I was getting curious about diversity in leadership and specially along the lines of gender. Women for the longest time have not been known to be the leaders, CEO’s, politicians, etc. However, have they already won out the rights to other kinds of leadership roles? We see how women are the first to be trusted as leaders over children, in the PTA, as babysitters, day care owners, teachers, etc. So why is it that women are building our nations leaders in the classrooms and child rearing departments, but not included as big organizational  leaders and business tycoons, etc.? In this post I will be exploring how gender stereotypes and sexist cultures have been holding women back, and how it makes no sense to trust women in key parts of leadership for the growing society, children, but not in the current day to day society of business and politics.

Women are showing just how capable they are in leadership, and society has no problem empowering them, granted it’s related to traditional gender roles. For example, we see how women are dominating the PTA meetings, and running the leadership positions. Studies found that “Majority were female (90.5%) and nearly three-fourths” when it came to PTA demographics (Regis et al., 2022). The PTA is in charge of essentially improving school conditions for the children and fostering a strong community, members of the PTA are not paid, it is considered charity work. Women dominate the make up of PTA’s because it is one of the only places society has deemed it appropriate for women to make decisions and have power, when it comes to children. This is by no mens a light responsibility. Women are set up to raise further leaders, and teach valuable skills to their kids, including soon to be men. So why is it that women can be in charge of raising the leaders, but not being the leaders themselves? This all ties into historical gender roles. Men have aways been defined by their ability to work and provide for a family. Most of America’s roots are found in conservative religious ideology and this its one man and one women together in a monogamous marriage that is governed by a set of unspoken rules and expectations. Gender norms have been dictated out of religious contexts, such as a man having power and calling the shots, while women were treated as property and expected to slave away to fulfill all needs of the man, not just sexually, but meal preparation and child rearing. This is the history we know, however as times have changed, women are more free to empower themselves and work and study in school etc., but even in business they are being held to gender roles. For example, in our text it was noted that “women were devalued compared to men when they led in a masculine manner” even though it was found that “men and women were equally effective leaders” (Northouse, 2021). The statistics show that men and women are equal, but we still see how a woman has to prove she is effective without using the same approach men use, otherwise she will be judged and rated negative and then prevented from further growth opportunities in the company. This systems relies heavily on evaluation by means of the gender roles scope, which is setting women up for failure. A woman can be a leader, but only if she goes against her gender norms, which in turn makes her dislike and halts her growth before she can break the glass ceiling. It is ludicrous! Women are in a tough spot because of harsh gender roles and rules our society has formed over time. There must be a shift n how society defines gender roles, and even more so how explicit we value gender conforming individuals, in other words, break the glass ceiling by breaking the rule of gender norms!

Women are just as educated and capable as men to be leaders, but sexist cultures hold women back from growth in their careers. We saw how gender roles and stereotypes limited women growth, but these were just the building block for a culture of sexism. In our text, research shows how “women earn 50% of all law degrees” yet “one make up 22.7% or partners” and this stands true “even though women represent 40% of those graduating with MBA’s (Northouse, 2021). These statistics are wild! This is basically showing that women are combative at the same level as their male counterparts, but are getting less than a fourth of available jobs. There are already significant roadblocks for women going to school, because society encourages them enough as it is to choose the family life, but the fact that these women re getting into school and are equally competitive, yet only getting less than a quarter of the leadership roles, shows a clear bias and sexist culture in our society. Men are using “in group favoritism” by selecting other men to succeed over female counterparts. The culture of sexism in the workplace has come along way but still keeps women at bay. If this were the PTA, all of those women who earned the degrees, would have gotten all of the jobs in the PTA, but the minute a woman is taken out of her place in society, she is doubted, and that is a sexist culture at work, even if the men are unaware of it as they make decisions. This is what makes having a diverse work place such a challenge, when people operate off of their unconscious bias and when a culture of en in charge is so strong that no one really questions it. On example I think of is when I was just a kid and I was on the lake with my grandma and her thirty year old son. She had all of the experience of a veteran boater and she took her safety rules very seriously. She had always been in charge of the boat, she was the leader if you will. On that day a storm was coming in, my grandmother knew immediately that we needed to get off the lake for safety. Her son however, felt he knew best and was already steering the boat. He basically brushed her off and kept us on the lake, things got wild and my grandmother tried to step in, but he refused to let her and even said to her to “let the men handle this” so, clearly he had no faith in this woman, who had all of the years of experience and expertise over him. Sure enough we got caught in a storm, the boat was damaged, and the day ended with all of us safe, but the boat in ruins. I can’t help but see this as applicable to our lesson, if my grandmother would have been trusted, on her merit alone, not related to her gender, then we would have easily stayed safe, and avoided damages, etc. I wonder how many companies are facing their own storms and refusing to promote the women with the expertise and solutions. The culture of sexism is making it tough for women to lead and step into leadership roles.

