Introduction
Rosa Parks was born on 4 February 1913 in Alabama. Parks grew up in Pine Level, Alabama, on her maternal grandfather’s farm. Parks had to experience racial discrimination early in her life, with race divided schools in Alabama. As a child, Rosa suffered from poor health, especially her sore throat. She was also weak for her age and used to be bedridden with her sickness. Rosa grew up in segregated South where she had to live in an environment that rejected African Americans to enter segregated hotels or restaurants (McDonough, 2010, p. 1-12). Her long struggle toughened her up and it made her join the race for racial equality. The moment that Rosa Parks is remembered for took place in 1955 in Montgomery when she refused to move from her coloured section seat, which led to her arrest and spurred the Montgomery Bus Boycott and lit the fire to end racial segregation (Theoharis, 2015).
Five Practices
Model the Way
The first practice of exemplary leadership is called model the way. It means that it is the behaviour of leaders that earns them the respect. Inspirational leaders understand the importance of serving as role models to ensure they get full support of their followers. Having committed subordinates willing to perform and follow their leader requires inspirational leadership that provides followers with role models like figure (Kouzes and Posner, 2012). Rosa Parks inspired the racial equality movement with her strong will and refusal to give away her seat. The African American community and NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) rallied behind and supported her cause by announcing the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa Parks through her courage became a role model for many African Americans who used to be scared of the segregation laws and the white establishment in the South. Parks actions created a way for racial equality movement as the African American community joined hands to fight against dishonour and mistreatment.
Inspire a Shared Vision
When a leader inspires a shared vision among a group of people, the results can be seen in the unity of the group and their achievement of their vision. Leaders need to aspire to a target or a goal, which appeals to their follower’s personal needs. Good leaders are capable of reminding their followers of the shared vision and working their best to achieve the goals. Also, the legitimacy of the goal makes it easier for the leader to inspire action (Kouzes and Posner, 2012). In the case of Rosa Parks, she became a beacon of light for the African American community and inspired them to work towards change in the society. Parks actions brought the African American community together and their unity was visible the protest that followed her arrest. The goal aspired by Rosa Park was shared by the masses as they too were tired of the intolerance of the African American community and creation of laws that degraded their position in the society.
Challenge the Process
For significant change to occur, it is important that someone stands up and challenges the existing norms. Leaders are unwilling to wait around for fate to work its way. Leaders are willing to take the risks that can enforce much needed change. Leaders are willing to fail for their cause and strongly believe that their actions are just for the cause (Kouzes and Posner, 2012). Rosa Parks stood up the establishment and challenged the laws that created a segregated society in the South. Despite, every other African American stood up from their seats. Rosa Parks decided that she would remain seated as she was tired of the mistreatment. She was willing to take the risk of going to jail as he believed that she had the right to remain seated and she was not breaking any law. She was willing to be forced by the Police to arrest her for her stand as she strongly believed that she did not break any law and she had the right to remain seated.
Enable Others to Act
Leaders need to develop relationships and trust, before they can expect goals to follow. To achieve success high level of confidence and competence is required from the leadership. Good leaders tend to be receptive to other’s ideas. Leaders understand that subordinates can easily abandon your cause if they are made to feel weak, alienated or dependent. Leaders need to understand and relate to other’s needs to develop much needed trust (Kouzes and Posner, 2012). Rosa Parks’ actions were able to generate commotion among the African American community as they understood and related to her scenario. Many African Americans had faced similar instances, but lacked the courage to stand up. But in Rosa Parks they saw themselves fighting against the establishment and laws that degraded African Americans. Parks was receptive to the ideas presented by NAACP to create a racial equality movement on the back of her struggle and courage. She made the African American community feel included in her struggle and created a feeling that every one of them was in the same boat.
Encourage the Heart
Successful leaders demonstrate compassion and care for their subordinates and acknowledge their contributions in the achievement of goals. When subordinates are encouraged, they feel rewarded for their efforts and are willing improve their performance (Kouzes and Posner, 2012). The determination shown by Rosa Parks was inspirational for all African Americans and her willingness to fight for the cause made her an instant hero of many. Parks’ determination acknowledged the struggle faced by many African Americans as they were also suffering from the oppression and humiliation under the Jim Crow laws. The oppressed class of the South was encouraged to join Rosa Parks and others in the Racial Equality movement and end the humiliation suffered by African Americans in the segregated South.
Leadership Approach
In case of Rosa Parks’ leadership approach, her leadership style for more participative than transformative. It might be easy to relate to her actions and how they inspired the whole African American community. But, in reality her leadership style was more participative as she shared power with other members of the racial equality movement and never came as the leader of the movement (DuBrin, 2011, p. 362). She took part in several organizations which worked for racial equality and became a tireless worker to help ensure the achievement of racial equality in America. Her work as a member and secretary of NAACP kept in the limelight as a leader, but she was involved in several religious and civic groups that contributed to the racial equality movement.
DISC Profile
In terms of the disc profile, Rosa Parks was a calculated risk taker as she understood that she was not breaking any rules while refusing stand up from her seat. Parks knew that even though she could have been arrested, it was important for her to maintain her moral dignity and refuse the white bus driver’s demand. Rosa Parks was also a futuristic thinker as realized that her actions added relevance to the race equality cause and shone light on the humiliation faced by many African Americans in the segregated South. Parks actions were supportive of achieving everybody’s equality, as her refusal meant that she was unwilling to take any more abuse and the African American community translated her struggle and strengthened their own resolve against racial discrimination.
Four Letter Personality Profile
Rosa Parks was more of an extrovert as she used to work for a department store in Montgomery and she was actively involved and concerned with race equality movement.
In addition, she was actively involved as a member of the NAACP as was judging the issue of racial inequality in the South, rather than perceiving the negatives of racial inequality and letting the negatives affect her life. Rosa Parks as an African American woman who was part of the civil rights movement has negative feelings towards the concept of racial inequality and segregation in the South and her life goals were to change the predicament faced by the African American community.
Conclusion
Rosa Parks was a civil rights activist and member of NAACP, whose life contributions helped in overcoming racial inequality in the United States of America. Rosa Parks’ most distinguished moment came when she refused to give her seat up in a Montgomery bus, while being demanded to relinquish it. Rosa Parks displayed exemplary leadership skills as she accepted incarceration over letting someone humiliate her over the colour of her skin. Parks became a role model for the race equality movement as she inspired a shared vision, enabled others, encourages the heart and challenged the process. In terms of her leadership style, Rosa was a participative leader as she allowed other take charge and her actions brought people together. According to disc assessment, Parks was a calculated risk taker, futuristic thinker and supporter of everybody. Finally, in terms of personality, she was an extrovert who judged the issue at hand.
References
Biography. (2016, May 6).Rosa Parks Biography. Retrieved 3 May 2016 from, http://www.biography.com/people/rosa-parks-9433715
DuBrin, A. J. (2011). Essentials of management. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Pub.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
McDonough, Y. Z. (2010). Who was Rosa Parks? New York, NY: Grosset & Dunlap.
Theoharis, J. (2015). The rebellious life of Mrs. Rosa Parks. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
