THE CONTEXTS OF LEADERSHIP
Let’s try to bring into focus the impact of social and cultural influences on the leadership process. Kristina Coburn states that, “Followers, culture and environment have a hand in creating that leader.” According to J. Thomas Wren and Marc J. Swatez, leadership is a process of interaction between the leaders and followers that is affected by the following contextual variables:
1. The Historical Context of Leadership: According to this, any leadership scenario gets affected by long term trends that may have taken place in the past.
2. The Contemporary Context of Leadership: The leadership scenario tends to get affected by the social values, cultural traditions and sub cultural norms and customs of the society. For example, in a traditional Japanese society, older generation tends to lead while in American society it is not the case.
3. The Immediate Context of Leadership: This encompasses the structure and goals of the organization, the culture prevalent within the organization and the characteristics of the task at hand.
The variables explained above helps a “leader to identify and isolate the specific relevant historical and cultural influences that impact his or her unique leadership situation.” (Wren, 1995, p.251)
REFERENCES
- Wren, J. Thomas. The leader’s Companion: Insights on Leadership Through the Ages, New York: Free Press, 1995.
- Coburn, Kristina. “Looking Further into Leadership.” CICSWorld.org, February 06, 2008.