followers. Beliefs and values should shape the common goal in a group. No leaders should exert their personal beliefs and values to the followers. UN Commission on Human Rights The global body focuses its attention and activities on the need to uphold human rights regardless of where people live. UNCHR emphasizes on the importance of human dignity and the need t o remove impediments that lead to violation of human rights. In many instances, UNCHR has spearheaded democratic leadership and governance where governments enshrine human rights as a way of dignifying the lives of their citizens. Indeed, the organization holds the view that all human beings are important regardless of their location in the world and governments should abide by global standards in enshrining human rights. Isaiah Berlin Berlin asserts that leaders face numerous challenges and upheavals in pursuit of ideal societies and organizations. These challenges hinder their ability to perform nobly although they provide different insights to the leaders. To him, leadership should entail the ability of leaders to overcome such hurdles and achieve their objectives in line with the wishes and aspirations of the followers. In pursuit of idealistic leadership, Berlin articulates that leaders and organizations should be able to differentiate actions that could impede the achievemen t of the goals that are in the best interest of the majority. Application of the Theoretical Standpoints on the Case Study From the above case study, we learn of a global icon who exercised leadership using virtues. Annan was global leader despite his roots being in Africa. He always perceived the world from the lens of globalization and nobleness. Benedict cite him as an example of a leader who defied social and economic backgrounds to achieve his objective of uniting the world and delivering peace to war-torn regions.Advertising Looking for case study on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More His virtues were consistent throughout his life as the UN Secretary General. Despite many setbacks that impeded his ability to achieve some of his goals, Annan represents a leader whose ‘anthropology’ did not lead to ‘abnormal’ leadership style (Ciulla, 2003). Since his school days, Ciulla (2003) asserts that Annan was able to nurture his astuteness as a leader and adopt virtues that are important in enhancing effective leadership. His virtues of dignity, confidence, courage, compassion and faith stuck with him throughout his reign at the UN. As elucidated by Benedict, Annan depicts a leader who has the ability to distinguish between right and wrong and inspire followership that brings about happiness to all people. Midgley on the other hand would attribute the leadership abilities of Annan to uniqueness of specific leaders. She pinpoints that leaders have ‘their own swords’, which they use to exercise leadership. To her, Kofi Annan was a unique leader whose traits and virtues were outstanding. To cement her assertions, it is important to highlight that his predecessor and successor have different traits. Indeed, they have ‘different swords’ to exercise leadership. Midgley tends to disagree that leadership is nurtured and asserts that it is inborn a nd not all leaders are able to exercise leadership qualities in a similar way. The aspirations and objectives of UNCHR seem to coincide with the virtues of leadership offered by Annan. In particular, UNCHCR emphasizes on the need for human dignity in the world. This would imply that leaders work towards ending atrocities, poverty, diseases and wars that demean and devalue human dignity. Annan’s virtues dictated that all human beings should live in a peaceful and loving way and instances of wars ought to end (Ciulla, 2003). In fact, Annan pointed out that no government should shield itself in the name of sovereignty given the fact that its citizens have suffered in a huge way. To this end, he called for other nations to bear the responsibility and obligation to prevent atrocities that occur in some countries. This way, Annan was convinced that the world would uphold human dignity, importance of peace and the need to reduce pandemics.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Kofi Annan Leadership Traits specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Berlin perceives Annan from a standpoint of idealism. He sees his leadership style to draw inspiration from his virtues as too optimistic for the world to achieve. While Annan believes that world peace is possible, Berlin tends to be cautious by saying that there are many challenges for leadership that pursues idealism. Nonetheless, Berlin sees such leadership being very important since it helps leaders to address similar situations in future. In essence, the objectives that UNCHR has seem to explain the case study in a more elaborate way than the rest of the theories. This is partly because Annan was the custodian of these objectives when serving as the Secretary General of the UN. To this end, his goals and perception of the global society were motivated by the need to uphold human dignity and peace. His articulation that no country could shield itself in the pretext of sovereignty provided a clear indication of the levels that he could reach in achieving the goals of the organization. Nonetheless, Annan was an outstanding leader whose virtues provided guidance not only to him but also to the international organization that he served. Virtuous leadership brings about effectiveness. All leaders should therefore aspire to have virtues that uphold human dignity. Reference Ciulla, J. (2003). The Ethics of Leadership. New York: Thompson-Wadsworth Publishers. This case study on Kofi Annan Leadership Traits was written and submitted by user Obi-Wan to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Definition of Subject Matter for Inventions and Patents

The Definition of Subject Matter for Inventions and Patents Definition: Subject matter is what something is about. In artwork, the subject matter would be what the artist has chosen to paint, draw or sculpt. In patent law, the subject matter would be the technical content of a patent or patent application found in the description, claims, and drawings. In other words, the subject matter is what the inventor has chosen to invent, and in a patent application, the inventor must reveal the subject matter (invention) in a way dictated by law. Examples: Example 1 The specification must conclude with a claim particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention or discovery. Example 2 The distinction between patentable and unpatentable subject matter continues to be a topic of debate among software developers, academics, lawyers, and USPTO examiners. Example 3 The patented subject matter and additional subject matter still pending in the US and foreign patent offices includes claims to methods and devices for delivering medicinal substances to the interior of cells in various body tissues

