Introduction
Leadership is defined by Chester Bernard as "the ability of a superior to influence the behavior of subordinates and persuade them to follow a particular course of action" (ETSU, 2013). For the success of any organization or a mission, it is important to have a great leader at the helm. A true leader is he who can elicit positive actions, behaviors and emotions in people without the promise of a reward or a threat of punishment (Givray, 2012). A true leader is he who with his passion, perseverance and dedication can guide his followers and subordinates into the right direction of success. There are different theories of leadership available like Great Man Theory, Trait Theory, Contingency Theory, Situational Theory, Transformational Theory and Transactional Theory (Cherry, 2014). Though the basic principle of all these theories varies, they all point towards the constitutional facts of leadership and the attributes that form a true leader. Jorge Ramos Avalos, who is popular for his anchoring in Noticiero Univision, is one such true leader who has been enlisted as ‘the 25 most influential Hispanics in the USA’ by Time Magazine and is recognized as the second most popular Latino leader in the country (Jorge Ramos, 2013). In my view, the leadership theory that describes him best is the Trait and the Great Man Theory of leadership. This paper will discuss how Jorge Ramos Avalos’ style of leadership falls into the category of the Trait and the Great Man Theory, and how he has emerged as one of the most respected personalities in Hispanic history.
Attributes of Leadership and Theories
Before analyzing the leadership style of Jorge Ramos, it is important to know the attributes of a true leader, and the definition of the Trait Theory and the Great Man Theory. Both Great Man Theory and Trait Theory are similar to each other. These theories propagate the principle that a great leader inherits or is born with some exceptional attributes such as intelligence, self-confidence, courage, and social skills suited for leadership (ETSU, 2013). Following the definitions of these theories, I believe that the leadership style of Jorge Ramos is influenced, to a great degree, by his internal characteristics.
Before discussing Jorge Ramos and his characteristics further, it is essential to highlight the attributes of a true leader. A true leader should be inspirational in his behavior, and that behavior would stem from the principles and values he follows in his own life. Integrity is one of the key features of a true leader who should show this quality in his words and actions. If the words of a leader do not correspond with his actions, his followers would soon lose their trust in him. In order for his actions to be true to his words, a leader must try to deliver all his promises and commitments. A true leader should have the courage, self-confidence and determination to do the things that he thinks appropriate. He should show empathy for others and should not flinch from confronting issues and conflicts diplomatically. A true leader should show compassion and kindness for the sufferings of people and a genuine desire to serve others (Givray, 2012). He should be disciplined and optimistic about life because an indisciplined pessimistic leader cannot influence hope in those who follow him. A true leader should show humility in his approach so that he is able to earn the loyalty of his followers easily.
Application of Trait Theory in the Leadership Style of Jorge Ramos
Jorge Ramos is a man who has reached the acme of success in his own right. Having come from a mediocre background, his achievement is totally self-earned. He is a man born with the traits suited to leadership. He has integrity, courage, confidence, discipline, compassion and a desire to serve others.
Traits of Self-Confidence and Determination
Like a true leader, Jorge Ramos has the self-confidence and determination to do the things that he thinks appropriate. Born in Mexico in 1958, he began his television career at one of the largest television conglomerates of Mexico, Televisa. However, his career was cut short there when he refused to comply with the censorship policies of the company and resigned from his job. In order to find true freedom of speech, he moved to USA in 1983 only at the age of 25 years. He sold his Volkswagen Beetle and guitar in order to accumulate money for the emigration to USA. Once he reached the land of dreams, he enrolled himself at the University of California and worked as a waiter and cashier at a local restaurant in Los Angeles (JRank, 2014). That he was a leader in the making shows in his grit and determination because in order to follow his heart, he did not flinch from leaving a high-paying job of a reporter at Televisa and choosing a life strewn with difficulties ahead. By working in the restaurant, he hardly used to make "$15 a day" and get "one meal a day free" (Jorge Ramos, 2013).
Traits of Courage and Boldness to Speak His Mind
Like a true leader, Ramos possesses an inner confidence and courage to talk about debatable issues and conflicts. He is known for considering his interviews as "war" and making "the powerful tremble" (Jorge Ramos, 2013). Ramos started anchoring in the show 'Noticiero Univision' in 1986 (Jorge Ramos, 2013). Noticiero Univision, ranked as the number one newscast in Spanish language, highlights the events taking place in Latin America and the issues related to Hispanic and Latin Americans. Noticiero Univision is a 50 years old newscast. It became very popular when Ramos together with Maria Elena Salinas started anchoring the show in 1986 (Guthrie, 2012). With the growth of Hispanic population in USA, the number of viewers of the show has now increased 2 million per day. Ramos is an inevitable part of the popularity of the show. Often referred as Walter Cronkite of Spanish population, Ramos has grilled and interviewed a group of influential political figures in his show including Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, Bill Clinton, John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, George Bush Sr., Fidel Castro, Al Gore and many Latin American presidents (Jorge Ramos, 2013).
