Leadership and Diversity, Research Paper Example

Abstract

Early leadership theories were increasingly concentrated on the way leaders should manage their qualities, as well on the qualities they should possess to be effective. Earlier leadership theories sought to establish a single and a uniform vision of an effective leader, with minor attention paid to the issues of diversity. However, where the current demographic trends result in the growing cultural diversity among employees, and where globalization leads to the replacement of traditional organizational structures with multinational corporations, the issues of diversity becomes more than important. In this context, an effective modern leader looks not only like the guardian of diversity principles, but a person who can provide effective diversity training to followers – the skills extremely important in multinational organizational environments.

Introduction

Early leadership theories were increasingly concentrated on the way leaders should manage their qualities, as well on the qualities they should possess to be effective. Earlier leadership theories sought to establish a single and a uniform vision of an effective leader, with minor attention paid to the issues of diversity. However, where the current demographic trends result in the growing cultural diversity among employees, and where globalization leads to the replacement of traditional organizational structures with multinational corporations, the issues of diversity becomes more than important. In this context, an effective modern leader looks not only like the guardian of diversity principles, but a person who can provide effective diversity training to followers – the skills extremely important in multinational organizational environments.

Stockdale and Crosby (2004) write that “one of the key functions of leaders is the recruitment and selection of new employees into the work team”. As a result, an effective leader is the one who can hire a well-balanced team of prospective professionals and to manage this team in conditions of uncertainty. When it comes to diversity, effective leaders are also expected to create a team that favors and promotes the inclusion of diverse members, but before that, an effective leader will be able to overcome his (her) own bias toward those, who are dissimilar. An effective leader is able to recognize the pressure of stereotypes and biases that can be potentially dangerous to diversity, and to develop favorable relationships with the dissimilar employees as the way to better understanding of diversity (Stockdale & Crosby, 2004).

Beyond training his own diversity skills, an effective leader will also be able to “develop the talents and abilities of others” (Stockdale & Crosby, 2004). To promote diversity learning and growth is one of the basic skills an effective leader must possess. In this context, a good leader will use assessment and feedback as valuable tools of diversity awareness development in employees. Assessment will work to help employees understand the set of diversity challenges they are facing, while feedback will indicate the progress they are making toward better diversity recognition (Johnson, 2004). An effective leader is also able to build supportive relationships in a way that enhances collaboration in diverse teams. Researchers suggest that these supportive relationships can take a form of mentoring, or networks, or dyadic relationships between the follower and the leader (Stockdale & Crosby, 2004). Regardless of the form of supportive relationships chosen, effective leaders should also facilitate teamwork and develop effective diversity strategies.

Any reliable leadership strategy will initially emphasize the need for developing diversity awareness. “The first step is for you to increase your own awareness about the diversity of your staff and their different values and views of work” (Barker, Sullivan & Emery, 2005). Recognizing the existence of diversity among the workforce is the critical element of effective leadership. An effective leadership strategy will also imply the need for communicating respect to diverse cultural values and norms; listening to minority workers’ opinions; creating effective mentorship programs; providing educational services about the cultures represented in the diverse team; avoiding stereotyping, and avoiding projection of culture on the value systems of others (Barker, Sullivan & Emery, 2005).

All these leadership qualities and responsibilities are equally applicable in multinational organizational environments. It would be fair to say that the development of multinational organizational forms requires that leaders can monitor and evaluate their followers’ actions in different geographic locations (Johnson, 2004). As a result, they are also responsible for their diverse followers’ misdeeds, for addressing ethical problems associated with diversity, and admitting their duties to followers, regardless of their cultural or ethnic background. This is particularly difficult and challenging, taking into account the number of diverse values and attitudes leaders are to hold. That is why, beyond recognizing and promoting diversity, effective leaders should also establish a set of norms and guidelines, which would be common for everyone regardless of ethnic and cultural background, and will not discriminate against individual cultural values of employees.

Conclusion

An effective present day leader is increasingly concerned about diversity issues. A good leader is expected to be able to overcome his diversity bias, to promote diversity among employees, to train employees about diversity, to communicate diversity values, and to build supportive relational networks. A good diversity strategy will primarily imply the need for developing diversity awareness in organizations. All these skills and qualities are applicable and useful in multinational organizational conditions, where leaders are bound to monitor their followers’ actions in different geographical environments, and must reconcile with multiple features, which culturally diverse employees being into their organization.

References

Barker, A.M., Sullivan, D.T. & Emery, M.J. (2005). Leadership competencies: The renaissance of transformational leadership. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Johnson, C.E. (2004). Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership. SAGE.

Stockdale, M.S. and Crosby, F.J. (2004). The psychology and management of workplace diversity. Wiley-Blackwell.