“Conversely Gen Yers, who expect their social lives to be integrated with their work lives, can be educated about the complications of marriage and family experienced by Gen Xers and Baby Boomers.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
The Good Ol' Generation Gap
In human resources we were talking about the generation gap that leaders in every industry are facing. A few articles we read in HR illustrated that this generation gap may not really exist, that the research behind it is actually quite shoddy. The article states that a person’s life stage is what makes them relatable to other people. The Baby Boomers and Generation Y are actually quite alike in their beliefs so leaders should look to mentorship instead of seeing it as a possible conflict. It tied really well into the discussion we were having a week or so ago in class about what our generation was looking for in the work place.
As future leaders in the Sport and Recreation, I feel as though a strong understanding of the different life stages will greatly benefit us! We can help bridge this generational gap through strong mentorship and coaching programs in the workplace and a little compassion towards people who have more life demands than we do.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Leaders in a time of crisis.
One event that has struck me as important especially when examining leadership would be the tenth anniversary of September 11th. It brings into question how the current leadership and past leadership have responded and what role they played in one of the darkest days in history.
People tend to look directly at some of the national leaders but we overlook some of the most important people, one being the mayor of New York at the time. His ability to handle the gravity of a situation (excellent contingency leadership) proved effective for the people surrounding him. Some of the traits he used were being visible, composed, vocal, and resilient. The article below gives a good outline of how he acted and why it was successful.
I feel as though we try to follow leaders who reflect our personal beliefs and values, which this article makes clear, may not always be the best option. I think we tend to forget that our best leaders have been nothing like us.
For me, you can’t help but to think, how the events would have played out differently with a Democrat in office. Maybe that is just wishful thinking in this blogger’s view. Maybe the U.S. government had nothing to do with 9/11 but I think in the back of everyone’s mind, there is a patch of uncertainty that questions the leaders involvement. But that is an entirely different topic within itself.
(p.s. I know this blog posting does not relate directly to class material as much as I'm sure some are looking for but it was more of a brainstorm introduction to Leadership)
People tend to look directly at some of the national leaders but we overlook some of the most important people, one being the mayor of New York at the time. His ability to handle the gravity of a situation (excellent contingency leadership) proved effective for the people surrounding him. Some of the traits he used were being visible, composed, vocal, and resilient. The article below gives a good outline of how he acted and why it was successful.
What do we really know about our leaders? That was another question that really struck me as important during this time of crisis. I think as human beings with emotions and memories; we are easily manipulated into believing the “good” in humanity. The article below talks about how some leaders actually are more mentally unstable than we think.
This blog really made me think about leadership and how much trust we give to people, especially political leaders. We trust people with decisions that affect our everyday lives but truly, know nothing about them personally. For most citizens, we assume that our best interest is at heart just as many did when good old George W. decided to invade Afghanistan, and then Iraq. Although this article does revolve mostly around mental health issues, the last portion truly is thought provoking: “Who is the “maniac” then? The normal person who is constantly going to war?
Or the manic and depressive leaders who ended wars that others started, or better yet, tried to teach us how to achieve justice without fighting wars?”
Or the manic and depressive leaders who ended wars that others started, or better yet, tried to teach us how to achieve justice without fighting wars?”
For me, you can’t help but to think, how the events would have played out differently with a Democrat in office. Maybe that is just wishful thinking in this blogger’s view. Maybe the U.S. government had nothing to do with 9/11 but I think in the back of everyone’s mind, there is a patch of uncertainty that questions the leaders involvement. But that is an entirely different topic within itself.
(p.s. I know this blog posting does not relate directly to class material as much as I'm sure some are looking for but it was more of a brainstorm introduction to Leadership)
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