Ramos’ grilling of Barack Obama, on the issue of immigration reform, is known as the toughest interview faced by the current American President. When the answers of Obama on the issue were not satisfactory enough, Ramos just like a true leader, who does not flinch from speaking his mind, exhibited his boldness in reminding the President of how he failed to keep his promise, "You promised that, and a promise is a promise,And with all due respect, you didn’t keep that promise” (Byers, 2012). Ramos even managed to get a confession from Obama on his failure when the President said, "As you remind me, my biggest failure is that we haven’t gotten comprehensive immigration reform done" (Byers, 2012).
Integrity in Words and Actions
Jorge Ramos is truly inspirational, and his actions show the principles and values he cherishes in life. Dr. Dirks and Ferrin examined different studies on the role of trust in leadership in their paper and came to the finding that the leader-follower relationship goes "beyond the standard economic contract" and the exchange of "trust, goodwill, and the perception of mutual obligations" results in "a high-quality relationship" (Dirks and Ferrin, 2002). Ramos through his dedicated actions to the cause of Latino immigrants has been able to elicit an immense faith in him from his followers. The high quality relationship established between him and his followers shows in his being considered as the pope, 'the big kahuna' by the Hispanic population of USA. Ramos believes that as an immigrant himself, it is his "duty to speak out and help other immigrants" (E4FC, 2010). His actions also mirror his words when he strongly propagates immigration reform and does not mind grilling Barack Obama on the same issue. He is a biggest spokesperson of the Latin immigrants including those 11 million immigrants who have entered and stayed in the country illegally. Like a true leader, his actions mirror his beliefs in the rights of the hapless 11 million immigrants whose fate is stuck on the promises on an immigration reform. His compassion for the immigrants shows in his statement published in the Miami Herald, "Nothing has been done to solve the huge contradictions in the immigration laws" (Snodgras, 2014). He pinpoints the illegal hiring and exploitation of Hispanic laborers, nannies, gardeners and field hands. He has featured interviews of the Latino immigrants and refugees of USA in his show and has showcased how the Hispanics are ill-treated in the country. In criticism of the shabby treatment meted out to the Latino immigrants, he has voiced his anger publicly "There's a great deal of hypocrisy in this country about the millions of immigrants who work here without papers" (Snodgras, 2014).
Traits of Discipline
Jorge Ramos is known for his discipline. Discipline is a characteristic of a true leader, and no one can prosper without discipline. Besides working as a television anchor in two news shows in Univision, Ramos is engaged with a lot of other activities. He writes weekly columns and has the authorship of 10 books to his credit (James, 2013). Despite his busy schedule as an anchor, he makes time for all these additional activities by following a routine disciplined life. He has admitted in his own words that he is a disciplined man. Every weekday he writes for two hours, from 10 a.m. to 11a.m and from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. Rest of his free time he spends with his family (Martinez, 2000). He is also extremely fit and follows a regular exercise regimen. He has a pull-up bar mounted in the entrance of his office, and he puts his younger colleagues to shame by performing 17 pull-ups within minutes (James, 2013).
Traits of Compassion and Humility
Despite his monumental success as an anchor and spokesperson of Latino immigrants in USA, Ramos possesses a compassionate heart balanced with humility. His compassion for millions of Latino immigrants is a well-known affair. Despite living in USA for about three decades and being an influential news person, he never forgets about his roots and his own experience as an immigrant in the country. He still considers himself as an immigrant and empathizes with the millions of Latinos struggling to make a living in the country. He feels "emotionally linked" to the cause of immigration and the sufferings immigrants are to go through (James, 2013). In his own words, "Because once you are an immigrant, you never forget that you are one" (James, 2013). He has also extended his support to the DREAM Act, a legislation that would pave the way for citizenship to those undocumented students who have arrived in USA before they are 16 and have received education in the country. He has made a donation of $20,000 for the cause and beseeches others to come forward to support the mission (E4FC, 2010).
Conclusion
A true leader with his passion, perseverance and dedication shows his followers and subordinates the right direction of success. Jorge Ramos Avalos is one such leader whose dedication and commitment to his values and principles, courage and confidence excite awe and admiration for him among his followers. Both Great Man Theory and Trait Theory propagate the principle that a great leader inherits or is born with some exceptional attributes such as self-confidence, intelligence, courage, and compassion ideal for leadership. Jorge Ramos possesses the inherent traits of leadership - integrity, courage, confidence, discipline, compassion and a desire to serve others. His self-confidence and determination reflect in his decision to leave his country Mexico to find the true freedom of speech in USA wherein he had to struggle for years to make a foothold. His inner traits of courage and boldness show repeatedly in his grilling interviews of influential personalities of the world including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton and the like. His integrity shows in his actions that follow the principles and values he firmly believes in. Ramos like a true leader possesses the characteristics of discipline, compassion and humility. He is man deeply attached to his roots. He never forgets about his struggling days of an immigrant and considers helping other immigrants his moral duty.
References
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