Point and Counterpoint Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Point and Counterpoint - Essay Example Such a leader has the ability to influence others on a personal level and not just through exercising authority. Thus, great leaders are experts in their field, lead by example, are fair in their dealings, have a natural charisma, have good knowledge and insight, are good at communicating and influencing others. Leadership may therefore be defined â€Å"as the art of mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspirations† (Kouzes, 2002:30). It makes people â€Å"want to be part of the organization and not just work for the organization† (Covey, 2004:217). However, the nature of today’s globalisation also demands that leaders are not only adept in analytical and emotional intelligence but also in cultural intelligence. This is the leader’s â€Å"capability for successful adaptation to new cultural settings† (Earley, 2003) and the capability of influencing people of other cultures. These in turn requires a good â€Å"conceptual understanding of differences among cultures† (Wang, 2006), expertise in handling physical aspects of cultural differences such as greeting rituals, and emotional aspects such as appreciating the complex relationship dynamics in a diverse workforce. Global and multicultural organisations nowadays seek those who have good cultural intelligence. Whilst all the aforementioned qualities are perhaps universally accepted as essentials of good leadership, as Andrew Ma (2009) points out with respect to altruism, there can be important differences between cultures in the perception of leadership values. In a comparison of the Chinese concept of altruism based on Confucian teachings (ren) and the Western concept based on Christian teachings (agapao), the author notes, â€Å"the scope and nature of altruism is different in the two philosophies/religious traditions.† Whereas the Chinese value ‘graded love’ by loving their closer relations more dearly than others, Westerners (at least those who are more faithful to the Christian religion)