A633.1.2.RB_CliffordMarc

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We are surrounded by issues of leadership.  Leadership books and courses are more numerous now than ever before.  Leaders are under more scrutiny than they ever have been.  We seem fascinated by leaders in al spheres of life - and we also seem to have a different attitude from our forebears.

Here are some points to ponder:

Has your attitude to leaders changed in your life, and if so how?
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?
Why do you think this has occurred?

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?

As I reflect upon my life I do not feel that my attitudes towards leaders has changed dramatically.  When I was a child I was taught to respect my parents, elders, and authority.  I was taught that adults, who represent all authority figures to a child, were to be listened to, obeyed, and respected.  However, when I was younger I held this deference for experience and authority blindly.  I believe that the attitudes I hold as an adult toward leaders evolved out of the feelings of respect for adults that I held as a child.  My attitudes toward leaders have changed as I have gained experience. I still have high regard for leaders and authority, but my own experiences have taught me that they are not infallible.  I recognize now that they are human, and because of that they have weaknesses and flaws.  Although I believe that I do still have an “innocent until proven guilty” idea about leadership; I will give leaders my trust and confidence unless they show me that they are not worthy of it.

In general, I believe that there has been a fairly dramatic shift in attitudes about leadership over the last four generations.  I believe that the thoughts, feelings, and ideas that my grandparents (1920’s) held about leadership were probably similar to those held by my parents (1950’s).  I believe that both my grandparents and parents had traditional feelings about leaders; that they were to be respected and obeyed, that they had greater access to more current information, and that it was in an individual’s best interest to follow them.  I believe that somewhere between my parents generation (1950’s), and my own (1980), a dramatic shift in attitudes toward leadership began.  I feel that many of my own peers were not taught the same respect and deference that I was taught, and that people started to have an attitude of suspicion toward leaders.  I believe that the current generation that is just reaching adulthood generally does not have the same respect for leaders that the previous generations have had, and that many young adults today feel they cannot trust anyone in a position of leadership or authority.  They hold more of a “guilty until proven innocent” attitude.

This shift in attitudes about leadership over the last four generations has come, at least partially, as a result of “an explosion of knowledge” (Obolensky, 2016) and greater transparency in everything government, business, and individuals do.  The leader is no longer the subject matter expert.  Subordinates no longer have to rely on their leaders for information and knowledge.  Numerous high-profile scandals involving powerful leaders have left people feeling suspicious of leaders in general.  Events such as Watergate, Enron, and the AIG bailout and the heightened media attention they received make it possible for practically everyone, everywhere to learn details and form an opinion.  Previous generations had remained generally unaware of the details of such scandals and incidents, except for the information they were given.  24-hour cable news networks also critique almost everything that is said and done by government and business leaders and in a way they have conditioned people to be suspicious.

Snowden and Boone (2007), asked why traditional leadership techniques fail “even when logic indicates they should prevail?  The answer lies in a fundamental assumption of organizational theory and practice: that a certain level of predictability and order exists in the world.”  Snowden and Boone (2007) go on to suggest that “In the face of greater complexity today, however, intuition, intellect, and charisma are no longer enough.”  It seems that one of the major reasons there is a gap between the incredible amount of knowledge that exists about leadership and leadership practices and the quality of our leaders is precisely because of the overwhelming amount of information.  Obolensky (2016) suggests that in order to understand leadership one needs to understand the context in which leadership is practiced.  With so much information today there are nearly limitless different contexts in which a leader must lead, and in fact it is common for a leader to be acting in multiple context at the same time.  The context can even change without a leader’s awareness.

Another reason that a gap exists between the knowledge and information about leadership and the quality of leaders is that the business environment is evolving faster than ever before.  The techniques required to lead today change so quickly that by the time a leader learns about and applies current leadership practices and techniques, they are already obsolete.  This is not unique to the field of leadership.  “We have changed the context of leadership faster than we have changed our assumptions about what leadership actually is” (Obolensky, 2016).

I believe that the way for this leadership gap to close is for leaders to embrace the change.  Leaders need to recognize that traditional techniques are obsolete and learn from the current trends while they are developing.  The only way leaders can possibly learn current trends while they are developing is by empowering subordinates, encouraging a heightened and consistent flow of information, and becoming comfortable with change.  Leaders need to recognize that they are no longer the source of information, they are no longer the primary decision-maker.  Leaders today need to recognize trends and opportunities.

Although the definition of leadership has changed dramatically over the past few generations there is still a great need for skilled, knowledgeable, and qualified leaders in today’s constantly changing business climate.

References

Obolensky, N. (2016). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty (2nd ed.) New York, NY: Taylor & Francis,

Snowden, D. J., & Boone, M. E. (2007). A Leader's Framework for Decision Making. Harvard Business Review, 85(11), 68-76.