SPARK: Discussion Board – Forward Intro & Chapter 1
CHAPTER 1
PICK ONE QUESTION AND ANSWER FROM CHAPTER 1
Reading Focus:
Learn why FedEx CEO Fred Smith believes that organizational excellence happens one leader at a time.
Understand what a SPARK is.
Discover why leader development is critical.
Confront the myths of leadership.
After reading the Forward Introduction and Chapter 1, provide one insight from the reading that you found interesting or helpful and why you found that point significant. Then, answer at least 1 of the following questions and
1 Are you a Spark? Do you want to become a Spark? Why is it important to recognize that you, or others you know, are Sparks?
2 Do you believe leadership is as easy as a choice? Can you recall a time in your life when you had to choose to lead?
SPARK: Chapters 2 & 3
Reading focus:
Gaining awareness of your current values.
Recognizing that before you lead others you have to be able to lead yourself.
What it takes to build credibility necessary to have influence on others.
Why feedback is an essential component of successful teams.
After reading the Chapters 2 & 3, provide one insight from the reading that you found interesting or helpful and why you found that point significant. Then, answer at least 1 of the following questions
1 Trust, values and character can seem like touchy-feely topics for professionals. Why do you believe they are important to leader development?
2 How can you tell if someone is trustworthy? What behaviors do they demonstrate that make them trustworthy?
3 Share an experience when you made a choice based on what you value and discuss how it turned out for you.
CHAPTER 3
Reflecting on the four keys to credibility highlighted in this chapter (see page 57), which ones do you demonstrate well? Which ones are challenging for you?
The “Say-Do Gap” is the space between your words and your actions. It measures your consistency. In what areas of your life is your “Say-Do Gap” narrow? How can you improve?
Why is providing feedback to others helpful? What’s a best practice you use when sharing feedback with someone else?
Do you receive consistent feedback in your working environment?
For Self- Growth: SPARK-ch2-exercises-v2.pdf SPARK-ch3-exercises-v2.pdf