MAKERERE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

BACHOLAR OF LEADERSHIP AND GOVERANCE

LGD1105
INFLUENCE OF THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT ON
LEADERSHIP

N NAME STUDENT NUMBER REGISTRATION SIGN

o NUMBER

9
INTRODUCTION:

In the realm of organizational dynamics and human interaction, the concept of leadership holds a pivotal
role. Leadership, in a broad context, can be defined as the process of guiding, inspiring, and influencing
individuals or groups towards the achievement of common goals or objectives. It encompasses a range
of skills, behaviors, and attributes that enable individuals to effectively lead and manage others.

In parallel, the social environment, within which leadership operates, constitutes the intricate web of
social, cultural, and contextual factors that shape the behaviors, expectations, and norms of a given
community or organization. This encompasses the values, beliefs, and socio-cultural dynamics that
influence the way individuals interact and collaborate within a specific setting. Whereby man becomes a
social animal through the formation of social groups and relationships which are based on common
interests, interactions and shared identities. Which consists of components like Ethnicity, the quality or
fact of belonging to a population group or sub group made up of people who share a common cultural
background or descent and Age is a measure of the amount of time that has passed since a person’s
birth, it’s typically expressed in years and can be used to indicate how old an individual and object is.
And this essay is set to explain how the social environment influence leadership.

Numerous leadership scholars have explored the intricate relationship between leadership and the
social environment. They have offered valuable insights into how these two features intertwine and
mutually impact each other.

To delve into this intriguing interplay, we will examine the views and research findings of prominent
leadership scholars. Their insights shed light on the multifaceted ways in which leadership is shaped by,
and in turn, shapes the social environment. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for organizations
and individuals striving to harness the power of effective leadership within the context of their specific
social environments. Let us embark on this journey of understanding and discovery, exploring how the
social environment exerts its influence on the practice and effectiveness of leadership
1. Gender, The approach of male leaders to tasks is based on personal rights, justice as well fairness
while women handle ethics with sensitivity, empathy and compassion.
Positive influence: nurturing, compassionate behaviour is expected of women and is perhaps why they
tend to be more accepting of and in favor of transformational leadership. For example the former
speaker of the parliament Rebecca kadaga who called out strategies on attitude change towards gender
equality whereby she launched the “African women leaders Network (AWLN)” with a call on women to
develop strategies to change attitude of society towards gender equality. And her own words she said
“When I first became speaker, I remember I went for a radio talk show and of course some people
were mesmerized by a woman being a speaker, a man called and told that I should not be doing such
a job ”Kadaga said during a lunch at Sheraton hotel on Friday 28 February 2020
Negative influence: factors such as attitude, self-confidence and the work place environment has
contributed to low number of women in leadership. The submissive nature of women towards
leadership reflects some level of incompetence that influence the ability to lead. For example Judith
Babirye the former woman MP of Buikwe district (2016-2021) whereby due to da submissive nature of
the female gender she got pregnant with fellow MP’s child which derailed her from the mission to
represent the Buikwe women and she has gone literally gone to Canada never to return in turn
abounding her leadership roles and position never to return.
2. Ethnicity, the quality or fact of belonging to a population group or sub group made up of people who
share a common cultural background or descent.

Positive influence: Leaders of color and women leaders strongly embraced their ethnic and gender
identities compared with the white male leaders .These social identities together with lives experiences
associated with minority status were perceived as influencing their exercise of leadership, presenting
both challenges and strengths. For example the Queen of Buganda Nnabageraka Sylvia Nagginda a
traditional leader and ardent advocate of human development rooted in cultural values and norms
through the Nnabageraka foundation which found in 2000 which has done charitable work for the
children and “ekisaakaate” which is a Ganda holiday camp for kids which has taught traditional culture,
character formation, personality development and critical reasoning which has help the young
generation to learn their norms and has contributed to the up bring of new leaders.

Negative influence: tolerance & ethnic favorism, each leader who belongs to a different social group
might bring a factor of favorism and nepotism which in turn affects his/her judgment as a leader in the
society. For example the former president of Uganda Dr. Apollo Milton Obote who exercised tribalism in
his government whereby he appointed his tribal men to public offices which in turn made his
government to be comprised of the Lango hence making his leadership on basis and in favor of his tribal
men.

