Different and expectations

Leaders – different expectations The characteristics of leaders worldwide are not standardized. In fact, it seems that social and cultural trends in each society influence the expectations that people have from their leaders. This fact is made clear by referring to the leadership style expected in each of the following societies: Greek, Persian and Chinese. The expectations that people in each society have for their leader are related primarily to local ethics and culture.
A key example for understanding the expectations that people in Greece have for their leaders is the case of a popular politician of modern Greece: Andreas Papandreou. Mr Papandreou had excellent educational background and he was the son of one of the most important Greek political leaders: George Papandreou (Wilsford 361). In other words, family history and educational status seem to be important qualities of a leader in Greece. In addition, the ability to secure the territorial status of the country is considered as a critical characteristic of a Greek leader (Koliopoulos and Veremes 270).
In Persia, people seem to have different expectations from their leaders. Indeed, in the particular country a leader is expected to be powerful. In the specific case, the word power is related rather to ‘ privilege than to force and cruelty’ (Prastacos et al. 202). Using this power a Persian leader is able to keep the communication with his followers at quite high level; such leader can easily promote changes and take initiatives without having to face the resistance from his followers (Prastacos et al. 202). Integrity is another key quality of Persian leaders (Prastacos et al. 202). Integrity, as related to Persian leadership, means that the leader needs to be trustworthy and honest (Prastacos et al. 202). In other words, for people in Persia communication and ethical behavior are critical expectations, when referring to leaders.
In China, the expectations of people from leaders seem to be highly differentiated: Chinese leaders are expected to be fully aware of their country’s historical and cultural background and to promote local ethics and traditions at the highest possible level (Lu 160). The promotion of guanxi not only in regard to the public sector but also to the private sector, meaning especially the foreign enterprises operating in China, is also a key expectation from Chinese leaders (Kessler and Wong-MingJi 303).
According to the above in each society people have different expectations from their leader. These expectations reflect each society’s culture and ethics but also the terms on which growth, in all its aspects, is based. Indeed, each leader is responsible for securing a state’s current and future economic and social status; therefore, a leader needs to be able to meet this requirement without violating local culture and traditions, as analyzed above.
Works Cited
Kessler, E. and Wong-MingJi, D. Cultural Mythology and Global Leadership. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009
Koliopoulos, Giannes and Veremes, Thanos. Greece: The Modern Sequel : from 1831 to the Present. London: C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2002
Lu, Xing. Rhetoric of the Chinese Cultural Revolution: The Impact on Chinese Thought, Culture, and Communication. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 2004
Prastacos, Gregory, Wang, Fuming and Soderquist, Klas. Leadership through the Classics: Learning Management and Leadership from Ancient East and West Philosophy. London: Springer, 2013
Wilsford, David. Political Leaders of Contemporary Western Europe: A Biographical Dictionary. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995