Question 1
The former president of the United States, Barrack Obama, exemplified effective and good leadership. He had a unique perspective that made him a suitable commander of the free nation. Firstly, Obama understood the importance of unity and his symbolic representation of a united front in the United States. He believed that the region could only function as a unit by providing all citizens with equal opportunities in employment, education, and healthcare. Another essential quality of leadership exhibited by Obama was his ability to connect and communicate with an audience. He was an exceptional orator. Obama had the power to reach out to people and motivate them. Additionally, he was willing to recognize and correct failures. Many managers try to appear infallible since they wield authority over others. However, no particular individual has a solution to everything. Hence, a leader who easily admits his errors is a rare and unique person (Bryman 2013, 13).
Question 2
In my organization, the gender profile in managerial and leadership roles does not portray equality. First and foremost, the majority of the firm’s executives are men with the exception of a few women just because it is essential to give females a position in today’s society. As per now, there are only two women directors in the board, and one deputy CEO is a woman while the rest of the top executives are men. Additionally, the basic salary and benefits of the male leaders are more than those provided to the women simply because the men are assumed to have families or mouths to feed at the end of a long and tiring day at work. The textile company only considers women for managerial promotion if they do not have any baggage, that is, a demanding family that may require their full attention. The practice is adopted mainly because working mothers occasionally have to take their children to school meetings and medical checkups consequentially interfering with the organizational timeline and operations (Bryman 2013, 20).
Question 3
Social constructivism lays particular emphasis on the essence of culture and the understanding of the community. It stresses on social interactions as the foundations for the construction of wisdom and knowledge. Being a people’s person and a good listener and orator, Barrack Obama, was a strong follower of social constructivism. He utilized social interactions as forums to understand his followers. The aspect enabled Obama to identify critical areas that needed attention. His actions and remarks were shaped by interactions and experiences. Leaders make sense of aspects when they communicate with others to enhance corporate effectiveness. Through the constructive utilization of language and good listening skills, the manager can explore the interaction techniques of his followers and their roles to facilitate meaningfulness through social interaction (Endres and Weibler 2016, 9).
Question 4
My notions regarding leadership are influenced by social constructivism especially in today’s society where interactions are held in high regard. The revelation of social media has made it easy for people to air their views about leadership and changes that should be made in the society. A leader who learns to appreciate social media and other forms of social interactions can easily retrieve adequate knowledge to run the organization or region better. From a personal perspective, quality leadership encompasses taking risks, proper communication skills, motivation, goal-setting, effecting transformations, amongst others. All these aspects cannot be implemented without social interactions with one’s followers. This means that leadership and social constructivism go hand in hand. The leaders and followers formulate a shared comprehension by using social interactions to identify common assumptions and interests that form the basis of effective communication. Social knowledge and meaning emerges and evolves through negotiations between the communicating parties (Endres and Weibler 2016, 9).
References
Bryman, A. ed., 2013. Leadership and organizations. Routledge.
Endres, S. and Weibler, J., 2016. Towards a Three‐Component Model of Relational Social Constructionist Leadership: A Systematic Review and Critical Interpretive Synthesis. International Journal of Management Reviews.
