Chapter 12 discussion forum (Discussion Forum 1)What is interactive leadership, and why might this approach be increasingly important for all leaders? Provide an example to illustrate your point of vi
Is Leader Style Gender-Driven? Several researchers have examined the question of whether women lead differently than men. Although they are broad generalizations, social science research suggests that predominantly communal qualities, such as compassion and kindness, are more associated with women in general and predominantly agentic qualities, such as assertiveness and competitiveness, are more associated with men.58 Refer to Leader’s Self-Insight 11.1 earlier in the chapter to see if your values are more communal or agentic. Leadership traits traditionally associated with white, American-born males include aggressiveness or assertiveness, rational analysis, and a “take charge” attitude. Male leaders tend to be competitive and individualistic and prefer working in vertical hierarchies. They rely on formal authority and position in their dealings with subordinates. Some women also reflect these characteristics, of course, but research has found that, in general, women prefer less competitive environments than men, tend to be more collaborative, and are more concerned with relationship building, inclusiveness, participation, and caring.59 Female leaders such as Deborah Kent, the first woman to head a vehicle assembly plant for Ford Motor, or Terry Kelly, CEO of W. L. Gore & Associates, are often more willing to share power and information, to encourage employee development, and to strive to enhance others’ feelings of self-worth. “It does no good have a diverse workforce if you don’t listen to their opinions and thoughts,” says Kent. “I treat people the way I want to be treated.”60 Professor and author Judy B. Rosener has called women’s approach to leadership interactive leadership. 61 The leader favors a consensual and collaborative process, and influence derives from relationships rather than position power and authority. Some psychologists have suggested that women may be more relationship oriented than men because of different psychological needs stemming from early experiences. This difference between the relationship orientations of men and women has sometimes been used to suggest that women cannot lead effectively because they fail to exercise power. However, whereas male leaders may associate effective leadership with a topdown command-and-control process, women’s interactive leadership seems appropriate for the future of diversity, globalization, and learning organizations. Cindy Szadokierski applies interactive leadership to handle the complex and demanding job of managing operations for United Airlines in Chicago.
Daft, Richard L.. The Leadership Experience (p. 338). Cengage Learning. Kindle Edition.
Although the values associated with interactive leadership, such as inclusion, relationship building, and caring, are generally considered “feminine” values, interactive leadership is not gender-specific. These values are becoming increasingly valuable for both male and female leaders.63 Any leader can learn to adopt a more inclusive style by paying attention to nonverbal behavior and developing skills such as listening, empathy, cooperation, and collaboration. GLOBAL DIVERSITY One of the most rapidly increasing sources of diversity is globalization, which means that leaders are confronting diversity issues across a broader stage than ever before. For leaders interacting with people from other cultures, even something as seemingly simple as a handshake can be confusing, as illustrated in Exhibit 11.4. If the proper way to shake hands can vary so widely, no wonder managers have trouble knowing how to act when doing business with people from or in other countries. Leaders can get a handle on the challenges of global diversity by understanding the sociocultural environment and by developing a higher cultural intelligence quotient (CQ) to know how to behave appropriately. The Sociocultural Environment Social and cultural differences may provide more potential for difficulties and conflicts than any other source. For instance, after hundreds of mostly Somali Muslim employees walked out to protest not being allowed extra break times to pray during Ramadan, leaders at a JBS Swift & Company meatpacking plant in Omaha, Nebraska, altered their policies so the workers could pray at the appropriate times. That, however, led to protests by non-Muslim workers, who alleged “preferential treatment,” causing leaders to reconsider allowing extra breaks for prayer. The tensions and conflicts led to a near-riot, and Swift’s leaders are still trying to resolve the issues that have arisen between the different groups.64
Daft, Richard L.. The Leadership Experience (p. 339). Cengage Learning. Kindle Edition.