Introduction
The scholar, practitioner, and leader (SPL) model concentrates on developing a person who acquires both scholarship and leadership skills that would be used to improve the performance outcomes of organizations. The model is typified by high levels of dynamism and innovation that support long-term learning, workplace contribution, and the ability to influence others to change in the workplace. In the contemporary business world, managers are expected to have information literacy to make significant changes in companies (Turusheva, 2009). There is huge information that persons should access and apply daily. However, there has been a concern that some leaders in various sectors around the world do not have the skills to assess some information that would result in excellent outcomes in their organizations.
Regarding the scholarship part of the model, an individual should have a profound understanding of many theoretical perspectives in his or her area (Russel, 2009). Concerning the practice arm of the platform, a person should have the skills to apply theories to daily events. Concerning the leadership part of the model, individuals should demonstrate excellent headship skills. This paper focuses on four elements of the essay that are related to the SLP model.
The elements of the scholar, practitioner, and leader (SPL) model
It would be important to discuss how leaders without scholarly backgrounds may appear in organizations. It is estimated that firms around the world use about 2.7 million documents on an annual basis. Also, an average employee in an office reads about twenty-four hours weekly (Badke, 2009). Leaders are supposed to synthesize information that would be key to bringing changes, such as low attrition rates among workers and improved financial outcomes. Many studies in business have shown that theories are relevant only when leaders can utilize them to impact their employees and other stakeholders (Badke, 2009; Russel, 2009). In college, students are taught critical aspects of leadership and how various leadership principles can be used to impact firms. Leaders who do not have scholarly backgrounds cannot “demonstrate the three thinking processes that have been identified, which are the selection, representation, and synthesis” (Russel, 2009, p. 93). For example, leaders in learning institutions cannot apply information to their organizations if they are not educated well. They would lack the skills that are required for the effective development and application of intellectual frameworks in their disciplines. Thus, such leaders would appear as if they are not prepared to bring changes and lead their firms to high levels of performance.
It is also important to analyze how a practitioner would appear if he or she does not have leadership skills. In this context, a practitioner is a person with the right qualifications that enable him or her to practice in a given profession. For example, a consultant physician has the right skills in the field of medicine. However, he or she would be required to show high levels of leadership. In the context of leadership, a worker in the healthcare sector should demonstrate a participatory approach that would go a long way in helping him or her to lead team members to realize personal and overall organizational objectives. Strategies that are geared toward co-producing knowledge with specialists provide excellent opportunities for reducing differences that are found between theory and practice. Considering the example of a consultant physician, he or she could have unique practical skills in his or her field but would be expected to work in a team, and direct juniors, which would imply that leadership skills are mandatory. However, it has been shown that many specialists are not satisfied with the recommendations that are found in the leadership literature (Saunders, 2009). As a result, they may not practice what effective leaders should, resulting in leadership crises. Therefore, practitioners with no leadership skills would appear as if they are so much focused on impacting organizations without caring much about using leadership skills to introduce changes for long-term and short-term benefits.
Scholars should have unlimited access to literacy materials since they need to engage in continuous studies that are aimed at creating unique products within organizations (Saunders, 2009). Scholars’ lack of access to literacy materials can be likened to a situation whereby learners are taught, yet they are not provided with adequate print and online resources. In this context, it is worth considering an example of a scholar in the business field, especially in a manufacturing company. In such a firm, a scholar would be involved in innovating new products that would lead to an increase in market shares. Nonetheless, such innovations should be supported by a wide range of literacy materials, which would be utilized by the scholar to think outside the box. Thus, it is correct to assert that a scholar who does not have access to adequate literacy materials would undergo intellectual stagnation, which would be demonstrated by a lack of innovation of unique goods and services.
In my organization, I am involved in identifying, locating, evaluating, and utilizing information to solve problems at hand. In this context, through applying judgment and critical thinking skills, I know the type of information that I should access and use. Also, I apply computer literacy and critical thinking skills to help learners to acquire knowledge. Through my efforts to improve my literacy skills, I use sources of information carefully, and I am aware of the fact that they become old in five years, a reality that “enables many professionals to improve their knowledge and skills regularly” (Turusheva, 2009, p. 128). I think that what I do is related to the SLP model for the reason that it promotes long-term processes of acquiring knowledge (scholarship), the ability to impact my academic life (leadership) positively, and my professional contribution to organizational outcomes (practice).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the SLP model is a valuable tool for leaders and scholars in the contemporary world that is typified by relatively high levels of dynamism. This paper has demonstrated that it would be misleading to separate leadership from scholarship and excellent practice. Scholars, leaders, and practitioners should adopt the three elements of the SLP model.
References
Badke, W. (2009). How we failed the net generation. Online, 33(4), 47-49.
Russel, P. (2009). Why Universities Need Information Literacy Now More than Ever. Canadian Library Association, 55(3), 92-94.
Saunders, L. (2009). The future of information literacy in academic libraries: a Delphi study. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 9(1), 99-114.
Turusheva, L. (2009). Students information competence and its importance for life-long education. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 12(6), 126-132.