Ochieng Ogodo
Many development experts
and theorists have argued that leadership is necessary for developmental-transformations
such as in management of businesses, organisational change and talent
management for the general good and fulfilment of the aspirations of those
involved. Many theorists of leadership have attempted to give meaning to what trustworthy
leadership is supposed to be or stands for.
Experts and various
models have looked at leadership from different lenses. The varied definitions
and models include firm personality, one with the art and skills of guiding,
giving direction, controlling, managing or supervising a group of people or an
organisation.
They have argued that any
group of people, organisation or society has certain defined or desired ends
they would like to achieve. But because of the multiplicity of ideas, wants and
needs that differ with each and every individual, having leadership that will
enable the channelling of energies and resources available to achieve the good
for the majority if not all is an important necessary component; that structures
must be put in place to guide the roadmap to achieving the ultimate and it is
for that which leadership becomes a need or necessity.
Whereas this theory is
centred on the personality of a leader, it is also about how vital for one
leading people to involve them in identifying their needs, thinking through how
they can be solved, drawing the roadmap for achieving them and participatory implementation
processes that improve or leads to change in their livelihoods and consequently
to their ultimate goal in life, happiness.
Leading entails a lot;
appeal to your audience through language, style of communication, and
credibility. It needs the understanding of how much the very definitions of
inclusion vary from one culture to culture. For instance, are there gender differences in
what makes the led or employees feel included/excluded? What leadership qualities
and behaviours can promote inclusion? And how much do these behaviours need to
be adapted for different needs and demands of the people within the context of
leadership?
The more people feel
included, the more innovative they become in seeking to achieve the ultimate
goal(s). The more included people feel, the more they engage in team behaviours
—rising above and beyond the ‘individual desires’ to help other members and
meet and work as a group and meeting the overarching objectives to delivering
happiness. Perceiving similarities with the
led engenders uniqueness and a feeling of belongingness while perceiving
differences can lead to feelings of exclusion or that of outsiders and
insiders.
Focusing on developing
inclusive leadership must surely deliver better individual and organisational
outcomes than those that have been achieved via the focus specifically on
unconscious bias alone. The findings go to the core dynamic of a
'contributing-belonging' cycle. The more people feel they belong, the more they
want to contribute. That's the virtuous action spiral. However, the less the people
feel they belong, the less inclined they will to contribute, and that is the
vicious spiral in inaction. The concept is simple but powerful and leadership that
doesn’t have the best people skills to this concept of belonging model may work
against the desired outcomes. Therefore, it is important that leaders develop
the skills to overcome implicit biases. Engendering a sense of inclusion make
people want to feel valued for the identities, perspectives and talents that
make them unique too. Inclusive leadership have to balance these two needs; the
needs for uniqueness and belonging.
Leadership
Theorems
Leadership theories have
been the source of numerous debates and studies. In true life situations and in
studies, many have tried to define what makes genuine leaders to stand apart
from the mass. Philosophers, researchers
and professors have studied and ultimately published their leadership theories
and today there are many theories on leadership.
The Trait Theory (1930's - 1940's) posits
that that people are either born or are made with certain qualities that will
make them excel in leadership roles; that certain qualities such as
intelligence, sense of responsibility, creativity and other values puts anyone
in the realms of a good leader, Matthews, Deary & Whiteman (2003). This
theory of leadership focused on analysing mental, physical and social characteristic
in order to gain more understanding of what is the characteristic or the
combination of characteristics that are common among leaders.
Plato’s ideal for
kingship is pegged on four principles: wisdom, courage, temperance, and
justice. While wisdom is the principle by which one reasons and governs,
courage is the principle by which one is valiant. Temperance is then the
principle by which one becomes one’s own master and keeps the forces of wisdom
and courage in “friendly harmony”. Justice then is the principle that governs
the other three principles and keeps them in their proper place, and without
which the others are unable to exist, Ethical Leadership (2013).
Transactional theories
(1970s) are pigeon-holed by a transaction made between the leader and the
followers. The theory, also known as exchange theories of leadership, puts
values on a positive and mutually beneficial relationship.
