Essay should be no longer than three single-spaced pages. There is one significant analysis in Tool #1 that must be covered in the essay. Each student must discuss how the “Cheese” book relates to his/her leadership skills at this time and how he/she might improve his/her leadership skills over time to become a better leader.

 

As the course begins, each student should read the “Cheese” book to start thinking about his/her leadership skills. Each student may also want to start thinking about his/her approach – working as an individual — to complete the Service-Learning Project at Animal Friends and the Leadership Tools Marathon.

 

Could your leadership approaches working with the people and the animals at Animal Friends be similar to the way the characters function in the book Who Moved My Cheese? Will you be like Sniff, Scurry, Hem and/or Haw? For some students, the notion and the possibility of volunteering at Animal Friends to complete the Service-Learning Project and the Leadership Tools Marathon may sound exciting and actually build individual enthusiasm for the project.

 

A template for this section includes six components for reflection and discussion within your response.

 

If you decide to work with Animal Friends, pull your thoughts together and write a short essay explaining why you would prefer to do this project. Include some of your past leadership experiences in completing large projects on your own at work, school, and/or home that relate specifically to this decision to do the project at Animal Friends, and the professional and/or personal improvements that you may need to make to become a better leader of people and/or animals down the road.

 

Some questions are provided to get your thinking started.

 

• What advantages and/or disadvantages do you see in doing this project?
• What skills and/or attributes give you the ability to do this undertaking on your own? Do you have these skills and/or attributes? Which ones? Describe at least three in top-down order.
• Choosing to do this project on your own is not an indicator that you do not have leadership skills. People can be individual leaders. So, do people currently think of you as “leadership material?” Why or why not?
• Have you had good work, school, and /or home experiences in the past as a team leader instead of working on a project individually? Please explain.
• In terms of change, which character in the book do you currently identify with and why?       Explain whether or not this character is a leader. If not, what is this character lacking? What are your leadership weaknesses? Please explain.
• Which character would you like to be in the future? List and describe three possible areas for improvement in your leadership ability/skills. In terms of your future as a leader, outline the steps that you will need to change today in order to become a leader of tomorrow.

 

SUMMARY ON HOW TO PROCEED:

 

Read Chapter One in the textbook. Your essay should include at least three reference sources from the first chapter in the textbook. (This is not a Self-Assessment Test Essay so the same reference requirements do not apply.) Read Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, MD in its entirety. Your essay should include at least three reference sources from Johnson’s book. Your essay must include thoughts and reflections on BOTH leadership and the “Cheese” book story and its characters.

 

It is not necessary to answer each question. However, it is important to weave your thoughts together in a cohesive essay — using no more than one short bulleted list of items. Your essay should include an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

 

Learning is about managing multiple inputs and relating to the information to one sentence – which is defined as the introductory topic sentence of your essay. Start this tool by stating your topic sentence. Make a bold statement. What is the point that you want to make about yourself in relation to the leadership topic of change?

 

What do you really want to say in the body of your essay? Use the “assert and defend” style to make your point(s). “Assert” or “Make” a statement. Provide proof to “defend” it. Do it again and again. (Like the Self-Assessment Test Essays, use the five-paragraph format – introduction, body with three examples, and conclusion.)

 

Finish your essay with a strong summarizing conclusion. 

 

Be sure to provide at least three references from Chapter 1 in the textbook AND three references from the Cheese book.