Leaders and Culture - Part II

When we talk about leaders and culture it is important to recognize –

- leadership exists in societies, organizations, teams, identity groups, families and self, and
- there are multiple characteristics and attributes of culture (see June 14 post), and
- culture changes with economic times and circumstances (Sachs, 2005).

The relationship of leaders and culture is hindered and optimized by the complexity of leadership in the context of change.

Leadership is a process reliant on the relationship between leaders and followers, captain and team, chair and board, employer and employee, royalty and subjects, etc. Throughout history, the practice and philosophy of leaders and leadership has been gleaned from writings of those who have gone before, i.e. Homer’s Iliad, the old and new testaments, essays in I Ch’ing and Machiavelli’s rules and principles (House, Javidan, Dorman & Gupta, 2004).

Today, leaders such as Collins (2005), say true leadership is getting people to follow when they have the freedom not to. Management guru Blanchard (2010), now focusing his attention on leadership, defines leadership ‘as the capacity to unleash others by unleashing their power and potential to impact the greater good’ (p. xvi). It is understood there can no leaders without followers (Goffee & Jones, 2001).

Historically, a leader led in his own society or a single sector; making it practical if not probable that the leadership skills taught, observed and developed would be those expected and embraced by the nation, group, community and, or marketplace.

For example - what was learned in North America applied to North America. As the world changes, pushed and pulled by social and economic globalization, technology, people, information and financial mobility, the role and responsibility of leadership also changes (Augustine, 2008).


So how can a leader operating in the context of complexity and change work with - even embrace culture; given its diversity and evolution?

Blog post: Leaders and Culture Part III explores this question.

References -
- Augustine, T. (2008). Defining leadership in a cross-cultural context. BC: Trinity Western University
- Blanchard, K. (2010). Leading at a higher level. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: FT Press.
- Collins, J. (2005). Good to great and the social sectors. Boulder, CO: Jim Collins Publishing.
- Goffee, R., Jones, G. (2001). Followership – its personal too. Harvard Business Review on Breakthrough Leadership. Boston, MASS: Harvard Business Press.
- Sachs, J. (2005). The end of poverty. New York, NY: Penguin Books.