Chapter 1 of the Obolensky text begins with a reflective exercise.
Create a reflection blog that responds to the questions asked in this exercise.
Additionally,
while we live in a world with more information about leadership and leadership
practices why is it that we have an apparent gap in the quality of our leaders
and how do you think we can close this gap?
Leadership appears to have shifted the last few years for
a number of reasons. Everything from culture, technology, age and everything in
between has allowed for traditional leadership strategies to switch gears and
become more flat in structure. Because of this, adaptation in leadership skills,
trends and tactical approach has become imperative in the success of any
organization whose business is looking to thrive in complex or chaotic business
settings.
As a follower of great leaders, as well as being a leader
myself I feel as though my attitude towards leaders has changed over time. I
think this may have something to do with the change in times as well as
becoming older and experiencing certain things for myself. When I was younger I
did what I was told with no question. My parents raised me to be respectful of
adults and do what was asked of me. This trend in leadership lasted for a few
years. That is until I reached adolescence. Once I became old enough to think
for myself, I was questioning everything and everyone around me. I wasn’t
deliberately trying to be rude or disrespectful but I quickly started to have
an opinion on things and wanted that opinion and my thoughts and suggestions to
be respected in the same way I was being told to respect others.
Unfortunately, things didn’t really work like that. If I questioned
what I was supposed to do or didn’t do what I was told, I was informed that I
was being impolite or bad mannered. I was confused, why was it that I was to follow
instructions as they were given or reap the consequences of my disobedience,
but it appeared that no one seemed to care what I thought or felt about things.
I learned very early on that leadership was something that differed from culture
to culture, age group to group and wasn’t something that could be established
as static across the board. I guess this is one of the reason’s I enjoyed
management early on in my working life. It was interesting to see who could do
what they were told, who would do what they were told and those who seemed to
try their very best to let everyone know that they were their own leader and
following was not an option on their agenda.
There are a few reasons why leadership has changed over
the years. As the text states “we hold our leaders to account more now than we
have done. In the past we assumed they were more capable than us and therefore
we were happy to follow. However with the fast pace of change, the older generation
has been left behind more than ever before” (Obolensky 2010 pg 4). With the
younger generation having the ability to research information and manage and
maintain leadership roles at a younger age, respect amongst older generation
leaders is sometimes challenged and can cause conflict in both personal and
business settings.
The change in leadership can be attributed to a number of
existing and continuously changing reasoning. Leadership has shifted over time from
a top down management to a more participative leadership style. Rules and
orders have been replaced with “individualized thinking and individual ownership
over tasks” (Evolution of leadership). Authorative leadership has transitioned into
participative leadership which has offered a more central decision making
process, flexible environment and collaborative managers.
The world today is more complex in nature and requires
the ability of managers and leaders to be adaptable to the fast changing,
uncertain environments that many businesses experience. “Knowledge and wisdom are becoming wider spread and this needs leadership needs to be more dynamic and honest” (Obolensky 2010 pg 6). Leaders these days need
to be more in tune with their surroundings changes and flexible in their
leadership styles. While the attitudes of authority and leadership may have changed
over the years, I think it is important to remember that leadership styles of
all sorts are beneficial in a variety of organizational structures. The
leadership type and style should reflect the organizations configuration in
order to ensure its short and long term success.
Cassandra R.
References
The Evolution of Leadership. (n.d.). Mind
Resources Institute of Learning and Innovation,2(2),9.
Obolensky,
N. (2010). Complex adaptive leadership. (1st edition.). London, UK:
Gower/Ashgate
