Valeria de la Peña

Benavides
A01008765
INDIVIDUAL
Project: “Critical Reflection”
PRACTICE WITH
PEER EVALUATION
Course EdX: Leadership and
organizational behavior
 The activity consists in choosing a topic to analyze and apply critical reflection on
a leadership event, in this case, I chose a news article: “Global Leadership Crisis: How
to Shift to a Present-Minded Transformational Leadership Style”, focused on a
leadership crisis mentioned in the magazine Forbes for my work, as I found it interesting
and relevant.
The link for the article is:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/10/20/global-leadership-crisis-
how-to-shift-to-a-present-minded-transformational-leadership-style/?sh=1fee5c46719e

A. Questions:
1. What happened?

= The text doesn't describe a specific event but proposes a solution to a bigger issue: the
perceived ineffectiveness of traditional leadership styles in the face of modern day
challenges. It argues for a shift towards "present leadership" as a more sustainable and
successful approach. And while no specific event is mentioned, the author suggests that
current leadership styles are failing to:

• Motivate and engage employees

• Address issues like quiet quitting, diversity & inclusion failures
• Adapt to the changing business landscape

2. What were the results?

= The writer proposes "present leadership" as a potential remedy for the problems
mentioned above. Which is seen as a new and more effective leadership style for the
dynamic and everchanging world. Some key characteristics are: 1) Self-
awareness: Present leaders understand the influence of their thoughts on their outcomes
and actively cultivate their inner state, 2) Purpose: They prioritize contributing and
creating value, seeking a deeper meaning beyond just profit, 3) Empathy and
compassion: Building trust and understanding with stakeholders, and 4) Solutions and
innovation: Finding creative ways to benefit all.
Positivie possibilities that could arrise are: 1) Increased engagement: that would create a
more motivated and engaged workforce, 2) Growth and transformation: that would
fosters personal and organizational growth, and 3) Profitability: that with a correct present
leadership, positive outcomes like profitability would follow.

Negative possibilities that could happen are: 1) Oversimplification of Complex Issues: the
is not one simple solution to real-worl leadership, effective leaders often draw upon various
styles depending on the situation, 2) Potential for Exploitation: The emphasis on self-
awareness and "being present" could be misinterpreted or misused by some leaders to justify
their actions or avoid accountability, 3) Accessibility and Practical Application: The text
suggests steps like meditation and "shifting mindsets" for developing present leadership.
However, not everyone may have the resources, time, or inclination to engage in these
practices, and 4) Focus on Individual Leaders: focusing on individual leaders needing to
change, potentially overlooking the importance of systemic changes within organizations.
Addressing issues like employee disengagement or diversity failures might require broader
cultural shifts and changes beyond just individual leadership styles.

3. Why did this happened?

= The text doesn’t answer a specific why, but some possible factors are suggested like:
1) A changing world, where the "conventional corporate culture" is being challenged. This
implies that the old leadership style, designed for a different era, might not be adaptable
enough to navigate the complexities and demands of the present world, 2) Employee
Dissatisfaction: a rise in disengaged employees and issues like "quiet quitting" and
diversity/inclusionThis suggests that the old leadership style might not be effectively
addressing the needs and concerns of employees, leading to disengagement and dissatisfaction,
3) Lack of Purpose and Meaning: the old leadership style might be too focused on profit and
competition, neglecting the importance of purpose and meaning in work and 4) Ineffective
Leaders: people in power struggling to adapt, "flailing" and "falling short." Maybe some leaders
might be unable or unwilling to change their approach, hindering progress and contributing
to the perceived leadership crisis.

4. What class concepts are relevant to this situation?

= Some of them could be: job performance (people knowing exactly what they are
supposed to do, with a job well defined by their managers), job satisfaction linked to
motivation and positive emotions (people need a boost to feel part of a company, to
work more efficiently and be happy), and empowerment (of the workforce, as it affects
the organizational climate, structure cause commitment). In general, a good leader needs
to be self-aware, have empathy, integrity, good communication skills and a purpose,
which nowadays need to be clearly mentioned and thought as problems arise and change
very fast. They need to practice procedural justice, as it focuses on individuals and how
their experiences and the perception of fairness affects the procedures to reach a goal.
Respect, transparency, trust and cooperation need to be but in practice in a workplace to
have a positive outcome.

5. What did you learn from this?

= A broader lesson I could apply this problem to other situations would be that for example
in the class I’m taking of Leadership, the professor mentions that yes, there is a lack of
leaders today. That people need to have the correct set of tools and learn the skills
necessary to become effective and successful leaders. People I believe, have lose focus
of what’s important in life and the use of so much technology has affected our way of
interacting with others and finding solutions to problems. I’m not saying that the concept
of “present leadership” is the answer, as the author heavily relies on personal observations
and anecdotal evidence to support its claims compared to traditional styles. I mean, the article
lacks data or scientific studies to fully validate its proposed benefits but solutions need to be
thought of and put in practice, to measure which could be the most effective.
 B. Final reflection:

As a way of closing this analysis of the article and using this data image about the
Leadership crisis mentioned above, I can conclude that is a global problem. Almost a
90% of people in the world think that there is a leadership crisis today and that it mostly
can be perceived in: Middle East & North Africa, North America, and Europe. Which is
very preoccupying, as the world needs leaders to provide direction, resolve problems,
build good teams, guide and adapt/change management styles that aren’t working
anymore. So, a change in mindset must be target, a focus on building successful leaders
has to become a priority and an interest in building personal relationships in person has
to be a major factor again.

Reference

Jannery, B. (2022). Global Leadership Crisis: How To Shift To A Present Minded

Transformational Leadership Style. Forbes-Business Council.