Stephen Patton

Module 7 Paper

I am currently preparing to become the leader of my own business. As a

commercial real estate agent, I run my own business even though I am associated with

a large investment firm. I will have to hire diverse individuals (young, old, men, women)

to work for me and also to work alongside me. I currently am being managed by my

Senior Broker, but once he retires it will be up to me to continue the business. I will have

to internalize the fact that I am the leader of the team and how I internalize this

leadership position will have large impact on the team as a whole. “Social identity theory

helps to explain the importance of diversity at the self-management level by exploring

how an identity as a leader is internalized” (Chrobot-Mason, Ruderman, & Nishii, pg.

318). This quote from Leadership in a Diverse Workplace, talks about how Social

identity theory is important to understanding how a leader views him/herself. I want to

be a humble leader that emphasizes group collaboration and equality. A leader that

internalizes that they are the “top dog” or smartest in the room, will not successfully

manage a diverse team. In Module 1, my pie chart largely was influenced by my career

and my childhood. These group affiliations might create biases or distractions when

looking for people to hire so I will be sure to take steps in creating a hiring process that

mitigates any bias from occurring and involves training about cultural intelligence and

the importance of smashing stereotypes of all kinds before they affect your

relationships. As of now, there are 7 white men and 1 white woman in our office. My

goal will be to actually begin the process of making this a diverse work environment. I

do not think it was done this way on purpose, but I do think bringing in more

woman/minorities to work alongside us will increase creativity and productivity overall.

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Module 7 Paper

Studies have shown that bias in organizations can happen just when reading an

application from a new hire. Reducing the room for bias to take place in the hiring

process is very important. “The potential for prejudice is present when social perceivers

hold a stereotype about a social group that is incongruent with the attributes that they

believe are required for success in leadership roles” (Eagly & Chin, pg. 217). This is

extremely important in the hiring process because a cultural bias or gender bias about

an individual right off the bat, removes any chance for them to prove to you they are

able to effectively complete their job and rise to be in a leadership position. Knowing

when/where potential for prejudice is highest is helpful for taking steps to reduce

prejudice in these areas. Another approach I would take is that of transformational

leadership. Establishing an emotional bond with the team motivates them more to

become aligned with the goals of the leader. I want to foster an environment that makes

people want to progress the business and where each person can see exactly how they

are contributing to the overall goal. This inclusive environment will help the diverse

individuals to better collaborate and conversate even if subgroups are unintentionally

formed. “A climate for inclusion denotes ‘the shared perception of a work environment

comprising the policies, practices and procedures that guide a shared understanding that

inclusive behaviors, which foster a sense of belongingness and uniqueness are expected,

supported and rewarded’” (Grimani, pg. 250). Supporting and encouraging an inclusive climate

will provide some incentive for employees who do not see the need. Having processes that

promote inclusion and punish exclusion is exactly what I want to adopt as a leader. My current

boss is very demeaning when explaining or teaching a new concept to me, so this has made me

want to be a leader that is humble and understanding of others and who tries to see the issue
 Stephen Patton
Module 7 Paper

from the individuals perception instead of my own. My senior broker seems to lacks self-

awareness which leads to an environment of frustration and things not always getting

communicated effectively. “Leadership roles must also be granted by others… A Socially

constructed view of leadership emphasizes that it is important to look at the process by which

people are recognized, accepted, and endorsed as leaders” (Chrobot-Mason, Ruderman, &

Nishii, pg. 319). By being self-aware and inclusive, I plan to earn the role of leader from the

group and not just force it upon them because of my position. Leaders of diverse groups

typically perform better and to a higher standard because they had to meet some higher

standard to gain the leadership role in the first place. It is much easier to lead a group of people

that think the same way as you, but when leading a diverse group, opening up and becoming

aware of the different values people hold close is essential to being universally accepted as the

leader by the group. “Tendencies to like and associate with others who are similar to oneself

exacerbate the biases that flow from cultural stereotypes” (Eagly & Chin, pg. 218). You are

naturally attracted to people who are similar to yourself and by overcoming this natural

attraction you open the door to new ideas or ways of thinking that you never would have been

able to realize without diversity in your group.

In my CQ cultural intelligence Pre-Test I scored a 107. I improved my score throughout

this semester ending up with 113 for my score on the Post-Test. I think this was due to the fact

that I have learned so much about how different cultures view time, conflict, methods of

communication, and which values they hold dearest. Without understanding these differences

between cultures, it can be very easy to misinterpret cross culture communication. For

example, the Toyota Executive’s apology that we reviewed in module 6, would have been
 Stephen Patton
Module 7 Paper

viewed less negatively had the Westerners understood what Japanese culture values, saving

face and group consensus. American culture is all about making decisions quickly and getting

the job done on time regardless of group consensus. We also learned about High versus Low

context cultures and how this may affect perceptions of conflict. In the Japanese, High-Context,

collectivist culture, communication is largely influenced by the context and body language,

while the American, Low-Context, Individualistic culture, communication is stated blatantly, and

conflict is often experienced in public. Collectivist cultures might also view a situation as having

a higher level of conflict than Individualistic cultures, who might see the situation as completely

normal. Taking each individual’s culture into consideration is important when leading a diverse

group because things can easily get misconstrued in translation. “Rather than imposing a

shared identity, organizations can benefit from employing strategies that simultaneously affirm

core aspects of valued subgroup identities and enrich leadership endeavors to achieve social

harmony” (Grimani, pg. 255). Rather than forcing an identity upon a diverse group, letting the

group create their own shared values and core beliefs will create social harmony because

everyone feels like they can relate to the group in their own way. Even if subgroups have

formed, intergroup collaboration should still be emphasized so that the subgroups feel that

they each belong to a larger, shared vision.

 Stephen Patton
Module 7 Paper

References:
1. Eagly, A., Chin, J. (2010). Diversity and Leadership in a Changing World
2. Chrobot-Mason, D., Ruderman, M.N. & Nishii, L.H. (2013). Leadership in a Diverse
Workplace. Chapter 18 in The Oxford Handbook of Diversity and Work
3. Gotsis, G., Grimani, K. Diversity as an aspect of effective leadership: integrating and
moving forward
4. Module 1 Pie Chart Exercise
5. CQ Cultural Intelligence Test