Marketing Strategy of The Eastman Kodak Company Coursework

Marketing Strategy of The Eastman Kodak Company - Coursework Example In the early and mid-nineties, Kodak grew as a company and started developing new and improved models of their cameras. They developed the ‘Kodacolor range’ which included motion picture films, camera and projectors. These were sold at affordable prices. They also provided cameras to the U.S. Government for aerial photography during the First World War They didn’t stop there. They then introduced the ‘Instamatic camera’ which revolutionized the way people used cameras. It became a household item for amateur photographers because of its versatility and affordability. Today, however, the iconic brand is on its knees. This is because of the digital age. Kodak was slow in adapting to new-age digital technology, unlike the predecessors who were drivers of technology in the industry with their wide array of innovative patents. Where did Kodak go wrong? Well, there’s a couple of contributing factors. First off, Kodak used a high-velocity revenue model which entailed making profits off complimentary products to their cameras, i.e. the reel used by the camera. Their strategy was typically to sell cameras at a low cost, and let the film reel fuel its growth and profits. This meant the business was heavily dependant on this particular rigid model. Kodak was to pay the price for this rigidity soon enough. This came in the form of competition from overseas. The Japanese firm Fuji Film came into America and caught Kodak napping. They introduced reel that was one-fifth cheaper than Kodak’s offering. The result was devastating for Kodak, and even then their lack of market agility was evident by their slow reaction to the market. Further proof of the business’ inability to adapt to changing technology in the industry came in the early eighties when Sony Corporation ushered in the digital age with the release of the ‘Mavica’, a filmless digital camera that displayed photos directly on the user’s television sets. Pictures could also be printed if desired.

CNS Breathe Strip Marketing Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CNS Breathe Strip Marketing Strategy - Case Study Example The company has used prominent people in Japan, the United States, and in Italy as their public relations since they will have an impact on the consumer choices after being seen using the breathing strip. For example in Italy, they used a Valentino Rossi, who is a famous motor cycle racer to promote the breathing strip. Since people will want to emulate they people the find famous, they started using the breathing strip to take care of their breathing problems, and this increased sales for the product. The company also embarked on a campaign in all the countries it supplies the breathing strip to know the needs of consumers by conducting market research to know the consumer needs, for example, when it first introduced the strip in the united states, it was black and recorded high sales since it meant it should be used at night. However, when the same product was introduced in England, it had a negative impact since people there wanted it to come in a lighter color to indicate that it is helpful for breathing. This prompted the company to change the color of their product so that it can be tailored to meet the needs of the target market. CNS’s brand image is strong as many people around the world are using it, and this is owed to the company’s advertising strategies. The company has many markets, the price of the product is not the same in all the markets, and they consider the market constraints in the target market before setting the price. This implies that users of the breathing strip will be willing to pay for the product provided it treats their breathing problems regardless of the price. The company embarks on extensive advertising campaigns to ensure that consumers are aware of the product. The company uses television advertising to promote the use of the product in most of its market since it has a wide coverage, implying that the advertisement will reach a wide audience. It also has a large market at convenience shops meaning that people do not have to have a prescription in order to buy the breathing strips. Valentino Rossi increased awareness of the breathing strip in Europe, and he uses the strip for most of his racers and on the two occasions when he did not use the strip, he lost the races and since then he has been using the nasal strip. This was a big boost to the company’s sales since people all over Europe with breathing problems started using the strip to help them in breathing, and the company increased their sales. People‘s culture and their way of life are important considerations when determining the market approach to be used in a certain market. This is because the beliefs of people ought to be incorporated in the marketing approach to ensure that they respond positively to the company’s product. In New Zealand, rugby is one of the most treasured sport in the country, and this means that the marketing approach for CNS would have to include some aspect of the game. Rugby is deeply rooted in the society and their national rugby team would be a good base for the marketing campaign. CNS could use one of the prominent players of the All Blacks team to market the product. Since the

Cover Letter Essay Example for Free

Cover Letter Essay I would like to apply for the role of Intermediate Support Developer in your organization as the details of the job role and company itself are very appealing to me. I have enclosed my resume for your consideration. I am an enthusiastic and high-achieving IT professional with a Masters of Computer Science. I have exceptional technical and analytical skills, with over 3 years’ experience in providing application support at level 1 and 2 for critical business applications with additional duties of unit and integration testing, technical documentation and prioritising and allocation of user tickets. I possess the ability to take initiative with a positive and friendly attitude. My excellent communication skill helps me understand user’s requirements to provide them with an excellent customer service. Working in a highly dynamic work environment, has given me the sound knowledge of interacting with business users and external stake holders, finding technical solutions, answering questions quickly, and leaving a mark of satisfaction in customer’s mind. You will find me to be positive, ready to learn and hardworking who has ability to multitask and communicate effectively with non-technical users. I believe my attitude, expertise, skills, and excellent time management skills will prove to be an asset to the organization. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Free Soliloquies Essay - Othello’s Soliloquy :: GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Othello

