Leadership Gap
Over the years, I have worked for many different types
of leaders and as a result, I have developed a strong opinion/attitude about
leadership and what it takes to be an effective leader. Much like Lau Tzu, I
believe that an effective leader is a person whom people hardly see; a type of
leader who allows people to manage themselves, rather than be managed. This kind
of leadership gives people the ability to make their own decisions, develop their
own leadership skills and become effective leaders themselves. I know what you’re
thinking; all the world needs is more leaders, but much to your surprise, creating
effective leaders has become the norm in today’s society.
The old concept of respecting ones elders has
decreased significantly over the years. In the past, we were under the assumption
that our elders were more capable than us, based on their knowledge and experience
as leaders thus, we followed them happily. Now, due to the explosion of
leadership development courses, seminars and books, the new generation has left
the older generation behind. However, ‘the depth of deference’ has lead to equality,
making leaders both young and old accountable for their actions. This trend has
allowed leadership to emerge from anarchy and oligarchy to polyarchy; transitioning
from roughly no leadership to a world of many leaders.
Obolensky 2010, states that "only those leaders who
understand polyarchy will survive". Why you might ask, because the polyarchy
approach to leadership attempts to outline the complexities of leadership in an
effort to define the gap between old and new leadership styles. Polyarchy leadership
represents a deeper, hitherto hidden shift of change in leadership practices
conducted today; shifting from traditional leadership to leadership that encompasses
both deterministic and non-deterministic leadership styles. The reason why polyarchy
leadership is so successfully is because it involves understanding the context,
limitations structures and dynamics of both anarchy and oligarchy leadership.
