{"id":20312,"date":"2018-11-14T22:22:11","date_gmt":"2018-11-15T06:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=20312"},"modified":"2018-11-14T22:28:03","modified_gmt":"2018-11-15T06:28:03","slug":"gender-diversity-is-authentizotic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/gender-diversity-is-authentizotic\/","title":{"rendered":"Gender Diversity is Authentizotic"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0It is interesting that last week we read a book by a family therapist that incorporated a number of psychological theories and concepts, and this week we are reading The Leadership Mystique<\/em> by Manfred Kets de Vries, a book by a man who extensively studied the areas of psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, cognitive theory and dynamic psychiatry.[1]<\/a> It seems that these two books are not the only ones that are relying on the psychology of humans to better understand what makes the leader and their leadership effective. It is also helpful to know that my education and work in this field for the past twenty years will be extremely helpful in understanding leadership and coaching others on the subject. The author does an excellent job of identifying what makes a leader and an organization healthy and how organizations and companies can be different. I like how he talks about the fact that \u201cwork doesn\u2019t need to be stressful\u201d, and that it can \u201cbe an anchor of psychological well-being, a means of establishing identity and maintaining self-esteem.\u201d[2]<\/a> I don\u2019t know too many people who would describe their place of work in this manner. Most people feel like they must armor up for battle before they go into work due to the harsh environment they are expected to perform in. He continues reiterating \u201cif healthy<\/em> work is to happen, organizations need to be invested in psychological meaning.\u201d[3]<\/a> More companies are hiring corporate psychologists to make efforts in this area, but the author reminds us that this kind of health needs to start with us leaders individually.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When talking about the best companies to work for, the author lists some of the top 100 companies from the employees\u2019 perspective. He says, \u201cthe companies high on the list went to great lengths to create a humane corporate culture that would affect mental health positively.\u201d[4]<\/a> Here that focus on mental health comes up again not just as a characteristic of a healthy organization, but also as one that causes employees to have a higher satisfaction and desire to stay working for a particular company. Many of these cutting-edge companies have been criticized for spending too much money on employee comforts or for making too many accommodations for people\u2019s lifestyle needs and preferences (ie: bringing dogs to work, nap pods, flex schedules, gyms, video games, coffee shops, etc.). These are the things that make employees feel like they matter and what the author is talking about when he says \u201ca humane corporate culture\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Like Friedman, Kets de Vries also focuses on the health of the individual to determine the health of the organization. He states, \u201cOne way of getting answers to questions about what makes an organization an exciting, vibrant, and satisfying place to work is by looking at what makes for a well-functioning individual.\u201d[5]<\/a> I am starting to notice the theme of self-actualization, self-differentiation, self-awareness, and other versions of self-focus in many of the leadership books we are reading. This seems to follow the principle that a leader can\u2019t impart to others what she doesn\u2019t have herself, and the strength of the team is only as strong as the leader. One of the ways we do this as leaders is by increasing our emotional intelligence (EQ). In fact, even this book continues this theme by stating that \u201cwithout the self-awareness that emotional intelligence brings, it\u2019s very difficult to manage other people.\u201d[6]<\/a> I have a hope and a vision that someday every school in America will not only focus on the IQ of the student, but also seek to develop and teach a value for the EQ.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The section on motivational need systems was fascinating to me because it resonated with the needs of the clients who sit in my office every day. The author states that \u201cmotivational need systems are the driving forces that make people behave the way they do.\u201d[7]<\/a> I also love how he talks about the script of our \u201cinner theater\u201d and how it is based on the motivational need systems. He identifies 5 basic motivational need systems\u2026the first three, he says, only impact the workplace peripherally, but the last two powerfully impact the workplace directly:<\/p>\n

1 \u2013 Physiological requirements<\/p>\n

2 \u2013 Need for sensual enjoyment<\/p>\n

3 \u2013 Need to respond with antagonism and withdrawal<\/p>\n

4 \u2013 Need for attachment\/affiliation<\/p>\n

5 \u2013 Need for exploration\/assertion[8]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He also reduces these last two down to the meta-value of love and community and the meta-value of enjoyment and fun.[9]<\/a> Once again, these correspond directly with a therapy model I use often by William Glaser called Reality Therapy, in which five primary needs of every individual are identified as:<\/p>\n

1 \u2013 Survival<\/p>\n

2 \u2013 Power<\/p>\n

3 \u2013 Freedom<\/p>\n

4 \u2013 Love and Belonging<\/p>\n

5 \u2013 Fun[10]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure you are not surprised that I incorporated the section about gender into my blog. Instead of adding a ton of my own words to the author\u2019s as I usually do, I thought I would let his words stand alone as an affirmation of why I have chosen this topic to champion. First of all, I got a real kick out of his humor with his inclusion of the\u2026\u201cAre you a \u2018real\u2019 man (or woman)? Quiz\u201d[11]<\/a> Following this, he gives his explanation of why the gender gap exists. \u201cThere are many explanations given for the gender gap in business\u2026A more controversial answer sometimes given is that many men, in their heart of hearts, are scared of women. Some are, certainly. I know quite a few men who feel comfortable only with other men; they can\u2019t be at ease in the company of women. Women, contrariwise, are more likely to feel comfortable with both men and women.\u201d[12]<\/a> The author feels that mentoring is a necessary form of leadership development, and he states that men have a hard time taking on this mentoring role, for fear of reactions from their wife and fear of being accused of sexual harassment. \u201cClearly, then, there\u2019s an enormous amount of ambivalence about male\u2013female interaction, and that ambivalence can lead to the subtle discrimination that undergirds the infamous glass ceiling. Discrimination is bad enough on its own, but from a purely economic point of view it\u2019s not in the best interests of the company either. Diversity, as I\u2019ve indicated before, makes for richer decision making and more creative problem solving. In fact, it\u2019s a prerequisite of authentizotic organizations.\u201d[13]<\/a> These quotes are a validation of my work and I love how he lists gender diversity\/balance as a needed quality of authentizotic organizations. It is about time we do what is needed to close that gender leadership gap that has been in our country far too long.<\/p>\n

_________________________<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [1] Manfred Kets De Vries, The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise<\/em>, 2nd ed. (Harlow, England; New York: Prentice Hall\/Financial Times, 2006), vii.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [2] Ibid., 243.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [3] Ibid., 243.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [4] Ibid., 244.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [5] Ibid., 246.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [6] Ibid., 235.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [7] Ibid., 250.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [8] Ibid., 250.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [9] Ibid., 251-252.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [10] https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/therapy-types\/reality-therapy<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [11] Manfred Kets De Vries, The Leadership Mystique: Leading Behavior in the Human Enterprise<\/em>, 2nd ed. (Harlow, England; New York: Prentice Hall\/Financial Times, 2006), 258.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [12] Ibid., 259.<\/p>\n

<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 [13] Ibid., 259-260.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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