All in all, women are great leaders, and are responsible for raising the generations, but until we can stop gender roles rom dictating our options in the workforce, and sexist cultures, there will never be true equality and diversity in leadership. Women have the skills and the know how, but men refuse to see it, there is a long history of exit ideologies that still inhibit women from reaching the success they are deserve. The same can be said for any individual that isn’t a white man, because white men have a history of power and it’s a boys club that must be broken down and infiltrated. Luckily diversity is being taken more seriously and hopefully someday soon, we can see numbers show a fair distribution of power and leadership among the races and sexes, etc. 

References

Northouse, P.G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and Practice. (9th e.d.). Los Angeles: Sage Publications. [VitalSource Bookshelf version]. bned://ZiO6VvsMnWk-vrb5tJmdqbnJeGTmLZEOcqkIdHJSHo4.

Regis, D. P., Belleza, I. A., Adtoon, J.P., Cahulogan, B.R., & Sinfuego, J.S. (2022). Status of Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) in the New Normal. International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Studies. 2(7) https://www.ijams-bbp.net/archive/vol-2-issue-7-july/status-of-parent-teacher-association-pta-in-the-new-normal/

Servant leadership is defined as “beginning with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead” and that  “servant leaders place the good of followers over their own self-interests and emphasize follower development” (Northouse, 2021, p. 459).  With a clear definition, it is easier to see if someone is being a servant leader and then helps us to decide if servant leadership is really the way one ought to be. A true leader is someone who works for their staff, and who plays on the same team. It is one thing to be a coach and another to be a team captain. Leadership is best when the leader makes it their job to serve.

So what does it mean to be a servant leader? Northouse lays out a strong foundation for what makes a leader a servant leader. There are many qualities we can look at. For example, a servant leader has some distinct characteristics. Some of which include “empathy, persuasion, and building community” (Northouse, 2021).  These characteristics come out when the leader uses empathy to “stand in the shoes of another person,” and persuade “through nonjudgmental argument,” and build community “providing a place where people can feel safe and connected wit others” (Northouse, 2021, p. 464).  Taking all of this into account, a servant leader can bring their employees into the fold and convene them to be strong workers and invest themselves into the company, and feel a sense of support from others in their communities wit the option to present ideas and take on their own leadership roles within the group by being free to be innovative and add their visions to the workplace. Overall a servant leader lays the foundation for everyone to feel safe, feel understood, and feel empowered to try their best and take on responsibilities in the group/workforce, which in turn will lead to a collaborative efficiently flowing work system. When a leader uses these characteristics as a basis for how they interact with their teams, they are in service. They serve by taking time to see how their employees live their lives, what emotional motivations exist in each employee and then shaping their approach accordingly. The leader serves in a compassionate way by being objective and fair in how they coach staff, avoiding directives or making assumptions about why an employee does what they do, i.e. they don’t judge an employee for being late, but will take time to understand and then action plan and foster growth. As a servant leader, the boss will make sure there is peace and harmony and a safe space in the workplace, allowing the community to flourish. Servant leaders serve by making sure everyone is collaborative and getting support in the specific ways each staff member may need. When a boss is working hard to make sure people are happy, then they can focus on growth and caching in a safe and caring way, as a result staff will be more receptive and commit themselves to the group and also begin to support one another. The cats and effect f service is fantastic!

