DB2Topic.docx

Topic/Question Prompt: Where competency approaches suggest that leaders are created, theoretical approaches suggest that leaders are born. Drawing from the leadership traits described in assigned readings, discuss whether you believe these traits can be trained, or whether they are natural skills.

Reply Prompt: For your replies, respond to 2 classmates, identifying at least 1 strength and 1 weakness in their reasoning. Integrate Biblical principles within your discussion, not at the end, for both your personal thread and in all replies to peers. 
In this course, Discussions play an exceptionally important role. Please consider these threads and replies to be formal communications on the same level as those you would conduct with employers, clients, or colleagues in the professional, political, or academic world. As such, they must be free of grammatical errors, must be properly formatted in current Turabian style, and must consist of well-reasoned, contemplative, and substantive posts and replies, rather than mere ipse dixit. These threads and replies must be adequately supported by citations of the sources or support for your ideas as well as any quoted materials.
Each reply must be unique and must integrate ideas (and citations) from the required reading. Merely posting the same reply in 2 places is not sufficient and may be treated as a form of academic misconduct.  The original thread must incorporate ideas and citations from all of the required readings and presentations for that module.  It must also address statecraft as part of a meaningful discussion of effective statesmanship.  The reply posts must also integrate ideas and citations from the required readings and presentations for the module/week.  Integrate Biblical principles in your personal thread and in all replies to peers.
Open, courteous discussion will yield the greatest opportunities for growth in this class. Remember that the art of communication is in many ways the lifeblood of effective political leadership. Everything you write—every paper, post, and email—creates or reinforces an impression of you. Begin to cultivate the communication skills of the statesman and stateswoman—the ability to logically and persuasively speak the truth with compassion and respect. Each response post must include new research and analysis, and must build upon the ideas communicated in the original post. Thus, they must go beyond merely restating and affirming what a classmate has said and instead bring in more depth, research and analysis.