Has your own attitude to leaders changed in your life, and if so how?
My attitude toward leaders has changed greatly as I have matured in life. I used to blindly equate authority to leaders and paid no mind to the numerous elements of leadership. My philosophy was if someone was an authority figure then they must be a great leader. I used to think leaders were more capable than others and was happy to follow (Obolensky, 2014). Authority and leadership was synonymous to me. All authority figures were considered leaders and I had the utmost faith in their knowledge, skills, and abilities. I never doubted these authorities were always the best for the job or position. However, as I matured I began to realize that humans have flaws and that means people make mistakes. This realization, combined with my experiences, has led me to believe that not all people of authority are knowledgeable, skillful, or have the necessary abilities to be great. I have also found this to be true regarding leaders. Furthermore, I learned to differentiate authority and leaders. One does not have to be in a position of authority to be a leader. Leaders are found everywhere. I am also now more cognizant of the composition of a great leader and my interest of this composition has continued to grow. Another aspect my attitude has changed is how I have lost a bit of faith in leadership. My trusting nature has been eroded through witnessing those in leadership positions fail on many levels.
If we take as a starting point the attitude to those in authority/leaders as held by your grandparents, and then look at those attitudes held by your parents, and then by you, and then by the younger generation, is there a changing trend? If so, what is it?
Two words come to mind when I think of the changing trend of our attitudes to those in authority/leaders: Fear and respect. I think years ago people had some element of fear towards authority because those times were simply tougher. Those in authority could get away with treating others unfairly. Now, it seems like most of that fear has faded because people are so protected. It feels like we live in a more sensitive society in which everyone wants to take legal action for everything. Respect came to mind instantly when I pondered this question and I had to chuckle when I read the textbook because I am obviously not alone in that thought. Obolensky (2014) states, “many bemoan the fact that the younger generation seems to have less respect for authority than the older” (p. 3).
Why do you think that this has occurred?
I think this has occurred because evolution and change is inevitable. Humans evolve, change, and adapt to the environment. However, I think the growth and dependency of technology is a major contributor. Technology has changed the way humans interact and has rapidly redefined social norms. On the other hand, maybe I think this change has occurred, but nothing has actually changed. Let me explain. It is possible that respect is continually viewed by the older generations as being degraded by the younger generations. The cycle never ends. So it is not that respect is constantly fading in our culture, but more that the perspective of the older generation always sees a more selfish and disrespectful younger generation. We would live in a state of anarchy if respect truly eroded away to nothing slowly over time.
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?
Information is invaluable. We have instant information about leadership available to us now more than ever. However, that does not necessarily mean more information will equate to perfect leadership practices. For example, what if children were only given a book about how to learn how to ride a bike? It is not a practical application of information because children need the actual experience and assistance to learn to ride a bike. They have to physically ride the bike and fall a few times to become proficient. The same goes for leadership. A person who is only highly educated does not make a great leader. Traits, experience, training, opportunity, and other factors all play a hand in a quality leader. Sometimes leaders are put in a position because of who they know and not because of their qualifications. Those instances degrade the quality of leadership considering there are more than likely many other better leaders qualified for the position. Additionally, leaders are human and fallible. They will make mistakes no matter how much information they have at their fingertips. It is inevitable some leaders will make poor decisions because they are people. I think bridging the gap in the quality of our leaders can only be achieved through a combination of training, leadership traits, and experience. Unfortunately, developing, creating, and discovering a quality leader takes time. Yet, many organizations do not have the time or the patience to wait.
References
Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty (2nd ed.). Gower.
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