3. Age: is a measure of the amount of time that has passed since a person’s birth, it’s typically expressed
in years and can be used to indicate how old an individual and object is.

Positive influence: Experience, older individual’s often have more life and work experience which can
provide them with a broader perspective and a deeper understanding of complex issues. The experience
can be valuable in making informed decisions and problem solving. For example the president Yoweri
Museveni in the way he replies to media questions regarding the state affairs like “ on 17 may 2011
media statement to the media, President Museveni took issue with the media for their continued
coverage of anti-government protest dubbed “walk to work”.

Negative influence: Bias and stereotypes, age can also lead to bias and stereotypes in both directions.
Younger leaders may face skepticism due to their perceived lack of experience while older leaders may
face ageism or resistance to change. As leaders grow older they become less willing to make changes
and are less interested in innovation. This can evidenced by the way young Robert Kyagulanyi
responded to a question concerning gay rights in Uganda while at Johannesburg south Africa which
brought up mixed feelings in the general public and in his words he said “I believe that one has the
responsibility of guarding the rights of all citizens of those who are like you and those that are not like
you. I believe that as a leader, a high level of tolerance is required to make sure the nation comes
together” which brought mixed feelings in the public and some of people’s remarks as per PMI DAILY
“When I heard such a statement today morning, I decided to quit people power and jumped out of the
wagon. Someone is leading ignorant excited youths to hell in a hand basket. True colors are coming
out” PMI DAILY.

4. Income levels: refers to the amount of money earned by an individual over a given period of time in
the society.
Positive influence: Individual’s with higher incomes any have greater access to resources and
opportunities which can enhance their leadership capabilities. They may also have more confidence and
assertive due to their financial stability which can make them effective leaders. For example MP of
Nakawa east Hon Ronald balimwezo who was involved in a car accident which resulted in him losing his
leg “l lost my leg in a car accident. This inspired me to join politics to fight negligence of leaders who
failed to fix a pothole” whereby he used high income status to purchase an ambulance to provide
assistance to people involved in accidents on Nakawa east which later involved in his manifesto he used
to campaign into the parliament of Uganda.

Negative influence: Lower income individuals might face barriers that can impact their ability to assume
leadership roles. Economic constraints can limit their access to education and networking opportunities,
which are often important for leadership development. This can evidenced whereby low income citizens
have limited access to leadership materials like conference and attaining better education from different
institutes in order to develop leadership skills.

5.Consumption patterns: These refers to the combination of qualities, quantities, acts and tendencies
characterizing a community or human group’s use of resources for survival comfort and enjoyment.

Positive influence: consumer culture and values, leadership often reflects the prevailing values and
culture of a society. Consumption patterns can be a reflection of these values. Leaders who understand
and align with the values and preferences of their followers are more likely to be effective. For example
in 2012 president Museveni identified that was difficulty in public transport whereby general public
incurred high transportation costs from their residence to work places, he introduced the pioneer bus
system which started with 100 buses which transported people at a low cost, later he involved it in his
manifesto which elevated him to regain presidency position in Uganda.

Negative influence: Ethnical concerns, leaders who support or benefit from unethical consumptions
practices can damage their reputation and moral authority hindering their ability to inspire and lead
effectively. This can evidenced by the way Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu responded to a question
concerning gay rights in Uganda while at Johannesburg south Africa which brought up mixed feelings in
the general public and in his words he said “I believe that one has the responsibility of guarding the
rights of all citizens of those who are like you and those that are not like you. I believe that as a
leader, a high level of tolerance is required to make sure the nation comes together” which brought
mixed feelings in the public and some of people’s remarks as per PMI DAILY “When I heard such a
statement today morning, I decided to quit people power and jumped out of the wagon. Someone is
leading ignorant excited youths to hell in a hand basket. True colors are coming out” PMI DAILY. Which
demined the consumption patterns/way of life the Ugandans which made lost most support during his
run to the presidency of Uganda.

6. Organisational structure: refers to the framework or design that defines how an organisation
arranges its various functions, role and responsibilities to achieve its goods and objectives.

