Andrea Psimer A633.1.2.RB - Leadership Gap

The Evolution of Adaptive Leadership

My attitude towards leaders has changed many times in my life.  Mainly because now I am questioning more of the why decisions are made and how organizations should function, which ultimately has me looking up to leadership for answers.  At this life stage and point in my career, decisions by leadership affect me more than ever before.  I am hypersensitive to how leaders manage situations, change organizations, innovate the future and develop a dedicated and talented workforce. 

Not So Simple

Before my graduate work with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, I made an assumption I was a good, effective leader as well as thinking the same of many leaders in my organization.  During my courses I am exposed to the wide breath and intricacy of leadership, and determined most “leaders” are supervisors, managers or people in charge.  Many of these people are regarded as leaders, but in reality, they are not.  Earlier in my life, various careers and my premature understanding of leadership was simplistic and I carried the impression leadership is just that, simple.  A person leads and others follow.

During the week classmates clearly displayed how leadership is viewed in so many ways.  From a few assigned materials, the class generated a huge spectrum of lessons learned including: distinction between problem-solving and directing change, communication is a key ingredient to leadership and analyzing the concept between leading from the dance-floor and balcony. 

Generations Have Forged Paths for New Attitudes Towards Leadership

There is no doubt about a changing trend of an attitudes towards leaders across generations.  Leaders exemplify many different characteristics than my grandparents and parents were exposed to.  For example, more females serve in leadership roles in the political environment, military, sports and most major industries.  My grandmother probably could not even imagine this would ever be the case.

The amplified diversity is important to note because people with different backgrounds serving in leadership roles result in decisions, policies and laws influenced from a new perspective and society as a whole change or adapt.  Desegregation and women’s rights are two prominent examples of how new attitudes changed the make-up of American society.  

Leadership has also become synonymous with education.  Previous generations did not have ample opportunities and access to education, and leadership was among many echelons of society without fancy degrees and resumes. As an example, I regard my dad as one of the best leaders I will ever know.  He taught me the fundamentals of leadership since I was very, very young.  I would not be a good leader without his insight and guidance and I attribute most of my leadership abilities to him.  With that, my dad does not have a high school diploma.  He was born and raised in an impoverished area in Ohio, the community largely driven by the coal-mining industry.  My dad served three years in the Marine Corps, then headed west in the ‘70s.  During my childhood, my dad was unemployed many times, however he did work at a Fortune 500 company reify and was an entrepreneur, which ended in bankruptcy.   In this day and age, my dad’s employment resume would not stand a chance at earning a high-level leadership job.  I know many people with several degrees, but they lack leadership abilities.  Much value is placed on education vice examples of how people use intuition for successful leadership.  This is all to say, society has redefined the expectations for leadership. Based on my research, a Masters in Leadership is a fairly new educational degree, as compared to more traditional forms of higher education such as medicine.  Is this degree created as a need to address leadership notions or is leadership in need of the Master’s degree?

Feeling Adaptable is the Most Important Measure of Adaptability

Adaptive leadership occurred as a consequence of time.  With time comes malleability. Leadership has changed because people feel empowered and oppression is less common, although still does exists.  People achieving self-actualization as a human species (transgender as an example) is more prevalent. 

 

Mind the Gap

There is a major gap in the quality of leaders! 

The possible “whys:”

·       More information does not equate to good, accurate, quality or meaningful. 

 

·       More does not mean better.  Quality over quantity.  Information about leadership has become a business.

 

·       The deterrents outweigh the appeal to being a leader, having an impact and desire to take of people.

 

·       Who wants the responsibility of being a leader?  In the past leadership was revered as honorary and unique.  Leadership today is subject to significant risk.

 

·       Many people expect rewards or compensation for being a leader.  The opposite may be true for effective leadership.  Leadership does not lend itself to tangible rewards, instead, great leadership may have a negative return on investment (put more in than you get out).

 

·       Leaders are heavily scrutinized, personally and professionally and their leadership is not really about their ability lead so much as many other factors.

 

·       Leaders are not fledged from having an abundance of information about leadership or leadership practices.  Intuition in many cases will prevail and is the answer to bridging the leadership gap.