For them to be effective,
the leader must find a means to align to adequately reward or punish his
follower, for performing leader-assigned task. The transactional theorists believe
that humans in general are seeking to maximise pleasurable experiences and to
diminish un-pleasurable experiences.
How
these theories influence my understanding of leadership.
These theories have
evoked deep questions and thoughts inside me why leadership is necessary; why
there is need for a leader, whether at family, organisational, societal or
national level. In interacting with these theories, among others, I have come
to the conclusion that whether in families, businesses, governments,
communities, and organisations in general there is need for leadership. Whether
you believe that leaders are born, created, or rise to the occasion, there is
need for one who guides or inspires others
into action or opinion; one who takes the lead in any enterprise or movement;
one who is "followed" if things have to be managed, done in certain
order for desired effect and change.
As in Drucker (1985), the
lifting of people's vision to a higher sight, the raising of their performance
to a higher standard, the building of their personality beyond its normal
limitations Leadership is an event.
One who supervises or
directs others is crucial. Transformational process that includes strategic
planning, setting objectives, managing resources, deploying the human and
financial assets needed to achieve objectives, and measuring results, effective
utilisation and coordination of resources to achieve defined objectives with
maximum efficiency needs somebody in managing people and process.
These theories have
taught me that between men and women as well as across geographic regions, the
call to action has challenging questions like, “What can be done?” who is
taking on this responsibility? Who is already in action?” encourages formal
leadership to support inclusion efforts so they can affect critical outcomes. In
achieving results it is always easier said than done; mobilising individual
people who can take action will make it happen, and even more admirable to feel
accountable because maximising pleasurable experiences and diminishing
un-pleasurable experiences is mostly an unknown territory.
Principles
that ought to guide society in pursuance of a good life for an individual and community
1 . Making the best out of numbers
Where there is more than
one person, inclusive approach will enable fellow colleagues help one another
or suggesting new ideas is determined by a great many things. Working groups
and personal values are likely to affect behaviours when people feel part and
parcel of the process. Equally, if we want to examine how each individual can
perform—whether they innovate or engage—inclusivity contributes to that
experience.
Inclusion is important in
generating and directing complexities in mind; identifying how much each person
experience or the extent to which they engage in innovation and synergies that
can be driven out of that.
2 . Belongingness in uniqueness
A sense of belongingness in
uniqueness of each individual equals to inclusion. Having individual and team
performance is important as it will make people feel included. When people simultaneously
feel included, they engender a feeling of belongingness while perceiving
differences as leading to feelings of uniqueness, importance and inclusion. Belongingness
contributes to people’s perceptions of inclusion. This principle develop a
particular form of leadership to meet the challenges of diversity. A model of inclusivity
drawing upon individual differences nurtures inclusion. Management becomes an
act in diversity. It develops the notion of a "thinking practitioner"
engaged in developing "praxis".
This principle following
Aristotelian philosophy is related to the idea of pragmatic virtue and is
identified as a basis for the construction of a conceptual model of inclusive
leadership. It offers, in turn, as a heuristic for use in understanding the
systemic and human interaction between structure and agency in actualising
diversity in a community.
Finally, it leads to integrative
management of a personalised and social approach grounded in a notion of
virtuous leadership.
3 . Thinking leadership, think humility
How highly humility ranks
among people and individuals is a significant factor for harmonious
co-existence in a community and leadership.
Humility is one of the most significant indicators, after empowerment,
of altruistic leadership. We most readily associate leadership competence with
attributes like charisma, self-promotion, speaking up first, and speaking
longest.
But these characteristics
may not in the actual sense be the all “material” that makes leaders effective
in creating inclusive environments. Rather, qualities like humility (the state
of not thinking you are better than other people), and self-sacrifice,
accommodating others positions and views can go a long way in making leadership
more inclusive and effective.
Empowerment, humility,
courage, and accountability—key aspects of unselfish leadership—are important
to shaping the led/employee perceptions of inclusion. Inclusion can inspire and
impact positive change through each decision we make every day. It can make
leadership cost-effective and valuable for all parties involved.
Communication
as a central factor in inclusive leadership
Communication is a pivotal
factor in this theory of inclusive leadership around which things revolve.
