pad 515

Public Leadership and Diversity

PAD 515

Someone who holds public office is called a public leader and plays the role of serving society. A perfect example of a public leader is the President, member of the parliament, governor, mayor, and so on (Crosby & Bryson, 2018). Collective activities that are executed by a group of people entail leadership, and it has nothing to do with a general view of the individual leader. Leadership theories are cumulative, and the individual leader's roles are vital, but it is not the primary aspect (Pithouse-Morgan et al., 2018). For a leader to think differently, critical thinking skills are critical as it helps them understand their difficulties. Leadership values play an important role in this perspective and help shape collective vision, goals, purpose, and activities that are important in giving leadership a sense of purpose.

Governmental Change in the 1990s

One of the major leadership changes in the 1990s was President Bill Clinton's policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” which prohibited military recruitment of bisexual and gay people into the military. The authority level that signed this policy into law was high, and it sent a message to the public that discrimination based on sexual orientation was acceptable in United States (Pithouse-Morgan et al., 2018). Lesbians, gays, and bisexuals were only able to serve in the military as long as their sexual orientation was not known. Thousands of LGBT were discharged from the military due to this policy until 2011, when the law was repealed, ending the 17 years of the many LGBTs in the military.

Nelson Mandela

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, background, or religion. Hate is learned, and if it can be learned so can love. Love comes more naturally to the human heart than it's opposite.” These were Nelson Mandela's words as quoted in the article by Pithouse-Morgan et al. (2018). Nelson Mandela, who led South Africa for only one term as the President, struggled for many years against the apartheid regime, which was advanced by the minority whites who were also the leaders in this African country. He was a democratic and visionary leader who fought for a free democratic South African society and stood by his vision even when in jail, where he spent at least 27-years. He served his people with humility and respected his fellow leaders (Pithouse-Morgan et al., 2018). Workplace diversity, diversity within society, and the political environment were Mandela Nelson's efforts as a leader and a president. His struggle for freedom of the people was meant for Africans and whites who lived in this African country.

Desmond Tutu

One of the most famous human rights activities and a religious leader was Desmond Tutu. Desmond Tutu was a famous Desmond Tutu is one of South African’s religious leaders who took the human right campaigns to the doorsteps of the people who infringed the rights of the South Africans (Pithouse-Morgan et al., 2018). Because of his efforts to end apartheid in South Africa, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. He worked hard to formulate a democratic society without considering the race of the people.

F.W. De Klerk

F.W. De Klerk was a white and the second vice president during Nelson Mandela's reign as the President in South Africa. F. W. De Klerk was nominated as the President of the Ministers’ Council in the House of Assembly in 1989 (Pithouse-Morgan et al., 2018). As President of the council, he was able to create a sustainable environment which promoted effective negotiations to end apartheid and bring a new Constitutional dispensation that catered for the many South Africans. It was because of his efforts that the principle of one man one vote was adopted.

Public Leader One Male and One Female

German Chancellor Angela Markel was listed as the most powerful woman leader globally by Fortune 500 and as the best woman leader by Forbes Magazine. She was the first female Chancellor of Germany and is known as one of the leading figures in the European Union (Rabini et al., 2020). Before she was elected as a German chancellor, she was the Christian Democratic Union Party's chairperson in German. She was name person of the year by Time Magazine in 2015. She has leadership traits that resemble an entrepreneur who is willing to learn new tricks every time. Because of this, she has risen to the top of global governance today (Rabini et al., 2020). Her values have lifted the reputation of Germany as the country in Europe and the world. She is attributed as a person who puts her country first before anything else. She is a leader who is ready to stand against any external threat and make decisions that will make her leadership a steady fast one.

The 42nd president of the United States, the third-youngest President, and the first president from the baby boomer generation Bill Clinton are remembered for the many positive things he did as the United States President until today. His bold decision to sign the North American Free Trade Agreement policy was a clear indication that he recognized African-Americans as Americans (Rabini et al., 2020). Many people who have discussed his leadership style have named him a transformational leader because of his motivational, aspirational, idealized influence and individual intellect he exhibited. His leadership style would be transformational because he had consideration for individuals, intellectual stimulation, idealized influence, and inspirational motivation (Rabini et al., 2020). Clinton was a triple-strength type with skills to balance between personal political interests and his followers' interests.

Gender Diversity

Workplace environments and dynamics have changed significantly today compared to the past, where women were given part-time and low cadre jobs and positions. The notion that women have to play the role of taking care of the family no longer holds, and many women are now given top positions to lead others at workplaces (Fine et al., 2020). Women are today known to be men's equal, and they are rising even beyond male counterparts. Studies have shown that many women have become career women and are putting their careers before their families. Many women are no longer staying at home, but they have taken up managerial roles to lead and manage other workplace employees. This has contributed positively to the current gender diversity experienced at workplaces today (Fine et al., 2020). Whereas gender inequality still exists, the gap has reduced drastically as women are now CEOs of big corporations such as General Motor and others. The percentage of women in the labor force has increased drastically from the conventional 33% in the 1950s to the current 57% and increasing every day.

Strengths/weaknesses

My ability to lead with respect, humility, and from behind are my strengths to become an effective public leader. Nelson Mandela noted that good leaders lead from behind and put others in front (Crosby & Bryson, 2018). I have one weakness, and the weakness is that I have no confidence to speak before the masses. This is a huge weakness since I understand that I will have to address people’s problems through communication in public as a leader.

References

Crosby, B. C., & Bryson, J. M. (2018). Why leadership of public leadership research matters: and what to do about it. Public Management Review, 20(9), 1265-1286.

Pithouse-Morgan, K., Chisanga, T., Meyiwa, T., & Timm, D. N. (2018). Flourishing Together: Co-Learning as Leaders of a Multicultural South African Educational Research Community. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 20(3), 102-125.

Rabini, C., Brummer, K., Dimmroth, K., & Hansel, M. (2020). Profiling foreign policy leaders in their language: New insights into the stability and formation of leadership traits. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 22(2), 256-273.

Fine, C., Sojo, V., & Lawford‐Smith, H. (2020). Why does workplace gender diversity matter? Justice, organizational benefits, and policy. Social Issues and Policy Review, 14(1), 36-72.