Leadership and Cultural context
This book has been quite a challenge with full of leadership information based on empirical evidence and theory. It has a lot of practical reflection and to understand it has been an uphill task. The world of leadership is challenging and primarily based on different cultures with their traditional norms of life. When one lives in a multicultural environment, leadership is modeled according to different cultures. Africa is one continent that has multicultural practices which are blended to adopt one that defines a nation or a particular church. We have continued to experience challenges where one dominant community in a country tries to impose its cultural leadership and value over others who resist and hence more conflicts.
A handbook of leadership and practice edited by Nitin & Rakesh addresses strong leadership and cultural traditions and how it affects the day to day leadership practices. Nitin and Rakesh, have noted that Leaders are socialized into and internalize the cultural values and methods of the culture they grew in. They learn, over time, desirable and undesirable modes of behavior. When we went to Hong Kong, I was very keen to learn how the Asian community is primarily under the communist state are managing their affairs. It was a moment of learning how the Chinese people were maintaining their complex environment so successfully. In a densely populated town, we experienced such an organized way to handle a multitude during the fireworks night in the city. I was impressed with the way the security teams managed the flow of people systematic and well organized as they came to witness the fireworks and after. One would notice an internalized cultural value and practices that are done over a period. If this were happening in my country Kenya, it would be chaos for sure and especially after the fireworks. Cultural norms are often enforced in the way people in society relate to each other (Yukl, 2006).
Nitin and Rakesh have puzzled my thinking as I look what kind of leadership am seeing and experiencing in African culture. The cultural practices that sometimes have not been good in visioning have affected many leadership skills, and you compare with other leadership models in other parts of the world. It is true that culture is a significant determinant of the commonality found in leadership schemas for individuals from the same cultural group. A mind that has grown in an enclosed environment and the other raised in a broader exposed environment have entirely different leadership approach. After finding the book, so difficult to understand with the complex research process, the cultural effects on leadership model spoke to my condition. Africa is a continent that is lived and managed through the community cultural eyes. The complexity of leadership in this region is coming when it is mixed with the western type of leadership, and then the east has come especially the Chinese model of leadership and industrial development. The administration on the continent is facing a challenge on which one to follow. One leader comes in power and adopts the western, and the other comes on and adopt the east type. Both are conflicting with their cultural operations. Hence the experience of more and more conflicts on the continent. There is no original leadership model at all, it all depends which school of thoughts the leader/head of state is coming.
About the Author
John Muhanji
I am the Director Africa Ministries Office of Friends United Meeting. I coordinate all Quaker activities and programs in the Quaker churches and school mostly in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The focus of my work is more on leadership development and church planting in the region especially in Tanzania.. Am married with three children all grown up now. I love playing golf as my exercise hobby. I also love reading.One response to “Leadership and Cultural context”
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John,
Thanks so much for your thoughts and perspectives. Thank you for the insights you are sharing with us from African culture. Blessings on you and yours, H