In the past few weeks, even a non-sports fan has noticed the attention drawn to the National Football League and the protests held during the National Anthem prior to football games. The situation is so polarizing that you are hard pressed to find someone that is indifferent on the topic. I think the most interesting outcome about the entire scenario is the number of leaders from all sides that are taking positions. NFL teams, coaches, Service Members and business owners who endorse NFL players have all weighed in publicly. President Barack Obama defended Colin Kaepernick’s constitutional right to protest the National Anthem (Jones & LoBianco, 2016). Colin Kaepernick, by protesting and making a stand for what he believes to be morally wrong, is displaying a form of Transformational Leadership. Transformation Leadership is defined by Northouse as a process in which a person engages with others and creates a connection that motivation and morality in leaders and followers (Northhouse, 2016, page 161).
Colin Kaepernick’s protest inspired other NFL players to do the same the following week, including Denver Broncos Linebacker Brandon Marshall, who had an endorsement deal with Air Academy Federal Credit Union until immediately after his protest. AAFCU president and CEO Glenn Strebe stated upon the endorsement contract termination, “While we respect Brandon’s right of expression, his actions are not a representation of our organization and membership” (Reyes, 2016).
Several Miami Dolphins players, including Ndamukong Suh, had planned to protest the playing of the National Anthem during the season opener which was also September 11th. Several shoe and apparel companies threatened to drop the athletes if they protested the National Anthem (Lieser, 2016), and subsequently, four Dolphin players did kneel during the playing of the National Anthem. Time will tell if the leaders of these companies will stay true to their threats and terminate the endorsement deals as threatened. The leaders of companies that endorse the NFL and its players certainly have every right to promote or terminate their endorsement deals based on their organizational beliefs.
Coaches and team owners all over the country are making their opinions known. Most, including the leader of the National Football League, Commissioner Roger Goodell, backing their athlete’s freedom of expression while expressing that it is recommended that players stand out of respect for our country (AP, 2016). Some NFL teams are displaying their leadership in acts of unity and solidarity by standing side by side or even locking arms during the playing of the National Anthem.
I do not see these protests ending any time soon, and whether you agree or disagree with Colin Kaepernick’s stance, or in the manner of his protest, one cannot deny that the objective of initiating the conversation of racial inequality and police injustice has been wildly successful.
Referrences:
Associated Press (2016). Goodell recognizes Kap’s right to protest, disagrees with action. Retrieved from http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000696136/article/goodell-recognizes-kaps-right-to-protest-disagrees-with-action
Jones, A. and LoBianco, T. (2016). Obama: Colin Kaepernick ‘exercising constitutional right’. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/05/politics/barack-obama-colin-kaepernick/
Lieser, J. (2016). Dolphins risk endorsements if they protest national anthem Sunday. Retrieved from http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2016/09/10/dolphins-risk-endorsements-if-they-protest-national-anthem-sunday/
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Reyes, L. (2016). Credit union with ties to military ends deal with Broncos LB after he kneels during anthem. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/broncos/2016/09/09/brandon-marshall-protest-sponsorship/90133416/
Robert J Holzer says
Hello Quanash,
Your blog caught my attention because I wanted to see how you tied leadership into the National Anthem protests that are going on in the NFL. I think that it’s great for people to take a stand for what they believe in and I also believe in freedom of speech. I agree with Barrack Obama defending Colin Kaepernick’s constitutional right to protest. We have that right as American citizens. However, I do not agree with anyone protesting during the national anthem. I think that it should be saved for a different time, but everyone is entitled to an opinion.
Where I disagree with your blog is when you describe Colin Kaepernick as a transformational leader. I want to clarify what a transformational leader is exactly. First, transformational leadership is a process that changes and transforms people (Northouse, 2016). Simply kneeling in protest and having others kneel in protest the following week is far from a process. It was a single act that did not require the exceptional form of influence that transformational leadership requires according to Northouse (2016). Next, Transformational leadership is a “process that incorporates charismatic and visionary leadership” (Northouse, 2016, p.161). I did not see any charisma or visionary leadership exhibited by Colin Kaepernick as he knelt during the National Anthem. According to Northouse (2016) p.164 “charisma is a special personality characteristic that gives a person superhuman or exceptional powers” and charisma is a necessary condition for transformational leadership.
