SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP IN MIDDLE ADOLESCENE
Social relationship tend to be less intimate, with lesser self-disclosure involved
Emotional Intelligence author, Daniel Goleman, explained in his book, Social Intelligence
Our social relationships, although dedicated to a certain extent by our neural reflexes, are also affected by other factors such as
social influence
Herbert Kelman, a Harvard psychologist, suggested that there are three varieties of social influence, namely;
1. COMPLIANCE, Is when a person seems to agree, and follows what is requested or required of him of her to do or believe
in, but does not necessarily have to really believe or agree to it;
2. IDENTIFICATION, Is when a person is influenced by someone he or she likes or looks up to, like a movie star, a social
celebrity, or a superhero;
3. INTERNALIZATION, Is when a person is able to own a certain belief or act, and is willing to make it known publicly and
privately.
OTHER TYPES OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE
1. COMFORMITY, Is a type of social influences that involves a change in behavior, belief, or thinking to be like others
2. Conformity, is brought about by peer pressure, often imposed on member of a group to demonstrate some semblance
of loyalty,
3. CONVERSION, Occurs when an individual whole-heartedly changes his or her original thinking and beliefs, actions, and
attitudes to align with those of the other members of a group.
4. MINORITY INFLUENCE, Happens when a bigger number or people are influenced by a much smaller number of people
and when the minority’s way of looking at and doing things are accepted.
5. REACTANCE, Is when there is a willing rejection of a social influence being exerted on an individual or group. This is also
known as anti- or non-conformity.
6. OBEDIENCE, Is another from of social influence wherein a person follows what someone tells him or her to do, although
it may not necessarily reflect the person’s set of belief or values.
7. PERSUASION, Is used by one person or group to influence another to change their beliefs, actions, or attitudes by
appealing to reason or emotion.
LEADERSHIP AND FOLLOWERSHIP THEORIES
Influence plays a major role in leadership. Chester Barnard (1938) defined leadership as the ability of a person in position of
authority to influence others to behave in such a manner that goals are achieved.
1. TRAIT THEORY – this theory defines leadership based on certain personality traits which are generally suited for all
leaders, such as decisiveness, persistence, high level of self-confidence and assertiveness, among oithers.
2. BEHAVIORAL THEORY – This theory presupposes that leadership is a learned behavior, and that leaders are defined
according to certain types of behavior they exhibit.
3. PARTICIPATIVE THEORY – The opposite of an autocratic leader, the participative leader involves other people to make
common decisions.
4. SITUATIONAL THEORY – This theory assumes that there is no one style of leadership and that leadership behavior is based
on the factors present in a situation, and usually takes into consideration how followers behave.
5. TRANSACTIONAL THEORY – This theory states that a leadership involves a transactional or negotiation of resources or
position, and usually employs reward and punishment.
6. TRANSFORMATIONAL THEORY – This theory involves a vision. Which a leader uses to rally support from followers, and the
role of the leader is in motivating others to support the vision and make it happen.
AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP
- Other leadership theories currently being explored and researched on are combinations of the different theories mentioned
earlier.in the book why should anyone be led by you? What it takes to be an authentic leader by Rob Goffee and Gareth
Jones (2006), the authors lined up three basic axioms of leadership, and these are;
1. LEADERSHIP IS SITUATIONAL – This means that a leader’s behavior and what is required of him will always be influenced
by the situation. It means that a leader is able to assess a situation quickly, adjust to it, and provide the appropriate and
necessary action to address if for the benefit of his followers.
2. LEADERSHIP IS NON-HIERARCHICAL – The exercise of leadership is not based on one’s position in an organizational chart
alone, but also dependent on other factors such as characteristics, skills, and even connections
3. LEADERSHIP IS RELATIONAL – Leaders and followers establish a relationship where their interests are mutually met. The
role of a leader in this relationship can vary from being a visionary to a cheerleader. Follower in a relationship with their
leaders often desire to belong to a bigger entity like a community, and their expectation of their leader is one who is
genuine or authentic.
An authentic leader, according to Goffee and Jones (2006), has the following critical elements present;
They walk their talk. They are consistent in what they say and what they do, practicing what they are preaching.
They adjust to situations and display adaptability and flexibility but consistent with their values and real selves even
when they take on different roles during different situations.
They have a high level of comfort being themselves, even if they come from backgrounds that are different from the
people or situation they deal with.
LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE (LMX) THEORY
LMX theory states that a leader’s effectiveness is measured by the quality of his relationship with his followers, and
different types of relationship can evolve between leader and follower in a certain work situation.
HEROIC LEADERSHIP
1. SELF-AWARENESS – We have emphasized the importance of self-awareness, knowing and understanding fully our
strengths and challenges, our way of looking at things, and even our emotions and the set of values that we live by. This
type of leadership considers self-awareness as very important to being a leader.
2. INGENUITY – A leader of this type is not stuck in his comfort zone because the world is constantly changing. Flexibility
and openness to new ideas are the hallmark of this kind of leadership. In the same manner, detachment from sources of
pride and pleasure is also emphasized.
3. LOVE – A healthy self-concept generates a healthy and positive attitude when dealing with other people. After all, you
cannot love or respect another person unless you love and respect yourself first. What you do not have, you can not
share with others.
4. HEROISM – This type of leadership is about motivating and inspiring other people to reach for higher goals, for bigger
and greater things.
FOUR ELEMENT FOLLOWERS WANT FROM A LEADER.
1. AUTHENTICITY
- The leader is not afraid to show his or her weakness, reveals his human side without fear, and uses these together with
his strength to lead others.
2. SIGNIFICANCE
- A leader provides the reason or meaning for followers to believe in;
3. EXCITEMENT
- A leader provides motivation and inspiration to his or her followers and excites them to pursue their visions; and
4. COMMUNITY
- A leader builds a community of followers with whom they can associate and forge relationships.
Leadership, the theorized, are for those who wants to become leaders and are ready to take in the responsibilities of
being one. They concluded that leadership is measured not merely by its results but most importantly on the way it
provides meaning to the leadership cause.
The last theory of leadership and followership that we will discuss is about giving meaning to why followers follow a
leader. According to Simon Sinek (2009), a leader inspires people and gives the, something to believe in. examples of
these types og leaders are Moses, who bought the people to his tribe out of Egyptian Slavery; Martin Luther King, who
inspired people with his speech I have A Dream (he did not say, “I have Plan”) .
Sinek explains further that the most important question to ask first when leading others is the reason or purpose why
flowers are asked to act and behave in a certain way (the “why” of every leadership), once the “why” is clearly
established, the “how” (which is the action that will make a vision a reality), and the “what” (the outcomes or results of
the actions) will follow.