Analysis of Othello’s Soliloquy During Othello’s soliloquy in Scene 3, ll. 299-318, Shakespeare uses the literary devices of imagery, symbolism, and antithesis to develop the state of mind of Othello during this strenuous time in his life. Othello, who seems to intrinsically believe that as a public figure he is fated to be unsuccessful at marriage, is torn between his love for Desdemona and the possibility that she is having an affair with Michael Cassio. This particular passage comes at a juncture after he denies that this could be true, and before he is finally convinced of his wife's infidelity. The fact that Othello is wavering between believing Iago and trusting his wife is reflected in the imagery Shakespeare uses in the soliloquy. The first image that is used is that of a falcon. Lines 301-304 read: â€Å"If I do prove her haggard, / Though that her jesses were my dear heartstrings, / I’d whistle her off and let her down the wind to prey at fortune.† This shows that Othello is still unsure about Desdemona, and claims that though he is in love with Desdemona, he would drop her if he found out she was cheating. This is quite a strong willed statement, but it is diminished by lines 319-320, which follow the entrance of Desdemona and Emilia into the chamber. Othello says, â€Å"If she be false, heaven mocks itself! / I’ll not believe ‘t.† This is an example of how turbulent Othello’s state of mind is. The steadfast determination expressed using the falcon image sort of â€Å"melts† when he sees Desdemona, and he immediately pro fesses denial that she could be untrue to him. Yet, just ten lines earlier (l. 308), Othello says, â€Å"She’s gone! I am abused!† and proceeds to lament the very institution of marriage: â€Å"O cure of marriage, ? That we can call these delicate creatures ours / And not their appetites!† Shakespeare’s placing of these three different conclusions Othello has drawn in such close proximity is an example of antithesis, and a testament to the changing and chaotic state of mind of Othello. Additional symbols are used in the soliloquy which exemplify this as well. In lines 311-314, he says: â€Å"I had rather be a toad / And live upon the vapor of a dungeon / Than to keep in the corner the thing I love / For others’ uses.

Analyzing the Tragedy of Dr. Faustus

Alfonso Villarreal Mrs. Bohn World Literature Honors April 9, 2012 Analyzing the Tragedy of Dr. Faustus The struggle between good and evil is arguably the most significant theme in the play. This struggle is most evident within the main character Faustus. He is torn and undecided about whether or not he should repent for sinning and return to God or follow through with the contract he signed with Lucifer. His internal struggle lasts almost the entire play, as part of him wants to be good serving God while the other part seeks the power Mephastophilis promises. Metaphastophilis himself has mixed motives and symbolizes this theme.On one hand he pursues Faustus’ soul, intending to carry it to hell while on the other he persuades Faustus to reject the contract because of the horrors he would encounter in hell. This theme, mostly existing within Faustus, provides interest and intrigue as to wonder if whether or not the highly intellectual doctor will finally come to his senses and repent. The play would be significantly less enjoyable if it followed a less interesting man, a man who morally feels no regret in giving up any chance of a positive afterlife for temporary powers. This indecision within Faustus also provides the central drama of the play.The struggle between good and evil is best symbolized by the Good and Evil Angels. Each angel struggled to pull Faustus towards its side as Faustus himself struggled between his human reason or logic and his lustful desire for power. Good and evil battle once more when Faustus encounters the Old Man in the final scene. The Old Man is another symbol which replaces the Good and Evil Angels from earlier scenes. He persuades Faustus to repent and renounce his powers while it’s not too late. Marlowe uses mythological allusions in a rather clever way in this particular work.They provide the audience with a more interesting play and extends the limits of the play’s subject if even slightly. One of the most s ignificant allusions was one performed in Faustus’ visit to Charles V’s court. Charles V pleads Faustus to perform sorcery for him, an allusion of Alexander the Great and his lover. Faustus performs a simple trick and Alexander suddenly appears before the emperor’s eyes. The purpose of this allusion is to show another great feat performed by Faustus and one that certainly brings interest to one of the most powerful men in the world.Marlowe was in some aspects a Renaissance writer and his work was a product of the age. He uses these allusions in the play to illuminate the transition between old beliefs and new ideas and knowledge. This transition served as one of the essential elements in the movement and Marlowe applies it with ease in his great work. â€Å"What art thou, Faustus, but a man condemned to die? † (IV, v, 25) The quote above addresses many essential aspects of the play. One of these aspects is the struggle between good and evil, a theme repre sented most by Faustus and his indecision. This quote indicates this theme of the play more than any other.Yes, Faustus is speaking his most troubled thoughts. What is he if not a fool who sold his soul for a temporary power only to perish in an eternal fire? Again it is evident that he struggles with his two most important principles, his lust for power and his reason. He ponders whether or not he made the right choice. The fact that he even struggles with this is ironic at the very least. One of the most intelligent men of his time is too blind to see the horror in Hell. This quote is also significant in that it represents his tragic fall as his corrupt morality prevents him from repenting in time and ultimately dooms him to an eternity in Hell.