OverviewThere are many ways to define leadership, but perhaps the most terse and precise definition is presented in the book Leadership: Theory and Practice by Peter G. Northouse (Northouse, 2013, p.5): “Leadership is a process by which an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal”. Individuals, engaged in leadership, use their influence to resolve challenges facing the groups under their leadership, in order to succeed in their common goals. In Leadership: Theory and Practice, Peter G. Northouse examines various leadership styles and also examines the concept of leadership. leadership from different angles. As a future leader, I used Northouse's book to explore my leadership styles and ways to apply them in practice. In this article, I will describe some of the recent challenges my employer has faced. I will determine which of the leadership styles described by Northouse fit me and how I could potentially apply my leadership styles to address these challenges, if I were the leader of my organization. I will also reflect on my own profile in light of the leadership descriptors and categories provided. Workplace Challenges I work at General Dynamics Information Technology (gdit.com, 2014) and over the past year our company has been facing a number of financial challenges (General Dynamics. Annual Report, 2013, p.3). As General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) is a government contractor, these challenges are primarily related to defense budget cuts currently being implemented in the United States (Daleda, 2014). As an article in Forbes magazine points out, companies that primarily provide services to the US military are facing very difficult times today (Thompson, 2013). GDIT i...... middle of paper ......12), Luebbert, L. (2013). Annual review. [e-book] Rockville: GDIT. p. 1-8. Available via: GDIT [Accessed: March 2, 2014].10. Pinsky, E. (2013). Leadership Lessons from Hillary Rodham Clinton. [online] 08/28. Retrieved from: http://www.respectfulworkplace.com/2013/08/22/leadership-lessons-from-hilary-rodham-clinton/ [Accessed: March 2, 2014].11. Robbins, SP, Decenzo, DA, & Coulter, MK (2013). Fundamentals of management. Harlow: Pearson.12. Shoemaker, P. (2013). Nelson Mandela, transformational leader. [online] 12/05. Retrieved from: http://www.inc.com/paul-schoemaker/what-made-mandela-a-transformational-leader.html [Accessed: March 2, 2014].13. Thompson, L. (2013). As budget cuts take hold, the fortunes of defense contractors diverge. Forbes, 04/24/14. Walters, R.., [email protected] (2013). Weak results in October. [e-mail] ([email protected]). Sent 03.11.14.