Position Paper Contrarian's Guide to Leadership Essay

Position study Contrarians Guide to Leadership - Essay ExampleTradition eachy, leaders have been evaluated on the basis of their charisma, attitude, and ability. That is the boxed-in, familiar mindset society harbors when quantifying leaders. However, more contemporary views see leadership as the end result of a dynamic interaction between leader and follower, a collaborative endeavor between those embroiled in the process (Rost, 199312) However we may define leadership, what is infinitely clear is the fact that society has these preconceived notions nigh what a good leader should be. There atomic number 18 some though, who offer a differing perspective on the concept of leadership. In The Contrarians Guide To Leadership, Steven Sample argues that leadership is not inevitably measured in black and white. Better known as the current president of the University of Southern California, Sample dissects traditional leadership values and professes that leadership is a dynamic, unpred ictable entity that is context-dependent and evolving.In line with todays rapidly changing times, leadership quarter no longer be limited to the predictability and rigidity of the past. Not to detract anything from past leaders of historical lore, but just because one was successful in a different era does not necessarily translate into success in the current one. The dictates of contemporary society need leaders who are flexible, and are not bound by a certain mode of thinking. These are the individuals who will react to situations objectively and creatively, and will use original ideas in asserting their liberty en route to solving relevant problems and issues. The aforementioned constitute the hallmarks of the aptly termed contrarian perspective of leadership. According to Sample (2002), the contrarian perspective doesnt mean counter to all conventional wisdom. Indeed, much of it is true. But, you cant become an effective leader by trying to mimic a noteworthy leader of the p ast. So, you cant develop your full leadership potential, or even fully appreciate the art of leadership by slavishly adhering to conventional wisdom. The key is to break free, if only fleetingly (p.1) Adopting a contrarian approach ensures that one is expression at things from a fresh and highly adaptable point of view, one that will bode fountainhead for the challenges of today. At the forefront of the contrarian framework lies the concept of thinking gray. Leaders who adopt this maintain their independence by thinking free and refusing to think like the people surrounding them. For instance, conventional wisdom dictates that good, cost-efficient leaders make rash, impulsive, and hopefully brilliant decisions. On the other hand, contrarian wisdom offers that leaders should deliberately ponder all sides to an issue, hence arriving at a highly objective, thorough and carefully thought out decision. By nature, people would usually look at things in binary terms - black and white, right or wrong, true or false, et. al. It must be put into consideration though that there will ever so be gray areas somewhere along the point of contention. Nothing can be truly quantified as being absolutely true or absolutely false there is always something that can be further perused and dissected in order to