Part I: Copy and paste two (2) postings that you have made thus far in the semester, in which you feel moved the class discussion forward by contributing to understanding. For each pasted selection, write one paragraph explaining your choice.
Post 1
Q: What is leader identity and how does it interface with our other social identities?
A: Leader Identity poses the question ‘who am I’ as a leader. “It includes a developmental process of developing leader identity that shapes leader behavior and the perceptions and expectations of followers about their leadership” (Chin & Trimble, 2015, p. 87). How we choose to identify as leaders is largely influenced by values within various cultures and world views. For instance, within Western cultures, how we define ourselves as leaders is done through more egocentric means. Whereas in Eastern cultures “there is faith in the foundational connectedness of human beings to each other” (Chin & Trimble, 2015, p. 89). Overall, when it comes to Leader Identity, individual have several identities that are intertwined. These mingled identities influence one another in various ways.
Q: Some leaders walk a fine line between being openly visible and quietly invisible about their identities. Discuss the question: “Do you bring all of yourself to work?” Discuss why or why not.
A: This is a really great question. I believe I do bring all of myself to work, though it has not always been this way. Starting off in this career, I struggled to learn where certain feats of my identity would fit in, especially as a woman working in a male dominated field. Overtime, I have come to learn that many situations may require different parts of my identity. I would describe myself as a professional introvert. Sometimes, this works to my advantage when interacting with the students on my campus. My mild and laid-back demeanor creates a space that is comfortable for students to trust and confide in me. However, there are many occasions in which I have to take a more stern and outspoken approach when interacting with students and their parents to resolve issues.
References
Chin, J. L., & Trimble, J. E. (2015). Diversity and leadership. SAGE.
Post 2
Q: Bicultural or multicultural individuals are often said to be living in two or three different cultural environments. They are often said to have to constantly balance their cultural preferences across different contexts and problematic situations. Identify some problematic situations that might occur for a multicultural or bicultural person. What coping strategies might such a person need to effectively deal with such situations?
A: Cultural differences are inherent in any society and can cause pain and suffering. Understanding a conflict scenario is critical. However, while it may appear politically or emotionally charged, it is frequently only an unconscious prejudice toward differing cultural norms between the opposing parties (Forgeard, 2022). They are not always about race or ethnicity; to reach an agreement, both sides must accept this and work together to find a solution. Cultural boundaries inhibit successful communication because people from various cultures have distinct cultural beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. A cultural barrier can be language, social values, traditions, views and opinions, ethnic origin, religion, or politics. Listening to individuals from various cultures is an excellent way to understand their needs, what drives them, and why they do what they do.
Q: Individuals whom are not necessarily bi/multicultural often still belong to different types of organizations/groups (think work, vs church, vs school, vs family). Think about two different groups/organizations that you belong to, how is your behavior (demeanor, speech, dress, approach) different when you’re with one group versus another? Why do you think you act differently, is this a benefit or a detriment to you personally and to the group?
A: I belong to a group of people who follow the culture and values of the company, and I cannot accept that some of my colleagues ignore it. Unfortunately, conflicts can arise due to intercultural misunderstandings and differences in views and priorities. Since some of my coworkers have had varied upbringings, cultural differences can become more noticeable and possibly troublesome. I cannot alter my coworkers’ cultures, but there are things I can do to make the workplace a better place for everyone. Regarding my family, I chose professions that are certainly against the norm for women (law enforcement and military). I think my difference of mindset is a benefit for my family because it removes boundaries and allows the younger women in my family to courageously discover who they really are.
Part II: Copy and paste two (2) postings written by other people (not you or me), which you feel contributed to your own deeper understanding in this course. Again, for each, write a paragraph explaining your selection.
Post 1
Steve Park
Week 2: Leader Identity
Q: What is leader identity and how does it interface with our other social identities?
A: Leader identity is self-defined and is about “who leaders are.” It includes a developmental process of developing leader identity that shapes leader behavior and the perceptions and expectations of followers about their leadership. According to Chin & Trimble (2015), leadership is informed by the social identities that a leader brings and by social categorizations that emphasize people’s social identities as members of a group. Although leader identity differentiates leaders from others within a social identity group and social identities categorize both these leaders and others (Chin & Trimble, 2015), the interface between leader identity and other social identities is that the way leaders are identified is largely due to the social groups with which they identify. Leader identity expresses that leadership becomes effective when leaders and followers see themselves as part of a common group. Hence, when leaders and followers share a social identity or have a sense of oneness based on social identification, leadership becomes effective.
Q: Some leaders walk a fine line between being openly visible and quietly invisible about their identities. Discuss the question: “Do you bring all of yourself to work?” Discuss why or why not.
A: The reality is that I, like most people seeking to blend in socially with their groups, do not bring all of myself to work. I try to be the person the organization desires me to be. I think of myself as being quietly invisible about my identity because I feel it is more important to blend in with the identity of the organization to which I belong. This way, I can easily adapt to what is expected while feeling at ease with other members of the group/organization. In a different setting, for example, a family setting, I might want to be openly visible because such a setting requires me to be myself and accepts me for all that I am. I think that how open or quiet a person is about his/her identity depends on the characteristics of the groups with which they identify. A highly diverse group with inclusion practices will encourage members to be openly visible whereas a diversity-intolerable group will have quietly invisible members.
Reference
Chin, J.L &Trimble, J.E. (2015). Diversity and leadership. Los Angeles: Sage.
Post 2
Rosita Arcely Augustine
Discussion Week 3
Q: Bicultural or multicultural individuals are often said to be living in two or three different cultural environments. They are often said to have to constantly balance their cultural preferences across different contexts and problematic situations. Identify some problematic situations that might occur for a multicultural or bicultural person. What coping strategies might such a person need to effectively deal with such situations?
A: Being multicultural or bicultural has been defined in many ways however, according to Harvard Business Review “What makes you “Multicultural”, their definition were individuals as the degree to which they know, identify with, and internalize more than one culture (Fitzsimmons et al., 2019). Being multicultural can become problematic when you are in the atmosphere where you are stereotyped over a variety of themes and/or identities rather than as members of a shared community, being multicultural can become troublesome. Race, ethnicity, culture, religion, custom beliefs, and loss of identity are just a few of the challenges of being multicultural. When I go back to my upbringing in America, we were taught to keep our multiple cultural identities a secret and to just identify as “Black”. People would inquire “What are you mixed with’ after simply glancing at me and observing that I had hair of a different texture and would deny my culture- not out of shame, as I indicated in previous discussions, but out of fear of being “shipped back”. Although Molinsky uses the expression “adjusting your foreignness” in the context of the workplace, that is exactly what I had to learn to do in order to “fit in”. that was the coping mechanism I used while I was a resident of America. Lose the accent, downplay your heritage, and remain unnoticed. Even now, I rarely mention that I am Spanish-Speaking unless absolutely necessary. When I was in school, people thought I was Hispanic because I could speak Spanish and because my mother is Hispanic, but because I identify as “Black” I am “Black” I would reject my Hispanic culture. However, it received no response. It was a constant struggle in which I was losing my genuine identity as they would speak to me in Spanish, and I would respond in English. I don’t face the same obstacles now that I am an adult. I no longer felt the need to defend my race and ethnicity because I was undocumented, had a creole accent, and was a newcomer to this nation. The barriers that had arisen in my way vanished, and I was no longer concerned about being “shipped back:” My entire cultural heritage—Belizean, Garifuna, Mayan, Syrian, Guatemalan, and who knows what else—is now accepted. I value “ME’s” multiculturalism.