When thinking about servant leadership I think of an experience I had as an employee reporting to a manger in a retail shop. He was the essence of a servant leader. He had daily check ins with staff each shift to see where they were at emotionally, offer support, and then jump into a brief coaching session for that shift and goals he had for us. There was a collaborative conversation in which both of us would talk about areas of growth and goals we could achieve in each shift. This was a greta example of how a servant leader encompasses empathy and persuasion int their leadership style. The persuasion was indirect as he would discuss areas of growth and coach us aka persuade into trying things differently, but in a way that worked for us as individuals. In addition to these daily check ins and coaching sessions, he would also focus on building a community. He would have weekly breakfast donut meetings and allow for everyone to be social and express their views on various parts of the job. We all got to have a voice and express our ideas for how we could go about improving the work experience and efficiently of th store. He encouraged us to reach out to one another and highlighted everyone strengths. This gave us each he opportunity to be a leader by using our unique skills to coach others and be models for each other in our different strengths. We became a family in a weird way. We knew professional boundaries and communicated clearly and openly with one another. There was a true sense of trust ad harmony in the work place. This manger was someone who would also sacrifice his weekends and plans from the to time ignorer to step up and support staff when they needed time off for important things. This allowed for work life balance and created space for staff to feel free at work. When staff can feel free and supported, thee is a stronger sense of commitment to the leader and company itself. It is human nature to take care of those who take care of us. A servant leader capitalizes on this by means of authentic acts of service. This store was the top store in all of the US and our manager was invited to speak at company conferences to teach other mangers about how he ran his store. The company later came out with trainings on how t be a servant leader as a result of his actions. This really highlights just how effective servant leadership is, it led to a harmonious environment that also created great results for the business’s performance.

There is a reason why dictatorships typically fail. There is always going t be a revolution and war when there is no freedom or connection in a workplace. Servant leadership paves the way for harmonious work environments and involves leaders actively working side by side and for their teams. A servant leader uses human connection and service to not only grow talent and company performance, but to create an everlasting energy in the workplace that keeps staff motivated and invested and most importantly, happy!

References

Northouse, P.G. (2021). Leadership: Theory & Practice (9th e.d.). SAGE Publishing.

How do I know if my boss really likes me? And more importantly, how can I tell if my employees don’t hate me? The questions we have all considered in one situation or another, are finally being explored in this post. Leader-member exchange theory is an interesting theory we have recently reviewed in class and has really made me think twice about all of my experiences as both a leader and a follower. Some people think that showing up and doing exactly what is expected of you is all it takes to fall in good graces and excel in a position, but the truth may surprise you! The real goal we should all have is to be in the in-group!

So what exactly is Leader-Member Exchange? According to Leadership: Theory & Practice- 9th Edition, written by Peter G. Northouse, this is a “dyadic relationship”(Northouse, 2021, p. 300). This is because in this theory there is a focus on whether someone is part of the in-group or out-group. A person becomes a “part of the in-group or the out-group based on how well they work with the leader” and “expand their role responsibilities with the leader”( Northouse, 2021, p. 303-304). What this means is that this theory focuses on how the leader is interacting with their followers and results in the follower either being adopted into the in-group, or left in the out-group. It seems to be basic human nature to form cliques, but this theory really shows how it can be beneficial or damaging depending on where you fall as a follower. According to Northouse, it appears to be the case that “leaders are more effective with in-group work” situations (Northouse, 2021, p. 315). This makes sense, as a leader can feel more supported and relaxed when working with those who have fallen into their favor. The communication can be more personable and a relationship of trust and emotional exchanges allows the work environment to flourish without concern a task won’t be completed, and then some. Overall, it is evident that being a member of the in-group is key to success. Leaders will favor employees more and this could provide employees with better opportunities and special treatment, while also helping the leader to be happier and more productive as they can feel able to delegate more easily. Those in the out-group will likely be seen as replaceable and unimportant. An organization can thrive when employees are in the in-group, because their is a strong sense of community and trust. 

