FINAL EXAM

Paper

Presented to

Dr. John Thompson, Theology Department

Oral Roberts University

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Class

GEN 318/CHRM 318–Global Leadership

by

Lydia Conroy

April 22, 2022

 EIGHT LEADERSHIP CULTURES

Western

One aspect of the western world's leadership that I admire is its rationality. The world of

the west’s ability to make thorough decisions allows for creativity in other areas and solid results.

I relate to this western quality well already. My choices tend to be practical and well thought out.

I do not usually allow emotion to take over my decisions, resulting in better outcomes.

While this value is not different from my culture because I am American, I see times

when allowing emotion to rule decisions can be problematic. This value can be used well under

challenging circumstances where emotions are high. We see it repeatedly where people let their

feelings get their best. It is essential to allow for feeling in a decision-making process and logic.

I can incorporate the value of rationality in my administrative role for the homeless.

Being a part of a ministry means there are many different strengths, and often there are very

passionate visionaries that may skip past reasons. Using rationality in the ministry can allow for

more creative projects.

Latin American

I have great admiration for relationality in Latin America. As a Christ-follower, I believe

we should have intentionality in our leadership, and Latin America’s leadership demonstrates

this well with their personal connections.

Western culture is very self-centered. At times I have adopted this value, leading to

unfulfillment and frustration. There is more fulfillment in caring for others' needs over what one

wants to get done. The hunger for tasks comes from the satisfaction that people fill.

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 I continually want to improve my relational skills in my leadership. Beyond followers, I

want to know their names and lives. I want to go out of my way to show them love and care.

While the workplace can remain professional, it does not mean it cannot be relational.

Russia

Russia has a great emphasis on the collective. I thoroughly enjoy this because it does not

discriminate against those who are less fortunate. We are all people, and I think it is essential to

take care of as many people as possible.

Sometimes the western world can be so individualistic that it forgets to consider the little

guy. However, just because someone is in a different place in life does not mean they do not have

value. I enjoy Russia's collective mindset and how they have the power to change the

circumstances under threatening cases.

I can implement Russia’s values into my life by remembering to look out for other people

for my benefit. If I can get caught up in my wants and desires; I ignore the collective. Having a

better acknowledgment of the collective will allow for overall better morale.

Islamic

One value I would adopt from the Islamic leadership is their servant's heart. The best

leaders are the ones that care for their followers. The servant's heart allows for a better work

environment and employees to respect their leader truly.

One way that the Western world fails to do that is by focusing on their desires primarily.

While having one's own goals is not necessarily wrong, it can lead to the neglect of their

followers. I believe servant leadership is an essential quality of being a great leader.

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 One way that I can incorporate servant leadership into my life is by assisting the needs of

my followers. Taking on the mindset of how I can help you vs. how they can help me will allow

for a trusting environment that creates productive results.

Traditional African

Active participation is one of Africa's great leadership values. I would love to adopt this

into my leadership. I love having a relational community by being involved in everyone's lives. I

also like that it is common to correct a child's misbehavior in another family.

America likes to mind its own business; this can be a strength and a weakness.

Sometimes, it is not our place to correct someone's behavior simply because we do not have any

context for the situation. However, there are times when we should speak up.

One way I can include active participation in my leadership is by being involved in the

lives of my employees. It will allow me to assess the times better where it would be more helpful

for me to say something and when it is not my place.

Daoist

The value I admire about Daoism is their service, but since I discussed that earlier in the

paper, I also admire their willingness to learn. Great leaders are willing to learn. Man has fallen,

and we do not have complete knowledge. It is essential to learn from mistakes and listen to what

the people around us say.

The western world has an interesting balance when it comes to learning. Americans are

hierarchical but also can accept feedback. Leaders' willingness to learn can vary, but I think my

culture overall agrees that a good leader should be well educated on their job but be willing to

learn.

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 In my leadership, I want to take the time to be well resourced in my duties. However, as a

leader, one does not always have the same experiences as the follower. I want to make sure that I

am willing to listen to the feedback of my crew and be ready to make changes.

