This paper will discuss Norma Rae’s leadership skills and also discuss the connection between these leadership skills portrayed by Norma Rae with the leadership styles from my research.
Introduction
This is a film that was released in the period whereby the Americans were losing interest on labor unions and politicians seemed to be eager in criticizing organized labor that harmed American competitiveness in the world market. In this film, a certain character, Norma Rae, emphasizes on experiences of a person living in Roanoke Rapid, who played the role of leadership in striving to win the union representation at the J.P Stevens Company (“Norma Rae (1979),” n.d.). The film vividly portrays the information that robust willpower, industriousness and motivation can actually facilitate the impossible to be accomplished. It validates the bonding that exists between the leader and his subordinates, the significance of this symbolic relationship as well as the way the subordinates can be a leader through synergizing bonds (“Norma Rae (1979),” n.d.). This film is a live commentary that Norma Rae plays a major role to portray the inherent leadership ability that every person possesses and as well how environmental factors, circumstances, and precise supervision can make us charismatic leaders (“Norma Rae (1979),” n.d.). This paper will discuss Norma Rae’s leadership skills and also discuss the connection between these leadership skills portrayed by Norma Rae with the leadership styles from my research.
Norma is portrayed to an industrious character in the movie portraying the authoritarian leadership traits. In essence, authoritarian leadership is a form of leadership whereby the leader assigns employees what he or she wants to get done as well as the way he or she wants the job to be accomplished, without seeking any kind of advice or support from their own subordinates. In the film, this leadership style has been depicted in the instance when Norma says to her peers who were working towards the establishment of a labour society what ought to be done and the exact manner in which she wants it to be done without seeking advice from them (“Norma Rae (1979),” n.d.). Moreover, the authoritarian leadership style can be identified in the scene whereby Norma shouts to a certain peer for failing to complete the work on time and therefore she had to put more effort in arguing instead of concentration on other main takes such as planning and management.
Another leadership style that has been exhibited in the movie is the democratic leadership. This type of leadership entails the leader involving one or more workers to make a decision and as well give opinions on what needs to be done and how they will be done. This type of leadership is extensively shown in Norma Rae character in the movie (“Norma Rae (1979),” n.d.). Essentially, the movie’s theme gyrates around democratic leadership quality. She has been shown to be taking active participation in making decisions with Rueben. She has actively participated through various means such as organizing, planning, managing, pursuing, controlling including other takes, either with group members in support of the union, her peer employees or Rueben (“Norma Rae (1979),” n.d.). The example of Norma’s democratic leadership could be noted in the scene whereby she and her fellow workers wore a big union button at their workplace in order to talk to and convince their fellow employees to join the union that was under the protection of the new law. Norma Rae as a leader used to include and persuade the employees in the mill to involve themselves and participate in the union formation. Actually, she mostly used to take advice from other employees including Rueben in ways to manage certain tasks.
Norma is also shown to use transformational leadership style, a leadership approach which entails the leader creating positive and valuable change among the company’s employees. This leadership style initially used by Reuben but Norma eventually adopted this leadership style. Norma applied this style by taking a visionary position by inspiring other employees to emulate (“Norma Rae (1979),” n.d.). Norma utilized the assistance from her mentor Rueben to enhance her understanding of different leadership characteristics. Norma progressed as a leader with the assistance from Reuben. Norma definitely learned the way she can assist other employees in fighting inequality as well as ways to inspire employees to stand against such evil work practices and environment.
The transformational leadership style shown in Norma’s character relates to the one identified through research. Both relate in that the transformational leader puts emphasis on the transformation of others to help one another, to have each other’s back, to encourage and work in harmony in the organization (Stare, Pezdir, & Boštjančič, 2013). In the film, Norma shows these traits as she inspired other employees to help each other. Literally, this style of leadership entails the leader encouraging motivation, increasing the morale and work performance of the subordinates (“Norma Rae (1979),” n.d.). The authoritarian leadership used by Norma in the film also relates to the one in the research. Both center on the concept that the leader assigns employees what he or she wants to get done as well as the way he or she wants the job to be accomplished, without seeking any kind of advice or support from their own subordinates (Stare et al., 2013). The democratic leadership depicted by Norman relates to the one in the research. Both from the film and the research, democratic leadership entails the leader involving one or more workers to make decisions and as well give opinions on what needs to be done and how they will be done (Stare et al., 2013). In the film, Reuben is very involving in her leadership which is actually what democratic leadership is all about (“Norma Rae (1979),” n.d.).
To sum up, in the film Norma is shown to apply three leadership styles which are; democratic, authoritative, and transformational types of leadership. However, despite her being a big social transformer, she does not show the traits a good leader with a large following. She did not have followers though she attained and benefit many. This, therefore, suggests that to achieve greater success and massive following, the leader should not only focus on the leadership styles but also develop a passion that will enhance this leadership styles.