Think about the difference between what a leader means, versus what leadership means. In chapter 10 this same idea is discussed but in the context of a follower, versus followership. Like leadership, a follower evolves into the the area of followership. As discussed in the reading we start to develop our followership pattern in early childhood and we begin to mold our perception of a leader. As a follower, we tend to form a generic category of leadership which solidifies into our memory.
On pages 343-346 an important part of leader categories is discussed which addresses the issues of perception, or perhaps stereotypes, of leadership based upon experience and cultural context. Cultural values can have a direct influence on ones style of leadership and can trigger new perceptions and reactions from followers who may not be familiar with those cultural differences. If our perceptions, as a follower, of leader are formed in early childhood how could being able to adjust to a unfamiliar style of leadership effect us as followers? At some point in time, with increased globalization and ethnic blending within our culture, leadership dynamics based upon one majority culture will change. Is it hard to overcome stereotypes and perceptions about a different culture that may not be familiar to you?
I can admit that growing up in a African American household, with my parents and relatives being my leaders and role models, it was hard to adjust in school and sports teams where I saw no one who looked like me but were yet my leaders . They had different experiences and values than me in many ways, but I too shared many similar experiences with them. I have been so heavily integrated in the environment in which I live, but if you were put into a whole new surrounding or culture, how easy would it be for you to reformulate your memory or perception of leadership?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
As we grow older we learn more and prefer new changes. People are constantly changing. I was raised with certain beliefs but now that I am older and much more educated, I have my own opinion and preferences; not just what my family raised me to like. I think this goes with leaders as well. My parents might be republican but I might be democrat. I will follow the leader I want and feel comfortable enough to leave my cultural belief because I feel that outcome would be worth the consequences with my family, if any at all. I am my own person and I know that my family will love me no matter what, which is why I feel I can be myself with my own beliefs. I personally do not feel that it is hard to overcome stereotypes and perceptions about a different culture as long as it is not harming others. I believe in equality and freedom. People can do what the please as long as they are not harming themselves or others. That is how I was raised and that is how I want to live my life believing.
ReplyDeleteIf I were put into a whole new surrounding or culture, I would try my best to adapt to theirs because it is important for me to be accepted. I would most likely share my beliefs (depending on the circumstance) and give them an opportunity to learn another culture and participate if they please to do so. We could even possibly combine our cultures if they were interested and create a new culture, which has happened a few times already in history.
Having studied abroad, I can relate in some ways to being put into an unfamiliar situation. Ireland isn't so entirely different from the U.S. in the same ways that non-English speaking and non-Western cultures are, but I still had to get used to being a foreigner, and in some of my classes being The American (not in a bad way though). I had to adapt in the way of understanding my own culture better, so that when I talked to others I could better understand theirs, and help them understand mine. (And as far as stereotypes go, the Irish are nothing like we think they are. Unfortunately, the Boondock Saints and P.S. I Love You are entirely inaccurate - I learned that every quickly.)
ReplyDeleteI was raised in a town with people very similar to me, so my views of leadership didn't really change until I got to SNC. It was weird to be in a place where we were so independent, but the people were still so similar to the people I grew up around that my views of leadership were a little slow to change. The biggest culture shock came when I tutored with HOSTS at Jefferson Elementary and was exposed to a highly diverse demographic, and had to completely step out of my normal frame of mind when dealing with these children. The same can be said of my therapist position with the 5-yr old autistic girl I worked with over the summer. Never have I ever been so far out of my comfort zone.
I agree with Mo completely, culture has a huge impact on how we view leaders and how we act as followers. growing up we become so accustomed to a certain way of life that when we start new life stages or are put in new situations is it sometimes hard to adjust. This is where stereotypes come into play, they act as a filler for the mind, if we don't know something we think of what we have heard about it or the little information that we do know about it and we base our opinions off that. Many times stereotypes are viewed as bad when in reality I think that in certain situations they can be used as a safety device. For example if it is a certain neighborhood is viewed as unsafe or known for thief and shootings then using stereotypes one may make the decision not to go there. This is just one example of stereotypes in a positive light. More commonly stereotypes are used as judging or a way to base decisions around what we have heard or what we think we know. As a leader is is important to use stereotypes for positive reasons instead of negative.
DeleteCulture is impactful when it comes to leaders and the different leadership situations. Unfortunately there are stereotypes that come into play in many different situations. For instance I see this with people that are the leaders with power. Sometimes leaders feel they don't have time for everyone so they tend to stereotype the people underneath them. This is unfortunate because being a good leader means that you are know your group members and you care about them individually. In conclusion, I agree with the statement that stereotypes have to be used for positive reasons instead of the negative ones.
