This paper examines the characteristics and behaviors associated with an effective leader. In order to understand the different aspects of an effective leader, a few key areas must be thoroughly examined. Some of those areas include the source of organizational power being used, a discussion of decision making styles, and an analysis of what tactics are used to be an effective leader. In order to obtain a deeper understanding of these characteristics of a leader, I have selected an individual that exemplifies the qualities of a good leader to conduct a case study.

Introduction: The purpose of this paper is to examine what makes Justine Miles an effective leader of the United States Tax Court.  Some of the characteristic that make her an effective leader include the way she handles organization power, the influential tactics she uses, the relative merits of decision-making styles, the way she adapts to contingency factors, and how she handles the existence of neutralizers or substitutes.

Context: Justine Miles is the current supervisor of the Petitions/Intake Section of the United States Tax Court. The specific leadership example that will be examined in this paper will be Mrs. Miles ability to implement new policies that positively impact the productivity of the organization.