Have you faced barriers similar to those described or observed others’ experiences with any of these barriers? Give an example to illustrate.

Week Five Lecture

This week our focus is on two chapters; Psychodynamic Approach and Women in Leadership.

Chapter 13

Let’s start out by defining what the psychodynamic approach is. According to McLeod (2007), psychodynamic approach includes “all the theories in psychology that see human functioning based upon the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particularly unconscious, and between the different structures of the personality” (para. 1). Another definition would be that “it focuses on the personality of the leader and of followers, the psychodynamic approach ultimately is a way to look at the relationship between a leader and followers” (Northouse, 2013, p. 320-321).

There is a clear connection between leadership and psychology. In psychology there are many theories, just as we have in leadership. How could we approach the topic of psychodynamic approach without touching on some of the theories Freud believed in?

According to our textbook there are three types of personality as outlined by Freud; erotic, obsessive, and marketing. Which do you fall into? Carl Jung believed that “people have preferences for how they think and feel and these preferences become the basis for how people work, relate and play” (Northouse, 2013, p. 330).

Below is an interesting illustration of psychodynamic approach assumptions that you may find interesting according to McLeod (2007, Para7).

Our behavior and feelings are powerfully affected by unconscious motives.

Our behavior and feelings as adults (including psychological problems) are rooted in our childhood experiences.

All behavior has a cause (usually unconscious), even slips of the tongue. Therefore all behavior is determined.

Personality is made up of three parts (i.e. tripartite). The id, ego and super-ego.

Behavior is motivated by two instinctual drives: Eros (the sex drive & life instinct) and Thanatos (the aggressive drive & death instinct). Both these drives come from the “id”.

Parts of the unconscious mind (the id and superego) are in constant conflict with the conscious part of the mind (the ego).

Personality is shaped as the drives are modified by different conflicts at different times in childhood (during psychosexual development).

You are encouraged to take the Psychodynamic Approach Survey in the required text. Did the results match what you thought they would?

Chapter 14

Moving on to Chapter 14, which focused on women in leadership, we find much information presented on how times are changing and the forecast of women in leadership positions in the future.  It was not that long ago that the women’s liberation took place. How many in the class remember this?  Women fought to change the ways they are seen by society. In the 60’s women wanted to have equal rights, freedoms and not be seen as the “housewife” or “homemaker”. Women wanted to the option to join the military, to go to work, to be seen and treated equally. Think back to the 60’s and 70’s; many women did go to work, but had jobs that were similar to being a secretary, stewardess, or a nurse. Today, women attend college, hold high-end jobs and in many states are leaders as governors, CEO’s, Provosts, etc.  Times have certainly changed. Is there a glass ceiling today?  For some this may still be true, but many women today are proving that this ceiling is only an illusion and can be broken.

Below are some videos with you regarding women and leadership. The first two come from Forbes.

Leadership Lens: New Dynamics of Connectivity: Forbes Women’s Summit (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.(http://youtu.be/tgVTi44rNY8)
Secrets of the Word’s Most Powerful Women (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI7WCtC8RLg)
The Power of Women (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (http://youtu.be/vH29NiK1dUE)

Forbes School of Business Faculty

References:

Forbes (2012, October 24). Secrets of the world’s most powerful women (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/PI7WCtC8RLg

Forbes (2013, May 28). Leadership lens: new dynamics of connectivity: Forbes women’s summit (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.[Video file]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/tgVTi44rNY8

Dalai Lama (2011, December 2). The power of women (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/vH29NiK1dUE

McLeod, S. (2007). Psychodynamic approach (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.simplypsychology.org/psychodynamic.html

Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership theory and practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Required Resource

Text

Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership theory and practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. ISBN: 9781452203409.

Recommended Resources

Articles

It is highly recommended that you read the following articles to gain a better understanding of leadership (Retrieved from the ProQuest database):

Appelbaum, S., Audet, L., & Miller, J. (2003). Gender and leadership? Leadership and gender? A journey through the landscape of theories.Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 24(1/2), 43-51.

Downey, L.A., Papageorgiou, V., & Stough, C. (2006). Examining the relationship between leadership, emotional intelligence and intuition in senior female managers. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 27(4), 250-264.

Dulewicz, V., & Higgs, M. (2003). Leadership at the top: The need for emotional intelligence in organizations. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 11(3), 193-210.

Humphreys, J., Zhao, D., Ingram, K., Gladstone, J., & Basham, L. (2010, January). Situational narcissism and charismatic leadership: A conceptual framework. Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management, 11(2), 118-136.

Jogulu, U.D., & Wood, G.J. (2006). The role of leadership theory in raising the profile of women in management. Equal Opportunities International, 25(4), 236-250.

Sussan, A.P. (2006). Management by emotion (MBE).  Competition Forum, 4(2), 433-437.

Weyer, B. (2007). Twenty years later: Explaining the persistence of the glass ceiling for women leaders. Women in Management Review, 22(6), 482-496.