Leadership versus Management

Leadership versus Management

By Jack Eaton

August 3, 2015

            Most people assume that leadership and management are essentially the same.  That is just simply not the case.  Leadership can be defined as an influence relationship between a leader and followers who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes.  Management can be defined as the attainment of organizational goals in an effective and efficient manner through planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling organizational resources (Daft, 2011).  Even though the concepts and goals of leadership and management are very similar, leaders and managers play very different roles within an organization.  To identify the main differences between leaders and managers, the concepts of leadership and management need to be analyzed.  It is also important to identify the personality traits of leaders and managers by examining what makes each one so effective within an organization.

Conflict Management: A Tool for Personal and Professional Health

By Jack Eaton

March 16, 2015

Conflict management can be defined as the communication behavior a person employs based on his or her analysis of a conflict situation.  Another concept, conflict resolution refers to only one alternative in which parties solve a problem or issue and expect it not to arise again (Cahn & Abigail, 2014).  Despite there being many things that affect conflict management and conflict resolution, these are essential tools for personal and professional growth.  Through my education and personal experiences, I have learned why conflict occurs.  I have also learned that conflict is not always negative. Many conflict situations are positive experiences with positive results.  I also plan to discuss the roles that stress and anger can play in conflict, the ethics of conflict communication, and my personal overall “best practices” of conflict management and conflict resolution.

Inadequate Gun Control: Not the Real Issue

By Jack Eaton

September 22, 2014

Contrary to popular opinion, gun related crimes in this country are not caused by inadequate gun control laws.  In recent years, there have been many tragic events involving firearms that received national attention.  This has reignited the debate on whether or not our gun control laws are adequate.  The list includes school shootings, workplace shootings, and even a mass shooting inside a packed movie theater.  These mass shootings are rare, but they seem to receive all of the national attention.  People are wounded or killed by firearms every day in this country.  Mass shootings only make up a small percentage.  Many American citizens have formed the opinion that our country has a need for stricter gun control laws.  While it’s okay to feel that way, these citizens are not considering the alternative.  Despite these horrific shootings being tragedies, our gun control laws are either adequate as they are or, in some cases, even already too restrictive.  Shootings are not caused by inadequate gun control laws.  Instead, they each had their own chain of events that caused them to occur through completely different circumstances.  Looking at each one of these shootings individually is the key to understanding what the real issues are. 

An Oral History of Albert “Al” Palacio: From the Philippines to America

Jack Eaton

December 22, 2014

           

          Albert “Al” Palacio was born May 5^th, 1982 in the Pampanga Province approximately two hours north of Manila in the Philippines.  This is where Al called home for his entire childhood.  Today, Al lives and works in Rockford, IL where he is the full-time caregiver for my ailing grandfather.  He has been serving in that position for over one year.  He has a family back in the Philippines; a wife and 2 children.  Over the past year, I have come to know Al as a smart and caring man.  But it wasn’t until I recently interviewed him that I truly discovered who he is and what his journey has been like.  Through this interview, we can learn so many things about him, his family, his childhood, his culture, and his future plans.  There are certain things you can learn about different cultures by watching the news or researching the subject online, but the information gathered through interviewing someone who actually lived it is the most telling of all.  After interviewing Al, I realized why he is where he is and why he is doing what he is doing.  The answer is simple.  The United States of America is still considered to be the “land of opportunity” for any immigrants searching for a better life for their families.

Nelson Mandela: A Prominent Leader

Jack Eaton

September 28^th, 2015

Transformational leaders influence, inspire, move, and literally transform followers to achieve organizational goals beyond their self-interests, thus initiating and bringing about positive change (Weiss, 2011).  Nelson Mandela served a twenty-seven year prison sentence for rebelling against racial segregation and mistreatment in his country.  After he was released from prison, he later was elected president of South Africa.  He was then in charge of the very people who imprisoned him.  Most people would seek revenge in that situation, but Mandela did not.  Instead, he became one of the greatest and most influential leaders the world has ever seen.  Not many people will argue with that statement.  What makes him so great is not what accomplished, but it is exactly how he accomplished the things that he did.  Historically, Mandela is perhaps the best example of a transformational leader and a servant leader we have ever had. 

The Pete Rose Saga: No End in Sight

Jack Eaton

July 6, 2015

Peter Edward Rose or “Pete” Rose is an admitted gambler who bet on baseball while playing and managing for the Cincinnati Reds. He has received a lifetime ban from the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. Aside from that, he has plead guilty to two counts of filing false income tax returns, served a six month sentence in a medium security prison, payed nearly $400,000 in fines, been divorced once, remarried and separated, fathered one illegitimate child, and been sued more than once. Pete Rose, by all accounts, is a bad guy.

The Success of the NFL

By Jack Eaton

June 9, 2014

            There are not many companies or organizations in America more profitable than the NFL.  Football is America’s most popular sport.  It has become a $9.5 billion per year industry, and it’s still growing.  According to a 2012 interview with Carl Francis, the Director of Communications for the NFL Players Association, “the NFL has resonated with the fans because of greater access and visibility of the players.” A Harris Poll of the American public, conducted in September of 2012, found that 59% of Americans follow pro football, the highest level of interest in the NFL that Harris has ever found in its regular studies of the U.S. population (Smith, 2012).  However, in recent years, the NFL has faced several challenging situations such as a 2011 player lockout, a referee strike and dealing with the long-term health risks of concussions suffered while playing football.  Despite all of the public relations issues the NFL has faced, is currently facing, and will face, the NFL will continue to grow in popularity through their public relations strategies and great leadership.