This theory reminds me of my time working as a manager at Equinox. I oversaw a few of the various clothing stores with each of the luxury fitness clubs of the SoCal District for Equinox Sports Clubs. In my position I worked with about thirty associates under my supervision, and I also reported to an area Club Manager and a retail Regional Manager. I was experiencing what it was like to be bth a follower and a leader at the same time in this position as I reported to a higher up while also overseeing my teams. In the shops we had a set standard of task that everyone needed to complete as a bare minimum for each shift. This included steaming new arrivals, merchandising the store, maintaining back stock, and competing a certain volume of sales each shift. I had four employees of the thirty who actually went above and beyond. They showed up because it was their job, but they also took personal initiative to do extra work, come up with new ideas, and support me in any way they could with or without being asked for extra help. These employees impressed me because they would always get the minimum done as well as a lot of extra work. I knew I could rely on them, and as a result I would find myself prioritizing them with the majority of shifts at their respective locations. They definitely made the “in-group” and I felt completely at peace when I knew they were working which allowed me to focus more on my other managerial responsibilities. I had another handful of employees who may not have been the best workers but they always tried to do as much as they could, but then also made great efforts of getting to know me and developed strong personal relationships with me. I did my best to be professional, but I will even admit that I found myself giving them special treatment with time off requests and not always meeting the minimum required stats for each shift. Then of course there were those who showed up, stayed set, and did the bare minimum every shift and never really impressed me one way or another. These folks stayed in the out-group. It was also the out-group employees who would have the highest turnover. In my experience I can see how I was able to thrive when working with my in-group employees. but the days I had to interact with my out-group staff were my most challenging and exhausting. I invested my time and team development in those who fell into the in-group. 

While it is key to make every employee feel welcomed and valued, it is not always possible to develop real meaningful connections with each employee. I feel that working with in-groups is great because everyone can win and be happy and flourish, but then we are left with out-group individuals who may have a lot of untapped potential. While natural in-groups may form, I now see how it is still important for the leader to intentionally develop out-group followers into in-group followers. You never know who can have the next best idea, or support you the most. Leaders would be better off if the majority were in-group. Not only would more delegation be possible, but a more enriched work environment would exist for everyone. 

References

Northouse, P.G. (2021).  Leadership: Theory and Practice.9th Ed  Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

When it comes to leadership, we have all seen what word and what doesn’t. Whether we be on either end of leadership, as the leader or follower, it is clear that one approach does not fit all. I was reflecting on leader behaviors from the lesson commentary and decided that what makes the best leader is one who has supportive leadership as well as directive based leadership. This combo will provide a healthy working relationship that can be fun and productive. Followers need a balanced approach, otherwise there will almost always be discord.

A supportive leadership style is one that makes the follower feel safe. I have one manager who comes to mind when I think of supportive leadership. Her name is Whitney. She was great at taking employees feelings into consideration. She not only provided support on the various work tasks we had assigned, but she also provided emotional support for non-work related issues. She created a safe space for all of us workers to be ourselves and not feel like working drones. This was great for morale, but some employees naturally took advantage of Whitney’s supportive style and would manipulate her from time to time. This was the one downfall of the supportive leadership style. It is important to incorporate the supportive behavior, but that alone will not always lead to desired outcomes. In the case of Whitney, she needed to incorporate other behaviors into her leadership repertoire. 

The directive leadership behavior is one characterized by clear law and order. A directive leader has clear expectations and formal communication. In this situation the leader can give a task, and expects a certain outcome. A worker in this situation will have great success if they simply do what is told. This isn’t always the best for morale however, as it can turn into a “do as I say” relationship, which can naturally lead to push back and lack of motivation. In a perfect world humans would be able to function strictly on a directive based relationship, but humans are human for a reason, their emotions! A combination of supportive and directive based behaviors would lead to a more balanced approach where all kinds of workers could find success and support.  Some workers can easily take direction and perform well, others need that relationship based style that comes with a more supportive approach. A mixture o these two behaviors will help a leader be the most effective.

