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We didn’t want to be the odd man out of the whole class. You & Sun (2013) state, “when people have different opinions in a group, they often adjust their own attitudes and behaviors to match the group opinion, known as social conformity’ (p. 1). Looking back, should we have conformed to the class? Should we have Just listened to ourselves and answered the question even though the rest of the class chose the other answer? The answer is no, we shouldn’t have conformed to the class; we should have listened to ourselves, at least for me anyways.
According to Robbins, Decency, & Coulter (2014), “conformity is adjusting one’s behavior to align with a roof’s norms” (p. 285). We are taught as soon as we are old enough to grasp the idea that it is bad to be unique and to avoid being different. At some point, however, we must decide within ourselves whether to spend every day trying to be like everyone else because society says we should or living each day true to ourselves. Does the desire to be accepted as part of a group leave one susceptible to conforming to the group’s norms? Can a group exert pressure that’s strong enough to change a member’s attitudes and behavior?
The desire to be accepted and belong to a group is an undeniable human need. Whether we are trying to fit in with family, friends, co-workers, or a sports team, we have a desire to be part of something and belong; we want to feel like we are wanted. What we have to understand is we are all different; we are not all the same. We all have different lives and interests, beliefs, etc. ; not everyone is going to fit into certain groups. Most people tend to want to form to a group’s norms because they want that feeling of fitting in; they don’t want to be considered different.
In order for them to fit into a group, they may agree with something they don’t necessarily feel is right, but hey go along with it because they want to be part of that group. For example, say you just started hanging out with a certain group that you have wanted to be a part of for a long time; they tell you the only way you can be a part of their group is to walk into a store and steal something. Do you do it so you can be a part of their group? Or do you say no and walk away? If you’ve longed to be a part of that group, more than likely, you are going to do it so you can fit in with them; even though it is not the right thing to do.
The pressure of being a part of a group or feeling wanted, makes people o things they wouldn’t normally do. Conformity derives from the desire to be socially accepted and forms the basis for normative influence. (Papyri, 2012) According to Papyri (2012), “the theory of normative influence argues that individuals conform because they believe that similarity breeds liking, and that agreeing with others will help them fit in the group and avoid rejection” (p. 468). How does one particular leadership model relate to the most important performance outcomes with regard to teams?
There has been a large amount of work that has one into studying, researching, and developing models of leadership. There have been numerous models put forth, examined, applied, and either used or discarded. However, after all this work, I am not sure there is still one ‘perfect’ model or method of leading a team. Every group is different; therefore a good leader must be flexible. Different types of leadership styles exist in work environments. Some companies have several leadership styles within their organization. After reviewing the leadership models in our module, I would have to say the Contemporary Theories
Leadership Models relate to the most important performance outcomes with regard to teams. The theories that were mentioned were: Leader-member exchange, Transactional and transformation leadership, Charismatic leaders, Visionary leaders, and Servant theories. (Robbins, et al, 2013, module 3) The most important out of the five theories mentioned in my opinion, is transformational leaders. Transformational leaders are leaders who like to inspire their employees. They want to see their employees succeed and go above what they think they are capable of.
If an employee as a transformational leader they are going to want to work harder and in return will show performance outcome. A team will come together better because they know they will have the support and encouragement to accomplish their goals with a transformational leader. What can you use from this analysis to help you be a better manager? Being a manager takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and persistence. For me to become a good manager is very important. I want to become a leader/manager in the future, once I complete my degree so learning new ways to become a better anger is very important.
I can use what I have learned by taking the time to get to know my employees, not Just on a professional level, but a personal level as well. Getting to know employees on a personal level will help my employees feel like they matter and feel like they belong to a great organization. I can also use from this analysis to be a more transformational leader. If I am this type of leader it will show my employees that I do not Just care about my success with the company, but I care about theirs as well. It will show that I want to see them perform at their best and achieve the goals they have set for themselves.
How would a leader who is following the tenets of the leadership model interact with the members of his or her team in order to maximize the strengths of work teams, in general, while minimizing the pitfalls of such teams? A leader that is following the tenets of the leadership model would interact with their team members to maximize the strengths by being an outgoing, supportive leader. Leaders do have to show some type of authority, such as autocratic, democratic, or laissez-fairer, but if leaders show they care about their employees, no matter their authority type, they will be able to maximize strengths in their work teams.
It is important for a leader to be understanding and considerate. They need to show that they know how to handle conflict in a civilized way, which in return will eliminate pitfalls on teams. Conclusion In conclusion, it is not always right to conform to groups Just so we feel like we can fit in. It is important for us to be true to ourselves and follow our own instincts. An advantage of being true to ourselves is that people will see the real us, perhaps for the first time, without a mask. People will see what we are truly like on the inside and outside.