| A633.1.2.RB_Leadership Gap 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? I am not sure that it necessarily is a gap in the quality of our leadership, but perhaps maybe it is more of a complacent state that leaders have developed in their mind-set over a long period of time and now lack a more scholarly educated view of the science of leadership. This could be due to the fact that former leaders were trained to be more hierarchic in nature and typically lead by rank. In fact, most of our well known leaders of many decades past operated effectively using the oligarchy mode of leadership. What probably has caught most of the leaders off guard is the fact that the evolution of world change has advanced and occurred so rapidly that if leaders were not staying abreast of these changes, or caught in a paradigm or just not responding to reality. Also, the lack of obtaining the latest in the knowledge, skills and abilities to be in tune with those changes. Of course leaders are human too, therefore they too may have some difficulty in accepting change. Also, although there is more information in the world we live - that in itself has also caused increased uncertainty; too much knowledge. Nonetheless, it does create a gap in critical knowledge and awareness that leaders must acquire to be successful in today's fast paced, high-tech, globalized world; setting the culture, environment and processes in which to let go their power and manage by measurable objectives. Learn to manage ambiguity as it is the inevitable way of the future for leaders. Today's dynamic environment has put a rapid and quick requirement on leaders' to approach the method of leadership in an entirely different way. Many of the current leader's have been trained and performed under the old way of doing business; possibly having many successes using that approach. However, this same approach now will lend them many failures in the future since reality is facing them head on and they soon will realize that ther is no pattern that any one leader can leverage on from the past. Lack of training and real understanding of the essentialness to change their way of thinking to meet those of current times could also prohibit their perspective on leadership style. All leaders need to be continually educated on current leadership approach strategies to maintain most optimum perspective, open-minded approach - while adapting to letting go of their power while transitioning to Polyarchy style of leadership. It requires letting go of something that you possibly have been trained for an entire career to keep close and manage by power and rank. On the contrary, it is now just the opposite in that the best solution is to lead by influence and processes. |
First, we cannot expect leaders to have a set pattern from which to leverage. Leadership has become a complexity of science in that if we were to use previous success stories of former leaders; we would most likely fail in today's dymanic world. It also requres a keen sense of adapting to and leading change from a whole new perspective.
Second, in today's dynamics - leadership has taken a different form, whereas influence and proccesses are seen as the methods by which to lead rather than leading by Power and Rank. Power is shifting...we are transitioning to a Polyarchy which creates high levels of uncertainty, yet it is one of the few ways to be able to lead in today's high-tech, fast-paced, globalized, and overly informed market place. As too much information can cause higher levels of uncertainty due to the vastly obtained knowledge base from information overload. Must be able to think quickly, and react rapidly. Some of the complexities can yield opportunities; but may be unknown at the time (strategic perspective).
Third, different from our past leaders - we must be able to tolerate and manage ambiguity because the world in which we knew it is changing too quickly and it will never go back the way it was; only now to increase more rapidly. Leader's now have to see and do things differently - it has become more challenging to be a leader; therefore, it is requiring to approach leadership from a different way and let the power go to those that can perform and leaders to provide the measureable objectives and clear boundaries to measure success.
Overall, even though I was aware of the dynamic changes in the world today - I had not realized the impacts it was having on leadership approaches in dealing with the situation. It makes so much sense to be able to deal with the complexities of real world scenarios by using the Polyarchy approach as the most optimum solution. Let those that are capable to lead (at all levels) go forth and do good. Allowing the leaders to focus their time on devising the simple operating rules, objectives; combined with the leaders also finding quick measures of success based on their ability to manage ambiguity - eventually all to become a natural process.
