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These are the dilemmas

 

Dilemmas in society

A greater leader, a priest, and a horse walk into a bar.

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about that great leader. I’m really talking about all the “great” objectively. They could be presidents, CEOs, mayors, etc. There are cases in which they started their careers young, strong and with purpose, but ended up broke, in jail, or worse, dead. An ethical leader takes into account the purposes of everyone involved in the group and is attentive to the interests of the community and the culture (Northouse, 2018, p. 347). At some point, that great leader stopped being who they were, or what they had come to stand for. Instead, they did not leave things off in a better position. The problem centers on expectations, not real, material change where, save in wartime, modern societies have a lot to brag about (Stearns, 2012, p. 131). The unfortunate nature of our society is that we tend to have more negative stories of leaders in our news and media than we do of positive stories. It certainly gives the impression that these situations happen more frequently than the positive ones. These are the dilemmas in society.

Dilemmas at work

Office drama, otherwise known as officer politics, also known as office dilemmas, can happen in a vacuum. Each day, we may rise out of bed with clear heads and good intentions, but that can all go to the wastebasket the moment we get to work. It’s like intelligent people traveling through an airport. They’ll ask the customer service agent where the restrooms are located while standing right underneath the sign that points passengers to the restrooms. We sometimes, and without knowing, leave our brains, or moral and ethical compass at the door. The dilemmas at work are different than in society, because we have our own culture there, and along with it comes a specific way we may choose to act around our coworkers. When that culture is threatened by poor leadership, everyone finds out about it. These corner-office titans graced the covers of business magazines, and the public seemed fascinated with their willingness to flaunt the rules and break from the corporate herd with incredible daring and flair (Kramer, 2003). I’ve seen with my own two eyes the crash and burn of CEOs or senior leaderships. In many ways, I feel bad for them, but I know they’re getting what was coming for them. A little bit of karma can also help remind people of what comes around goes around. These are my dilemmas at work.

Dilemmas in my life

Although we may each live in our own bubbles, we need to think beyond our own views, beliefs and of course, actions. Rarely do we take the time to look several steps ahead to understand the ramifications of how we affect others not just in society, and at work, but also in our lives. Dilemmas come in numerous forms, as well do our inconsistencies of how we address them. A lauded leader can indeed succumb to recklessness once power has been achieved (Kramer, 2003). The people we have become ride each day on an imaginary roller coaster mixed with emotions of happiness, and fear, which can take us in many unnecessary directions. Some may let the power of life go to their heads and make some bad choices. Others that never step outside their bubble, yet still can find trouble. On the other hand, people who live on the edge have been rewarded with more riches than they could ever possibly imagine. We are either in control, or not in control, but perception is the key. These are the dilemmas in my life.

References

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th Ed.) Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publishing.

Roderick M Kramer. (2003). The harder they fall. Harvard Business Review., 81(10).

Stearns, P. (2012). Satisfaction Not Guaranteed : Dilemmas of Progress in Modern Society . New York University Press,. https://doi.org/10.18574/9780814783634

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