Balance is something that must be accomplished by any truly amazing leader. A strong leader can give directives while also maintaining a strong supportive relationship with their team. After all a team captain isn’t just someone who tells people what to do, but someone who is on the team, playing side by side and collaborating with everyone. Fortunately, the working world seems to be moving towards this balanced approach and employees can find more and more satisfaction as a result. 

Leadership traits were interesting to learn about. Different traits do seem to predict a leader’s level of effectiveness. I specifically wanted to focus on emotional and social intelligence in my post this week. Emotional and social intelligence are absolutely key to successful leadership. Without these traits, a leader will never be able to get the most out of their employees. Emotional intelligence in a leader involves self awareness, understandings situational emotions, and results in strong communication. In my own experience, I have found that low emotional intelligence has led to serious breakdowns in the workplace with leadership, specifically with one leader I had when I was a store manager. 

Understanding an employees situational emotions as a leader is of the utmost importance. As a shop manager I would report to my district manager. She was very good with numbers, business ideas, and marketing, etc. She never seemed to act with any emotional intentions.  This was great for getting things done and keeping the business flowing, but it led to many breakdowns in communication, and ultimately led to me deciding to leave the company. We have to remember that when in a position of power, as a leader, it is crucial that we never forget that we are not just in the business of fashion, food, or whatever it may be, but first and foremost, the business of people. In Northouse (2018), a study involving FedEx was centered on the idea that “emotions drive people, and people drive performance”(Northouse 2018, p. 100). If your team is not happy and does not feel supported, then they will lose trust in you as a leader and give up on the job at hand, even if it is just on an emotional level. In my case, if my district manager would have remembered to consider my emotions and feelings, then I would have felt supported and in turn would not have reached an emotional burnout and decided to quit. My district manager lacked the situational understanding of my emotions. She did not seek to understand my life circumstances and how that could be impacting my experiences at work, and she never adjusted her support to help me or validate me. This is a good example of how a lack of understanding the situational emotions of employees can backfire and lead to a breakdown in performance and workplace harmony. 

Self awareness is the other big piece of emotional intelligence and social intelligence in the workplace. As a leader, it is one thing to understand where your employee is coming from, but it is another thing altogether to understand oneself and how ones own emotions can be playing into design making, and how one carries themselves in their communication. Many people have seen how their bosses can act out when they are having a hard time in their personal lives, but someone who has true emotional intelligence and self awareness, will never let this come into play with their role as a leader. A strong leader is someone who is “more sensitive to their emotions and impact of their emotions on others” and when they know themselves they “will be leaders who are more effective”(Northouse 2018, p.102). In the case of my district manager, she was going through a significant break up and also had a major flood in her apartment. She was also spread extremely thin with a regional manager workload even though she was just a district level manager. She would come into work anxious and then openly discuss her struggles and anxieties. Then, she would start picking out any issue she could find to critique staff on, and never gave any positive feedback. This behavior was directly tied to her personal issues as she was clearly impacted by them enough to discuss what were considered inappropriate topics coming from a leader in her position. She was not doing anything to take care of herself and because she did not understand her own emotions and how to regulate them, she would take out her stresses on her team, ultimately causing the professional relationship to deteriorate. 

When it comes to the traits of emotional and social intelligence, a leader must have these to be successful. Humans will always be driven to behave in certain way because of their emotions at some point in their work life. While professionalism is something most employees strive for, a leader must always be ready for emotion to come into play. Leaders must seek to understand a situation and why an employee feels and acts the way they do, otherwise communication can crumble. A leader must also be self aware, and regulate their own emotions before interacting with their team. In my experience with the district manager, there could have ben many different conversations had and the interactions could have ben more professional and better fit for the situations at hand. Emotional intelligence and social intelligence must be part of a strong candidates skills when considering them to be a leader, in order to ensure effective and respectful communication. 

References

Northouse, P .G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.