Confucian

My favorite part of Confucianism is the importance of family. Relationships are such an

essential aspect of life and often get overlooked. I want to adopt the value of respecting my

family and my employees' families.

My culture values family, but not as much as success. Unlike other cultures, we are very

willing to put the elderly into homes and move away. Each person has different callings and

needs, but we have a task-oriented mindset.

I want to lead by keeping family in mind. Whether this means making time for my own

or catering to my employee's needs, I want to allow the opportunity to prioritize family. It can

simply look like giving my employees grace for family emergencies or creating events that will

enable everyone to come together.

Buddhist

I enjoy several aspects of Buddhism, but the one that stands out is that their

decision-making process involves wisdom and compassion. People often overlook understanding

in the decision-making process, but it can play a vital role.

In the western world, the emphasis on individualism can be harmful to the

decision-making process. What I admire about Buddhism are compassion and wisdom. It allows

for well-thought-out decisions that focus on human needs.

As a leader, I want to incorporate wisdom and compassion into my decision-making

process to better the workplace environment. It is crucial to acknowledge that decisions affect

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people, and simply relying on logic can result in harmful outcomes. It all comes down to a

balance of making decisions that further success, but not at the cost of people.

AMERICA’S LEADERSHIP STYLE

There are a diverse amount of leadership scenarios within America, but when I picture a

good leader, the first thing I saw was one who is passionate and innovative. When I picture a

good leader, I think of Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). MLK was not a leader of a government or

a business setting, but he was a leader of change.

One of the strengths of America is the freedom we have to stand up for what is right.

MLK took the opportunity as a black man to stand up for the injustice occurring in 1963. The

speech “I Have a Dream” is one of the most legendary declarations. Most people have vague

knowledge about MLK’s leadership style, but I would like to think that it is the healthy version

of what America sees a leader should be.

MLK is a charismatic speaker who had tremendous power to move audiences with his

directive words. He rallied against people with his imagery and passionate stance on his beliefs.

America is known for innovation, creativity, and long-term planning. MLK was a visionary, and

almost every American has heard pieces of his famous speech, “I have a dream that one day this

nation will rise, live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident,

that all men are created equal.”

There is also a statue in Atlanta called Hope Moving Forward, made by Basil Watson.

This statue represents the lasting impact of MLK and how America is moving towards his dream

come true. MLK releases a dove from his hands which illustrates the American dream and his

dream coming true. Anyone can be a leader and see their visions come true. A leader must have

optimism and vision to execute their dreams for their followers.

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 The “I Have a Dream” speech occurred when there was a height of discrimination toward

black people. However, with Americans' freedom, we can rise against injustice. Anyone can be a

leader. Anyone can make a difference. Leadership is not a status. Even MLK, a black man in a

time when they were not equal, could lead. MLK has been a vital force in the civil rights

movement for black Americans. There is still a way to go in systematic discrimination, but there

has been a shift in the Western world's history because of MLK's persuasive speech and

charisma.

America's impulsiveness and individualism allow anyone to start a new beginning.

However, it can also come with its downfalls, as with all things. While anyone can become a

leader, not everyone will be a good leader. Leadership is often deceptive and selfish. Americans

are good at focusing on a task and executing it well; however, people will get hurt.

Leaders are often deceptive, and if they have a good face, they can get away with many

evils. Innovation can be an extreme that is harmful to the collective, just like we have seen in

history where leaders are charismatic but not trustworthy in their intentions. A well-known

comparison of this would be Adolf Hitler. With the knowledge we have now, the holocaust is

blatantly evil, but at the time, Hitler was an influential force for great evil. He was crafty with his

words but deeply rooted in deception. Some may argue that he characterized a great leader with

how he rallied followers, but what he was convincing his followers to do was evil.

In the end, every nation has its strengths and weaknesses. America is an innovative and

diverse country, and whether it is good or bad, it comes down to the leaders' intentions more than

their style. The “I Have a Dream” speech is a beautiful speech representing the power of

leadership in America, and the Hope Moving Forward statue is a representation of dreams

coming true. Anyone can be a leader, and anyone can make a difference.