| Course | BUSI 503 Leadership Theory (BUSI503) |
|---|---|
| Module/Week | 2 |
| Assignment | Leadership Journal 1 |
| Paper type | Leadership journal entry |
| Length | about 372 words, 1 double-spaced pages plus title page and references. Course guide: a journal entry of 350 to 400 words answering the assigned questions with explanations and relevant examples, in current APA format |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| Points | 40 |
| School | Liberty University Online |
| Program | MBA |
| Where it sits | Module/Week 2 in Liberty's published BUSI 503 course guide; current sections can differ |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for BUSI 503 Week 2
Leadership Journal 1: Credibility, Values and the Example I Set
[Student Name]
School of Business, Liberty University
BUSI 503: Leadership Theory
Leadership Journal 1
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The journal questions and the writer's workplace are composites standing in for the course's assigned questions; the textbooks, the research and the Scripture cited are real, and the structure follows Liberty's public course guide for BUSI 503.
Leadership Journal 1: Credibility, Values and the Example I Set
Why Credibility Comes First
Kouzes and Posner (2017) argue that credibility is the foundation of leadership because people will not willingly follow someone they do not believe. Their surveys of what people look for in leaders consistently put honesty first, and they summarize credibility in a simple test: do what you say you will do. Research supports the test. Simons (2002) described behavioral integrity as the alignment employees perceive between a manager's words and deeds, and argued that when employees see gaps, such as broken promises or values preached but not practiced, trust declines and so does their willingness to follow. The insight for me is that credibility is built in small, ordinary moments, a deadline met or a promise kept, far more than in speeches about values. It is also fragile: one visible gap can undo months of consistent behavior.
Where My Words and Deeds Did Not Match
Last spring I told my team that schedule requests submitted two weeks ahead would always be honored. Within a month I denied two requests because a large order came in. I explained the reason, but I had not kept my word. My team did not remember the order; they remembered that my promise had an exception I had not mentioned. Northouse (2019) describes leadership as influence, and that month my influence shrank. Two employees stopped submitting requests early, reasoning that it made no difference, and one told a coworker that my policies were "suggestions." I had damaged the very thing Kouzes and Posner (2017) call the foundation of leadership, and I had done it while trying to serve a customer well.
What I Will Change
Jesus criticized leaders who preach but do not practice (English Standard Version Bible, 2001/2016, Matthew 23:3). The standard is not new; it runs through Scripture's insistence that words and deeds agree. My change is to make fewer promises and to state their limits plainly: requests submitted two weeks ahead will be honored unless an order exceeds our capacity, in which case I will explain before denying anything and offer the employee the next available alternative. I will also ask my team, at our next meeting, whether there are other promises I have made that they no longer believe, which will be uncomfortable but is the fastest way to find the gaps I cannot see.
References
English Standard Version Bible. (2016). Crossway. (Original work published 2001)
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations (6th ed.). Wiley.
Northouse, P. G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Simons, T. (2002). Behavioral integrity: The perceived alignment between managers' words and deeds as a research focus. Organization Science, 13(1), 18-35. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.13.1.18.543
What the BUSI 503 Week 2 instructions ask
In the second week, BUSI 503 assigns chapters 1 through 4 of Kouzes and Posner, Bible readings and a presentation, and two graded items: participation in the Group Case Study Collaboration Forum and Leadership Journal 1, worth 40 points. The journal entry must answer the assigned questions with explanations and relevant examples in 350 to 400 words of APA-formatted prose. The chapters introduce the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership and argue that credibility is the foundation of leadership, then turn to the first practice, Model the Way, which asks leaders to clarify their values and set the example, so the questions usually invite personal examples. The collaboration forum opens the same week, so groups should agree on roles early.
How this BUSI 503 Week 2 example is built
The entry answers the two questions in turn. The first answer explains Kouzes and Posner's claim that credibility rests on doing what one says, and connects it to research on behavioral integrity, the alignment employees perceive between a manager's words and deeds. The second answer gives a specific example from the writer's work, a promise about scheduling that was not kept, and explains what it cost. A brief link to Scripture shows the same standard in Jesus' teaching. The entry closes with a concrete change in practice, stays inside the 350- to 400-word range and uses APA citations. It quotes no one at length.
BUSI 503 Week 2 grading rubric: where the points go
Leadership journal entries are graded on whether they answer every assigned question, explain the concepts accurately, provide relevant examples and stay within 350 to 400 words in APA format. Instructors look for Kouzes and Posner's language used correctly, the Five Practices, credibility, clarifying values, setting the example, and for examples specific enough to show real reflection. An entry that admits a failure and draws a lesson from it usually shows more understanding than one that lists the writer's strengths. Because the entry is short, every sentence should either explain a concept, give an example or state an application. A short entry rewards tight writing, so cut any sentence that does not explain, illustrate or apply.
BUSI 503 Week 2 help: mistakes that cost points
Answer each assigned question in its own paragraph, beginning with the concept and then the example. Pick an example from work, church or home that fits in a few sentences. Cite the chapters you draw on, and add a study or Scripture only where it sharpens the point. Count words carefully; 400 is a ceiling, and going over shows a lack of focus. End with one change you will make. Contribute your posts to the group's collaboration forum the same week, since participation there is also graded and the case study paper is due next week. Write the draft long and trim it to the range.
Related BUSI 503 sample papers
Other BUSI 503 weeks
- BUSI 503 Week 1: Forum 1: Born or Made?
- BUSI 503 Week 3: Group Case Study: Mulally at Ford
- BUSI 503 Week 4: Profile 3: Path-Goal and LMX
- BUSI 503 Week 5: Profile 4: Authentic, Follower, Team
- BUSI 503 Week 6: Case Response 3: Serving at Popeyes
- BUSI 503 Week 7: Leaders from the Bible: Nehemiah
- BUSI 503 Week 8: Forum 2: Enable Others to Act
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BUSI 503 Week 2 questions, answered
What is BUSI 503 Leadership Journal 1?
The first of two 40-point journal entries, due in Module/Week 2, answering the assigned questions on the opening chapters of The Leadership Challenge in 350 to 400 words.
Where can I find a free BUSI 503 Week 2 sample paper?
The page holds a complete BUSI 503 Week 2 leadership journal entry on credibility and the example a leader sets, with research and Scripture.
Why is credibility the foundation of leadership?
Kouzes and Posner argue that people follow leaders they believe, and that they judge credibility above all by whether leaders do what they say they will do.
What is behavioral integrity?
A term from Simons for how closely employees believe a manager's actions match the manager's words, including whether promises are kept and stated values are actually practiced day to day.
What else is due in BUSI 503 Module/Week 2?
Participation in the Group Case Study Collaboration Forum, with at least five substantive posts helping the group plan and draft its case study paper.
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