A633.1.2.RB - Leadership Gap

 A633.1.2.RB_Manglona, Matthew-Napu_Leadership Gap

The reflective exercise from Obolensky (2010) where the first question asked is:

1). Has your own attitude to leaders changed in your life, and if so how?

My attitude towards leaders has changed dramatically from the moment I knew what a leader was. I used to confuse the two of a boss (manager) and a leader. A leader leads from the front, never talks down on his subordinates, and works in a team environment. Voigt, & Guariglia (2015) states,   “The concept of a ‘leader’ goes beyond the responsibilities of a ‘manager.’ Although they are usually one in the same person, the obligations, expectations, roles and impact of a leader are very different from that of a manager” (p.14)  I came to find this out when I pinned the rank of 2^nd Lieutenant in the Army. Although I make the decisions, I have to lead by example, show compassion, and most of all show that I care about my subordinates and my organization.

2) If we take 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?

I believe that there is a changing trend in attitude from the generations of the “baby boomers,” generation X, and millennials.  Marcus, M. (2014) described the Baby Boomers (grandparents) as “wanting it all and being willing to work hard to obtain it, he identified them as the classic workaholics, tending to be optimistic and valuing free expression and social reform.” As leaders, baby boomers were not authoritarian, they believe in seeking consensus and micromanaging their subordinates. (p.41) He then discusses Generation X (parents) as those who want to finish task quickly and tend to let the outcome of decisions as their primary source of motivation. They were forming goals and planning strategically for their followers and organizations. Finally Millennials (me and the younger generation) value optimism and the ability to multitask (p. 42-45) more likely to include their followers when making decisions for the organization because they believe in collective action. (p.41)  So to get back at the question yes the attitude has changed based off the work ethic, leadership, and authority practices.

3). Why do you think this has occurred?

The reasons that I think this has occurred is because of the generational differences as I explained above. Technology also will have to play a factor because as we all know technology has made life easier for the generation like myself (millennial) at touch of a screen. Baby boomers and Generation X did not have the same luxuries as us which made them work twice as hard for what they wanted to do or accomplish as a generation.

References:

Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty. Farnham, England: Gower.

Voigt, B., & Guariglia, J. (2015). Managers vs. leaders. Leadership Excellence, 32(10), 14.

Work values and generational differences: Using work values to understand generational differences in the canadian workplace (Order No. 3631245). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1564479892?accountid=27203