Summary: Engaging in Culturally Aligned Leadership
Summary: Engaging in Culturally Aligned Leadership
The definition of the phrase ‘culturally aligned leadership’ is subjective. However, most of the definitions are built on the premise of commitment to community, collective growth, and ethnocentricity. When engaging in culturally aligned leadership, individuals should avoid primitive ideas related to patriarchy and other forms of discrimination, such as race, age, religion etc.
The field of Educational Leadership and Management is notorious for favouring culturally aligned leadership in the most primitive fashion. Moreover, the field has developed significantly over the last few decades, but the ethnocentric ways of leading, acquiring knowledge and acting still dominate the field. The most affected are Indigenous women, whose race and gender hinder their thriving in leadership and management positions. Leadership is considered the ‘technology of the masculine.’
Research in the field is now questioning the female gender presence in leadership positions. Cultural based education system created distinct differences in teaching and administration, where women were particularly suited to teaching, and their male counterparts were suited to lead and manage bureaucracies.
Researchers suggest the adoption of cross-cultural models in educational leadership and management. However, they significantly contraindicate hasty cross-cultural practices. Three aspects need to be considered: suitability of culture in adopting comparative culture or practices, limitations of existing models and approaches used in a comparative study.
It is inarguable that the Polynesian way
finding leadership culture is the only culturally aligned leadership that still resonates with contemporary ways. It presents an impressive approach to leading people in uncertain and dynamic situations. Being a way finding leader enables one to focus on their inner compass, which in turn reveals the potential of individuals and a community. Leaders should employ way finding leadership principles as they are beneficial and efficient in their practices.