I usually don’t like to align my schoolwork with television, but I couldn’t help but connect the dots between Northouse’s chapter on Women and Leadership and Claire Dunphy, the headstrong mother from ABC’s Modern Family.
As the TV show has broken the mold of your quintessential nuclear family, they didn’t slack when it comes to the character of Claire. Claire, a mother of three, really embodies how gender equality has become prominent in our society today. Claire is a leader in her house and in her community—constantly keeping the household together while pursuing a successful career and multiple community projects. In the episode I most recently watched, she runs for county office—not because she thinks she’ll win but just because she wants to try and make a difference.
When I think of a strong female like Claire, I think about the “Leadership Labyrinth”, which states that “we still think of a powerful man as a born leader and a powerful woman as an anomaly.” (Northouse, 2013, p 352) I believe that characters like Claire exist in real life. We are long passed the days where the wife is expected to keep the house; now we see strong, innovative career women anxious to prove that they are just as smart, talented and successful as the men in corporate America.
Sure, we still have a long way to go, but characters like Claire show how there is a strong shift in a woman’s role in the workplace and in leadership. As we continue to evolve into a society that honors love and acceptance over all things, I’m excited to see how women leaders with clear minds, empathetic personalities and sharp focus can change corporate America.
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. ISBN 9781452203409