Transformational leadership is also concerned with improving the performance of followers and developing followers to their fullest potential according to Northouse (2016). Transformational leaders do this by utilizing the four factors of idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration (Northouse, 2016).
I can see how you think that Colin Kaepernick is some sort of leader, but transformational he is not. He was only a leader because people followed him and did the same thing he did, like follow the leader. He did not engage in a process of leadership, such as one that a transformational leader has to engage in to inspire others and motivate them to do more than is expected of them. I think the key differentiator between Colin Kaepernick and a transformational leader is that he did not engage in a process of motivating followers using charisma or visionary leadership. He also did not influence followers to accomplish more than was expected of them. Colin Kaepernick also did not initiate the conversation of racial inequality and police injustice. This has always been a conversation, he now raised a conversation about protesting during the National Anthem, which many people disagree with and think of it as a disgrace to the very country that gives him his freedom of speech.
-Bob
Reference:
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
cjb5161 says
Controversy seems to be a national paste time, just like apple pie and baseball however, it has escalated to a point that effects the goals of leadership. As controversial as the National Anthem has become in today’s society; it is not a leader’s responsibility to enforce an individual’s personal values or beliefs. How an individual applies his or her values and beliefs in a particular situation is what starts the controversy. For which causes leaders to react accordingly.
The National Anthem is considered to be a symbol of Patriotism to the United States and has been since 1889; however it was officially recognized as a law 3 March 1931 (Channel, 2016). In this situation the individual from my thought process had a few options to choose from in his actions whether they were being patriotic or just simply acting on his beliefs. Regardless, the leadership involvement in this controversial situation in my view stems from the behaviour approach. Which the behaviour approach focuses on the behaviour in handling the situation, more or less they are more concerned on what they “do” and “how” they act (Northouse, 2016, pg. 71). The leadership in this particular situation had no other choice but to correct the misunderstanding of what was a potential downfall to their organizations. The downfall was the person they chose to represent their organizations. Just as the text as informed us to the behaviour approach that there is two distinct behaviours compromised of task behaviours and relationship behaviours (Northouse, 2016, pg. 71). The task behaviours facilitate goal accomplishment, which by all means were not being adhered to when the individual did not perform the task of being patriotic. The relationship behaviours are designed to help followers feel comfortable with themselves. This relationship behaviour of not showing respect was not expected; considering that the individual was considered to be a prominent figure that everyone was to look up to. Needless to say, leadership had to intervene and do what was necessary to separate themselves from any and all implications of supporting the individual’s beliefs in not wanting to be patriotic.
References:
Channel, H. (2016, 9 18). History. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-star-spangled-banner: http://www.history.com/news/9-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-star-spangled-banner
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Penn State World Campus (2016). PSYCH 485: Leadership in Work Settings. Lesson 2: Trait Approach. Retrieved from: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1803831/modules/items/21139803
Catherine Marie Lacasce says
It is incredible how this whole controversy has gained traction. Everyone is talking about it, and it has become such a prevalent issue. Even when I was watching today’s National Football League game between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins, the cameras showed the players that were kneeling in protest. Later in the game, the announcers were still talking about it, and replayed the clips showing the players kneeling. Colin Kaepernick’s method of protest sparked a fire and ignited this huge controversy.
I’m not sure that I agree with your analysis that Kaepernick is a transformational leadership. “…transformational leadership is the process whereby a person engages with others and creates a connection that raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower,” (Northouse, 2016, p. 162). Yes, Kaepernick sparked a controversy based on morale points, but by doing this protest he is also disrespecting the good points the American flag and anthem stand for. Transformational leaders are individuals that care about the requirements of their followers more than their own personal motivations. “This type of leader is attentive to the needs and motives of followers and tries to help followers reach their fullest potential,” (Northouse, 2016, p. 162). By ignoring all the good points that the flag and anthem stand for, Kaepernick is acting selfishly. Kaepernick is an influential person right now and has started this wave of protest, however I would not describe him as a transformational leader.
References:
Northouse, P. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, California:
Sage.