During the reading of Complex Adaptive Leadership, the author Obolensky starts the book by posing questions that go beyond face value. Obolensky asks the question: "Has your own attitude to leaders changed in your life, and if so how?"(Obolensky,2014) The attitude towards leadership has changed several times in my life. When I was young, the leader was my father. Strong, enduring, and always quality over quantity. My attitude was that of any young boy, rebel. The life lessons my father taught have always stuck with me and I continue to ask for his advice even as an adult.
Some of the next leaders in my life were sport
coaches and school teachers. With teaching, comes great responsibility. Various
teachers and coaches showed me the way to lead by example, give my best and try
to pay attention in class. My newest attitude towards leaders in my life has
drastically changed.
The newest leader in my life is my 2-year-old
daughter. She is a leader in that she is a direct reflection on how
I influence her. She shows the love I give her, or she will show the
selfishness I show. The leader she will become comes from the leadership I show
and wisdom I pass on to her. She will lead or fail by my suggestions and
decisions. I will see how I act through her and she will lead me.
The
next reflection in the reading: “If we take as a starting point the attitude to
those in authority/leaders as held by your grandparents, and then look at those
attitudes held by your parents, and then by you, and then by the younger
generation, is there a changing trend? If so, what is it?” (Obolensky,2014) One
of the changing trends that I have noticed is how the younger generation
interprets facts. The question of why is on the tip of every young child’s
tongue. Parents have always been the go to for every question a child has. Today
children have Google to ask their questions to.
Children can now check the facts of what their
parents or grandparents say. The attitude of the younger generation towards
older generations knowledge is to challenge what they say for accuracy. I think
this has changed because the information is there at the fingertips of the
younger generation, even if they can’t spell the questions voice assistance is
there to spell what they say. Parents don’t have to make up an answer to their child’s
inquisitive questions. To Google something is such a common occurrence now that
it is second nature to provide the correct answer.
References:
Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive
leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty. Farnham: Gower.