First, it will enable
direct identification of the needs, possible opportunities and effective way
that can be employed in achieving transformational change for development. Communication
will promote intense and systematic awareness and improve delivery of ideas and
resources leading in solving the challenges facing the people.
Secondly, it will yield
admission of mistakes and learning from criticism and different points of view.
Acknowledging and seeking contributions of others to overcome one’s
limitations.
Thirdly, communication
will lead to courage in which personal interests are set aside to achieve what
needs to be done. Acting on convictions and principles even when it requires
personal risk-taking.
Fourth, it will promote
accountability in direct reports by for performance. It becomes a huge central factor in searching
for happiness in the context of theory of leadership.
Lastly, communication in
inclusive leadership will make the community know what is the important about
their leader and the need to follow. It allows those led to participate in
concrete ways.
Challenges
expected in implementing this theory of leadership, and how to overcome them
Like in other
transformational theories being put into practices, challenges are expected to
occur.
Individual’s beliefs and
attitudes could impact significantly on the way they behave. Perceptions of the
benefits of any proposed change versus the costs, both practical and financial can
be a hindrance.
Some may also find it
difficult to accept new guidance if it is in conflict with personal beliefs and
attitudes. A person’s belief in their own ability to adopt a new behaviour can
also have an impact on whether a change is implemented.
Practical barriers can
involve a lack of resources or skilled personnel, or difficulties in
establishing service delivery procedures. New equipment might be needed in order
to enable new guidance to be followed. In some cases, the need for
configuration of services or the infrastructure of a community or organisation
may arise to allow for change to happen.
Sustainability can be
another difficulty, especially if priorities have shift making it difficult to
maintain any changes that have been introduced.
But a leader who believes
inclusivity should have communication skills enabling the subjects construct
messages and decode messages from each other with ease. This calls for well-structured
communication process that fosters openness, effectiveness, efficiency and collectivism
right form the onset of a programme.
These includes careful
selection of accessible information channel of communication, style, medium and
even the sender or the receiver of the messages. Messages need to be clear and
precise as much as possible.
Feedback mechanism is key
in this theory and that is why it is about inclusivity. A leader should be able
to gauge and decipher the level of understanding and the cognitive capability
of his/her subjects for further improvements. In most turns, the leaders should
involve the ‘We’ rather than ‘I’ or ‘You’ to show that he or she is part of the
people faced with the challenge and the need for collectively finding meaningful
solutions for the realisation of happiness to the people.
As a leader seeking to
employ this theory, divergent thinking method is crucial to generating creative
ideas by exploring many possible solutions. This will stimulate many possibilities
for arriving at solutions to challenges.
Applicability
of this theory.
This theory is applicable
to, among others, governments, developmental and behavioural change organisations
or initiatives aimed at transforming people’s livelihoods. In governance, governments
(politicians, technocrats) and empowered citizens are part of important
conditions for inclusive development. Citizens' involvement favours the overall
acceptance and makes needs identification, thinking through and implementation of
projects easy. This could be in the fields of education, health, agriculture, infrastructural
development, and sustainable exploitation of the natural resources. If those
being led and the ones in leadership are reading from the same script, there
are huge chances of diminishing mutual mistrust and unnecessary energy-sapping
disagreements.
For instance, in his
research on education and development, Freire (1970) establishes that a number
of political and educational plans have failed due their authors (leaders)
designing them according to their own personal views of reality, and without taking
into account the men and women in situation to whom their programs were
presumably directed at.
This theory offers
persuasion for leaders, especially political leaders, to engage their subjects;
work closely with them and to involve every stakeholder the vision and mission
towards achievement of goals that ends up in the happiness of all.
At organisational level,
many organisations focus on attracting a diverse group of employees, but then
struggle with retaining the right talent. Organisations with a highly diverse
workforce needs to pay attention to an inclusive environment to avoid
dysfunctionalities that may arise as result having a staff of diverse cultural
and skills backgrounds.
This theory values a
leader as an important cog in the wheel of driving people-based agenda if he/she
is to successfully pursue a path that captures and addresses the priorities of
his/her subjects.
References:
1. Gerald,
M. Ian, J. D. Martha C. W. (2003). Personality Traits:
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
3. Freire,
P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Communication for Social Change: Library
of Congress, New Jersey.