DeleteI really enjoyed this chapter because it does differenitiate between leadership and leader. I think that is very important to understand. I also really like that this theory does disscuss how culture can affect your leadership style and this is also important to understand. I think that when communicating with someone from another culture it is important to look at their values and morals to understand them better. Although I hate to say this our sterotypes of others are hammered into our head through our culture, and sometimes we sterotype 0thers from another culture and dont even know it internally. So we have would all streotype others. I honestly dont know how i would respond if put in a unfamilar enviornment although i hope through my previous leadership experiences I hope i would act in a positive manner
ReplyDeleteI think as a follower the ability to be agile to all types of leadership will help the group as a whole. In any case the ability to overcome adversity and adjust will help with any leader. When we are young we see leaders as parents, teachers, and any elder who is of status. Depending on the neighborhood you are from you have different perceptions on leaders. For me personally the emersion into college has helped me shy away from the stereotypes that I was shown to by my family and community. It is easy for me to say that people who are not able to overlook stereotypes are ignorant, but as we all know your family and community play a large roll on the perceptions on different cultures. Being put into a new culture would not be hard for me today as it would be if I were a freshman at SNC. Having the leadership minor and the experience to adapt and understand ones culture would not scare me. Looking at a different culture would be fairly easy for me to reformulates my perception of leadership because through being in college and being exposed to different cultures, I understand that all cultures are different and unique in their own way
ReplyDeleteI think as we get older and have more experiences it is easy to adapt to all different types of leadership. It may be hard for one to overcome stereotypes of others if they are not open to new ideas/people. If a person is open and willing to work with different type of people, then I feel it will be easy to overcome stereotypes. For example, my high school was pretty diverse and I found myself working with different cultures a lot. If you learn to get to know the person for they are and not what you see then you will find it easy to overcome stereotypes. Just like we watched in Remember the Titans we saw two groups of people who at first were hostile toward each other. They gradually began to work together and accomplished great things.
ReplyDeleteAs people age, they become more knowledgeable, and better able to adapt to situations. Initially I could see a problem occurring by being introduced to a whole new culture. But, with gaining knowledge every day, time will tell what the end result will be for a person being introduced to a foreign situation. Being able to adapt and be agile are two of the key components for any type of leader. No two followers or cultures are the same, so being able to adapt to your surroundings makes certain leaders stand out compared to other leaders. People do not like change, but it is important to note that change is vital for leaders to not only overcome, but to learn from as well.
ReplyDeleteWe start as followers at a young age. This is when leadership begins to cross our minds.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I believe it is difficult to overcome stereotypes about a different culture that may not be familiar to you. Over time, people either confirm or deny stereotypes in their heads. Experiencing different cultures and spending time with different people will reconstruct any previous stereotypes. Depending on if the stereotype is true in the situation, it will be easy/difficult to change your perception.
I grew up in a small town where every one had a lot in common. It wasn't until college until I gained a different perception of leadership. First of all, there are many leadership opportunities at St. Norbert ranging from sports teams, sororities/fraternities, clubs, and group projects. College made me realize that leadership does not just come from a boss or a teacher, it comes from peers in a variety of places. It was a learning experience being in a different environment and learning about leadership in different ways. One way was that I started participating in class more frequently than in high school. This is a small leadership role that I made part of my routine in order to grow as a leader. My college experience has made me look at leadership in a different light, as well as recognizing leadership in different people that I had not thought of before.
I do agree that culture has an impact on leadership and followers. Similar to Meghan I did not really experiences these differences of culture until coming to college. I grew up in a neighborhood where everyone was very similar and had similar ways of practicing leadership. When I began college and started interacting with people of different cultures my view of leadership and followers changed. I think for the better, because the stereotypes I had before disappeared and it is now easier to interact with different cultures.
ReplyDeleteI think culture is definitely something we all take for granted and don't seem to recognize as much. However, like Mo said, I think it has a huge impact on how we view certain leaders as followers or vis versa. Not only our race, but also our sex, education, religion, etc. Stereotypes are the primary reason for lack of leadership and followership when it comes to culture and diversity.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, since studying abroad in Australia, I have come to realize that Americans are really in our own little bubble, and regardless of all of the diversity in the states, Americans have very little global experience if any at all. This lack ultimately hinders our views of leaders.
I also agree with Jessica, in that how we are brought up also plays a huge impact on how we react to certain leaders/followers. However, to answer Mo's question, being emerged into a different culture or environment I think it might be surprisingly easy to reformulate perceptions of leadership because I can easily adapt and I tend not to stereotype based on culture.
I agree that culture has a huge impact on leadership and follower ship. Although culture has a big impact on leader and follower ship I also think another important aspect of leadership forms when you are a child and the adults you are surrounded by. If you are a child that is surrounded by positive, motivational, supportive parents and adults then leadership will naturally fall into place with maturing and growth. If you are a child that does not have as much support then leadership will not be as easy to achieve because it is not as natural and what they are used to.
ReplyDeleteI think a really important part of leadership is knowing, learning and educating yourself on other cultures before you make assumptions and judgements. In the last year I have learned a lot about other cultures through school and travel and this learning has been invaluable. Learning about the Thai culture was the most different from ours but in reality it was not as different as I thought going into it. We are all more similar that we think even if we are on opposites of the world.