In the opening chapter of his text, "Complex Adaptive Leadership," Nick Obolensky poses a series of reflective questions to help the reader gauge their own views on leadership. This series opens up with question on whether the reader's attitudes towards leaders has changed during their life, and how. In my own experiences, I know that when I was younger I thought of leaders as being very strong and dynamic individuals, with an energetic, magnetic, and charismatic character whom was well liked by most anyone. Having grown much older and having dealt with and within formal leadership roles over the last four years, I've learned that a leader can come in many different forms. Some may not have the highest formal authority, but an individual may be a leader in sheer expertise. Among the formal leaders, some have very relaxed personalities but get the job done, and others may be more taciturn but garner great respect. I've also learned that while a person may be in a position of authority, they may not necessarily be the expert, or they may be an ineffective leader due to less than ideal practices or because they lean on negative reinforcement.
Obolensky asked in his second question how attitudes towards authority might compare between the reader, their parents, grandparents, and a younger generation. I would say generally speaking there hasn't been a great deal of change between myself and my preceding generations. For the most part, my family runs along the lines of respecting rules and authority, and doing what's expected. Yet, at the same time, we've also been cognizant of the same idea that leaders are humans too and they may at times warrant questions or disagreement. I will say there is a certain difference between my mother's and father's sides of the family that I believe is rooted in culture. My father's family has been in America for several generations, and thus tends to lean more towards values of individuality and personal choice within the confines of following the law and, particularly in the military context, having at least a working relationship level of respect for authority. My mother's side of the family by contrast is originally from South Korea, and in having received further influence by Confucian filial piety, is more absolute about authority and going along with it, especially in the familial context. As for my younger peers though, I think there is an even higher level of emphasis on the individual and a greater propensity towards questioning authority, particular if it represents an "old way" of doing business or represents what might be considered dated value systems.Overall, I see an increasingly negative attitude about authority, whether it be perceived as mishandling something or overstretching influence, or simply being perceived as being a burden upon individuals.
The third reflection asks the reader why this shift may have occurred. I cannot fix upon one exact cause, but rather a chain of causes. Among other things, its almost expected that each new generation will question the decision of the elder generation, and this has become somewhat popularized in the attitudes of the Baby Boomer generation in the 70's, and seems to be cropping up yet again to some degree in the contemporary Millenials. One might also consider the writings of academics such as Robert Putnam, who opines that there is less participation in certain social groups in American society as well as increased geographic mobility, and thus there are impacts to how people interact...although intended as a thought on the contemporary sense of community, I would think it arguable that changes of this nature can impact people's feelings on traditional models of authority.
Resources
Lewis, A. (1995, December 18). Abroad at Home; An Atomized America. The New York Times.
Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership. Surrey, England: Gower Publishing Limited.
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