Positive influence: Reporting relationships, the hierarchy and reporting lines in an organisational
structure determine how leaders interact with their teams or people in the community. A clear and well
defined structure can help leaders understand their roles and responsibilities. This can be evidenced by
the way the systematic and centralized organisational structure of Uganda has helped to develop skills
of leaders and bring up new and capable leaders like Joel Ssenyonyi the NUP Spokesperson whereby the
reporting relations help him to learn leadership skills from most politicians in the country which in turn
brought an effective leader in the country.

Negative influence: Bureaucracy and rigidity, a highly bureaucratic and rigid structure can limit a
leader’s ability to make a quick decisions and adopt to changing circumstances. This can hinder effective
leadership especially dynamic environments. For example the rigid structure lead to the downfall of Dr
Apollo Milton Obote whereby a clear hierarchy organisational structure was lacking which affect his
implement of policies in the country hence affecting the leadership practices in the country and later
caused the downfall of his government.

7. Occupation: an occupation refers to a person’s regular work or profession typically a one that
provides them with a source of income.

Positive influence: skills and expertise, the skills and expertise developed in a specific occupation can
enhance a person’s ability to lead effectively in that field for example a background in engineering may
provide unique problem solving skills that are valuable in la leadership role within an engineering
organisation. Daniel Kazibwe aka Ragga Dee the former president of the Uganda musician association
who and the current chairman of the national culture forum, Arts administration representative in the
private sector whereby he uses his leadership tactics he obtain in his past occupation as the UMA
president in order to implement decisions

Negative influence: Tunnel vision, leaders with extensive experience in a specific occupation may
develop tunnel vision focusing solely on industry specific practices and perspectives which can hinder
their ability to adopt to broader leadership challenges. This can be evidenced by the managers for
example Arthur Akankwasa the managing director of coca cola in Uganda whereby his occupation needs
his implement policies which are aimed at solely profit and results in turn affecting implement of
leadership practices.

8. Internal Customs and norms: refer to a widely accepted, traditional way of behaving or doing
something that is unique to a specific society, location or time.
Positive influence: Each organization develops its unique set of customs and traditions. Leaders must
not only understand but also integrate these internal customs into their leadership approaches.
Whether it's the way decisions are made or the manner in which celebrations are conducted, aligning
with and respecting internal customs enhances a leader's effectiveness and fosters a sense of
organizational cohesion. This can be evidenced how the president of Uganda Yoweri Museveni critically
understood and analysed all the different customs and norm in the country which enabled him to
implement leadership practices in Uganda.
Negative influence: cultural norms can be absorbed and can lead to a bad consequences for example
individuals/ society leaders observing negative behaviors may rationalize such negative conduct and
practices may then escalate and to others in the society hence impacting leadership for example a
leader who practice un acceptable in the society like homosexuality can influence and spread to the
general public. . This can evidenced by the way Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu responded to a question
concerning gay rights in Uganda while at Johannesburg south Africa which brought up mixed feelings in
the general public and in his words he said “I believe that one has the responsibility of guarding the
rights of all citizens of those who are like you and those that are not like you. I believe that as a
leader, a high level of tolerance is required to make sure the nation comes together” which brought
mixed feelings in the public and some of people’s remarks as per PMI DAILY “When I heard such a
statement today morning, I decided to quit people power and jumped out of the wagon. Someone is
leading ignorant excited youths to hell in a hand basket. True colors are coming out” PMI DAILY. Which
demined the consumption patterns/way of life the Ugandans which made lost most support during his
run to the presidency of Uganda because homosexuality is seen an unethical practice by all customs and
norms of the different societies and cultures in Uganda. Hence implying that if a leader doesn’t fully the
different customs and norms of societies it affects his implementation of leadership practices.

Conclusion:

In the ever-evolving landscape of leadership, the social environment manifests in a reflection of

components, each adding its unique hue to the canvas. From the intricacies of occupational dynamics to
the challenges posed by internal customs, leaders must exhibit a profound understanding of the
multifaceted influences that shape their leadership journeys. The ability to adapt, integrate, and
harmonize with these diverse components distinguishes exceptional leaders. As leadership continues to
evolve, acknowledging and navigating the intricate dance with these additional social components
becomes essential for leaders aspiring to create impactful and culturally resonant leadership. Through
this exploration, leaders can chart a course that not only responds to the complexities of the
contemporary social environment but also embraces diversity and fosters an inclusive and adaptive
leadership ethos.