[Author’s Name]
[Institution’s Name]
Essay on Gender, Leadership and Management
Nearly all men and women go through their lives using no more than a fraction usually a rather small fraction of the potentialities within them. The reservoir of unused human talent and energy is vast, and learning to tap that reservoir more effectively is one of the exciting tasks ahead for humankind. The influence of market economics, the proliferation of technology, and the emergence of new democracies characterize the global arena at the dawn of the 21st century. It is impossible to determine precisely what knowledge and competencies will be required to address the opportunities and challenges of our rapidly changing international environment.
It is certain, however, that leadership competencies will be increasingly essential in the United States and around the world. Yet disaffection and cynicism about leaders and leadership are apparent in many spheres: business, politics, the nonprofit arena, even the formerly sacrosanct religious institutions. Some of the most admired organizations in our society have been tarnished by leadership problems; some were badly mismanaged by individuals incapable of dealing with changing external circumstances, and others were sullied terribly by those who betrayed the public's trust after abusing the responsibilities of their posts.
Managers promote a "climate of mutual humor" by joking on the subject of upper management or themselves in order to reduce tension. Personnel who stab fun at themselves do not take themselves too seriously. On the other hand, it also seems self-disparaging humor by managers could have harmful effects. Such humor could obliterate subordinates' confidence in their superiors.
Gender dissimilarity may make problems humor usage as a managerial tool. Daily experience leads us to guess gender differences in humor usage and reactions to humor. For example, most comedians are male. Males are more liable than females to be socialized to suppose being humorous is gender-appropriate. Managerial humor was rated less suitable with the male manager-female subordinate pair than other manager gender-subordinate gender combinations.......
