Leading In A Changing And Diverse World

Leading in a Changing and Diverse World

Nick Stocker

02/17/12

Prof. McBerry

UMass

Leading In a Changing and Diverse World

Taking into consideration that the world is getting more and more globalized each day, leading a group of people in whatever segment of society is quite a tough task. Leading in a changing and diverse world takes much more than simple leadership skills and common sense. It takes the ability of seeing the world from various perspectives and angles from behind different lenses. In today's world it is fundamental to a leader to understand that his/her conceptions of ethics, moral and common sense are not always applicable, based on the fact that each individual is culturally different and has his/her own sets of values, habits and beliefs. The advent of globalization gave people the opportunity of entering and getting to know other realities, concepts and also other ways of thinking and acting.

Why is it so important to have the knowledge of multiculturalism and diversity in today's society in order to establish a relationship of credibility and loyalty with those who follow you? Because a good leader needs not only to be a good communicator, but also be sensitive enough to realize that his/her followers might absorb his/her messages in different ways and address different meanings to them. A global leader needs to be flexible, and open to learning. He/she also needs to be able to manage tension created by a diverse environment and promote a decision based on a consensus while making sure that the goals are being kept.

However, not only the leader needs to be open to learning and able to deal with diversity, but also the entire team. So, what can a leader do to help his/her team develop the necessary skills needed to deal with different people and different thoughts? Certainly he/she can start by making sure his/her followers are aware of the diversity within the group by drawing their attention to the differences and similarities among cultures. Once the entire group is aware of that and understands the concept of multiculturalism, the leader