A511.8.3.RB- Gender

Gender based differences in leadership are still present today; even with all the advances made to date.  Rosabeth Moss Kanter a Harvard Business School professor speaks about the gender inequality in a video entitled Women, Ambition and (Still) the Pay Gap.  Both Rosabeth and Yukl have similar views on why the differences exist.   

Rosabeth starts off talking about the level of commitment needed to take on a leadership role and how being a woman can raise the question of just how much commitment can be offered to the job if they are also committed to their spouses and families.  Yukl also states family demands as one of the reasons for what he calls the Glass Ceiling.  While I haven’t experienced this in regards to female vs. male, I have experienced it in terms of not getting a managerial position due to my lack of full time work in the department, which is due to my having five small children.  The job went to another female with no experience in my department who does not have children.  

Another powerful idea that both Rosabeth and Yukl agree on is that people hire based on a bias for those who are similar to them.  Given that more men are in charge the chance of them hiring more men, and not just any men but men who look, think and even act like them.  In today’s world of social networking this phenomenon has even more potential to be exploited.  People can look up and network with others who went to the same colleges or have similar interest groups from whom they can find qualified applicants to hire.  

  Women seem to be finding other ways to find leadership positions. According to Rosabeth the rate of women starting up businesses is higher than that of men.  This not only proves women are capable of being leaders but that they have the determination to be great ones.  Inequality in the workplace needs to come to an end and people need to be judged by their abilities not who they are.

Women, Ambition and (Still) the Pay Gap. (2010, April 2). Retrieved May 19, 2015,                

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhquUOlBuOY&feature=youtu.be&t=5s

Yukl, G. (2012). Leadership in Organizations (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River,

New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.

A511.7.3.RB Self-Awareness

I have always been able to function well under stress, maybe as a result of my childhood experiences, and I feel this gives me an advantage over others.  The jobs I have been drawn to are ones where I am able to demonstrate my problem solving skills in a positive way, such as customer service and teaching.  After a few years of being in these professions I came to realize that even though I could handle and solve the stressful problems that arose I might not have reacted in the best emotional way.  Yukl (2012) lists maintaining a high level of self-awareness as a guideline for managers.  He also states that it is good to have awareness of ones emotional reactions to events.  This is where I knew I had to do some work.

After being asked to complete a task that was not a part of my normal job I asked the person why she always asked me to do the extra stuff.  Her response was “because you will give me flack about the assignment but then I know you will get it done.”  I sat down one day to reflect on that statement.  She was correct, I was going to complain about having to do it for about 30 seconds and then I was going to go do it.  This told me I am dependable and because of that I would be asked to do more, but I needed to work on my response to being asked.  

Yukl (2012) describes authentic leaders as being strong, clear, stable, and consistent.  He also suggested that they have high self-awareness about their values, beliefs, emotions and abilities.  When I look at these characteristics I see many of them in myself, but I also see need of change.  I tend to get emotionally charged in certain situations, not in a way where I can’t function but a bit overactive.  I tend to speak louder and more excitedly.  I now recognize this and try to keep this under control.  Goffee and Jones (2006) points out that as leader interact with others they seem better able to learn how they are seen.  This was helpful for me to realize.

In one of the examples given by Goffee and Jones (2006) the head teacher talks about how he fixed the small things first, showing the other teachers he was willing to get things done.  I think this sets a great example; sometimes it is the small things that people appreciate.  I have to agree with the head teachers decision to start changes off slowly this can gain the trust of the employees first before making major changes. 

Goffee, R., & Jones, G. (2006). Getting personal on the topic of leadership. Human

Resource Management International Digest , 14 (4), 32-34.

Yukl, G. (2012). Leadership in Organizations (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: 

Pearson Education, Inc.

A511.6.3.RB- Meaning

Work itself may not lead to satisfaction in employees; sometimes it’s deeper than that.  The people who are truly happy at work have found a reason to be even if they dislike their job.  How does a leader institute a sense of meaning in the work place?  People come to work for different reasons and they either love the job or not, and if they don’t does that mean they cant find meaning?  

Leaders can find ways to help employees connect more within the workplace.  Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses; a leader can use this to help employees recognize theirs and use them to increase their value and contentment at work.  When leaders use relationship-building skills to create high preforming teams the employees can feel a sense of togetherness that make the workplace a more satisfying place.  Self-reflection is also a good way to foster meaning among employees.  When people have the chance to sit down and look back at things that went well and things that didn’t they can have the chance to learn what to do next time.  

According to Starke et al (2011) rate of change is related to the employee’s acceptance and openness to the change.  Where some resistance is normal and to be expected, the more an employee is connected or finds meaning in their job the more open they may be to understanding and accepting change.  Empowering employees in the workplace can serve many purposes; it can create a happier environment, it can push employees to preform the best they can and it can help to implement change.        

Starke, F. A., Sharma, G., Mauws, M. K., Dyck, B., & Dass, P. (2011). Exploring 

archetypal change: The importance of leadership and its substitutes. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 24(1), 29-50. doi:10.1108/09534811111102274

Ulrich, D., & Ulrich, W. (2010, June 2). Getting Beyond Engagement to Creating

Meaning at Work. Retrieved May 5, 2015, from https://hbr.org/2010/06/getting-beyond-engagement-to-creating-meaning-at-work.