Leading Effectively e-Newsletter - July 2005 Issue
Identity: A New View for Leading in a Diverse World
Identity Heft
As a manager and leader, who you are carries a lot of weight. Researchers at the Center for Creative Leadership have found that your social identity plays a major role in how you lead.
Social identity is the combination of elements - including age, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality and socio-economic status - that marks us as part of various social groups. Some identity elements are obvious; others are less apparent.
So, why is it important for leaders to understand social identity?
"Social identity informs how you lead, how you respond to others and how other people react to you," says CCL's Marian Ruderman. "Further, the social identity of those around you affects how they view you as a leader and how well they work with others."
"Consider an executive, in a meeting, pounding his or her fist on the table to emphasize a point," Ruderman says. "If the executive is white and male, others in the meeting may perceive his actions to be appropriate or expected. If the executive is black and male, others may see him as angry. And if the executive is a woman, she may be seen as emotional."
The executive's fist pounding may also be interpreted in various ways depending on his or her nationality, Ruderman adds. "Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, people interpret the expression of emotion differently depending upon the identity and characteristics of the person showing it."
Social identities are important. They contribute to a sense of self and provide people with a sense of belonging, uniqueness and certainty about their place in the world and their beliefs. But the dynamics of social identity can have negative consequences in the workplace: stereotyping, discrimination, conflict or solidarity between groups and decisions about inclusion. People who distrust, dislike and perhaps even fear people from other groups are required to work together in organizations.
"The reality is that organizations bring together people with very different histories, perspectives and values," says CCL's Chris Ernst. "Organizations create new contact zones in which people who may be unlikely to interact outside of work now find themselves working side by side in the workplace."
Leaders who work across cultural and other identity differences would benefit from a clear understanding of their own social identity and its impact on others. "By knowing how your nationality, heritage, gender, race and so on are viewed, you will be better able to work effectively with people who have different life perspectives," says Ernst. "Ultimately, that's what good leadership in a global society is about."
Identity Factors
People increasingly work alongside others whose social identities are different from their own. This change has come about for several reasons:
- Civil rights legislation that makes it illegal for organizations to discriminate against prospective or current employees on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age or physical disability.
- Changing social norms that make it more acceptable for women to work.
- Demographic shifts that alter the makeup of organizations.
- Globalization of business that brings people with diverse cultural backgrounds into contact with one another and creates complex webs of relationships.
- Information and communications technologies that increase the level of interaction among people with different social identities.
- Organizational structures that are more decentralized and flexible. Organizations are increasingly relying on task forces, project teams and self-managing groups (many working from multiple locations).
This article is adapted from Leadership in Action, Volume 24, Number 3, (CCL/Jossey-Bass July/August 2004).
Expert: Marian Ruderman
Title: Group Director, Global Leadership & Diversity
Relevant publications: Co-author, Standing at the Crossroads: Next Steps for High-Achieving Women
Career background: Speaks frequently to corporate and academic audiences about issues relating to the careers of women
Education: Ph.D., M.A., University of Michigan; B.A., Cornell University
Expert: Chris Ernst
Title: Enterprise Associate
Relevant publications: Co-author, Success for the New Global Manager
Career background: Frequently presents to academic and practitioner audiences on issues of international leadership
Education: Ph.D., North Carolina State University
