Utopia in leadership and education - Essay Example

Utopia We have all heard of words like quixotic, idealistic, imaginative etc. and Utopia refers to all such words. Utopia therefore is about an imaginary, ideal civilization or sciety. It could exist as a city or even a world. Generally such a Utopia is more of a figment of imagination and does not really exist but it is something that is desired and may be regarded as possible in the future. So utopianism is about human efforts to create a better or perhaps perfect society. These Utopian ideas aspire to to radically change our world and make it a perfect place to live in. The idea of Utopia was first given by Thomas More. "The term utopia was coined by Thomas More, the Roman Catholic saint and martyr, as the name of an imaginary, idealistic island where society lives in harmony with government and everyone is free from poverty, tyranny and war, in his Latin book De Optimo Reipublicae Statu deque Nova Insula Utopia (circa 1516), now known more commonly as Utopia" (Utopia). Later on Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle also dwelled on the idea of Utopia and Utopianism. Plato gave his own idea of Plato's Republic, a perfect version of The Republic where ideals like equality prevail and perils like poverty and misery fail to exist. However, later certain elements in civilised societies like United States and Europe also worked to make religious and political Utopian scieties. Today the Utopia is something that ideally most people would like to see but hard to find in the real world. Utopian Organization & Leadership Organization can be seen as an attempt to create Utopia. As the word suggest, organization means a society, business or group working set up to achieve certain goals in an ordered and structured fashion. Most organizations in today's world also aspire to achieve perfect work environment so that all members of society including the organization can reap benefits. In order to establish a utopian or a perfect organization the role of leadership becomes critical. The leadership qualities can play an important part in a perfect view of the firm. The leaders need to have certain qualities in order to nurture a perfect organization. Leadership breeds leadership: The task for the leadership is generally to provide its employees overall direction in order to effectively tap their true potential. In the absence of a proper direction the organizational culture may become counter productive. Providing direction in any way does not mean that managers can stifle the creativity and drive of their employees rather effective leadership allows others to inculcate in themselves superior leadership qualities and understanding of the organization and management process so that they them self can figure out the directions and actions which are needed to establish and flourish a Utopian organization. "The prime advantages of building leadership talent, besides eliminating the disadvantages of going outside, are twofold. First, the organization gets to groom the next generation in line with its culture and strategic agenda. Second, the organization has greater control over the supply of leaders with the requisite skills, making strategic implementation faster" (Pernick, 2001). Character & Integrity: These two factors spring to mind when a role of leader is defined in a Utopian or Non-Utopian organization. Especially when we talk about Utopian organizations that strive for excellence then their leaders should command excellence. In order to accomplish excellence a leader must first be a person of good character. Many thinkers and proponents of Utopianism argue that much of a person's character is formed early in life and that also brings the role of education which will be discussed later in the paper. A person with strong character shows drive, vigor, strength of mind, self-control, resolve, and courage, the traits essential for effective leadership. Dreamers & Visionaries: A leader of a Utopian organization needs to be a dreamer and an idealist. There are many worldly examples where our famous leaders have dreamt for the stars and owrked to get them. Imaginative and visionary leaders can make timely and appropriate changes in their thinking, plans, and methods and show creativity by thinking of new and better goals, ideas, and solutions to problems. They also have the firmness to achieve a goal, regardless of the seemingly undefeatable impediments while displaying a confident calmness when under stress. "Practically speaking, a vision, in organizational settings, is a concrete idea that describes what needs to be achieved by the organization's members and how this should be done (Creemers, 1997). Therefore, a vision that mainly reflects "vague dreams" or "thing(s) of imagination" may be detached from reality. Conger, Kanungo and Associates (1989) discuss the notion of a discrepancy between the goal (the vision) that the leader aspires for the organization to achieve and the status quo (the circumstances): "The more idealized or utopian the future goal advocated by the leader, the more discrepant it becomes in relation to the status quo" (p. 85). From their point of view, the qualities of a vision are determined by the magnitude of the discrepancy between the future goal and the present circumstances: the greater the discrepancy, the greater the probability that the vision is exceptional and not ordinary" (Bogler & Nir, 2001). Education System in a Perfect Society If all members of a society get equal and good education then they make better contributions to the society at large and become productive members and thus help in the development of a perfect or Utopian society. Knowledge, learning and erudition are the foundations on the basis of which a perfect society could evolve. In order to truly learn, gain knowledge and broaden one's horizons, a good education system is of core importance. Many theorists, academics and experts including Plato have been putting a lot of emphasis on this aspect, as education system has not acquired the status it should have and so the move towards a Utopian society has been hindered. "The highest goal in all of education, Plato believed, is knowledge of the Good; that is, not merely an awareness of particular benefits and pleasures, but acquaintance with the Form itself. Just as the sun provides illumination by means of which we are able to perceive everything in the visual world, he argued, so the Form of the Good provides the ultimate standard by means of which we can apprehend the reality of everything that has value" (Kemerling). There have been many changes taking place globally that have affected the global life for example, globalization, shifting job markets, changing family structures, political upheavals, terrorism etc. With changing scenarios the situations particularly with respect to learning and education are becoming challenging. However, in order to effectively deal with such challenges and overcome them they require stimulating educational environment & system. Interpersonal skills developed on the basis of good education is also one of the main requirements of becoming successful person and an effective leader in this time and age of communication and technology as discussed in the qualities of a leader in a Utopian society. A good education system curbs many problems that could plague society and make it imperfect. It helps them become a good and active citizen and raise and support a family. That is the reason why good education is being given s much importance now then ever before as we have seen the repercussion societies and cultures that do not put importance on adult education. If properly implemented, the education system can move the society in positive direction. Such is the power of education system. All the countries in this world must realize that if they have proper education system then nothing can stop their country to achieve great results. Therefore, policy makers, curriculum designers and academics must keep in mind that education system is positive force and they need to use this force in the best way if they want to move towards Utopia. Key Features There are various aspects and issues involved in the implementation and development of an education system in a perfect society. Different issues have gained importance in the field of education. Technology for example and its role is now considered important. Other than this, the role of teachers, society, community and government is also considered crucial. "Education is a function of the State, and is conducted, primarily at least, for the ends of the State. State - highest social institution which secures the highest goal or happiness of man. Education is preparation for some worthy activity (169, Davidson). Education should be guided by legislation to make it correspond with the results of psychological analysis, and follow the gradual development of the bodily and mental faculties ("Aristotle" 384-322 BC)" (Mays, 2001). Some of the critical and important issues and thoughts with regard to education system are: Out of the Box Thinking: Whether it is Untied States of America or any other place the education system is mostly about imparting previous experiences and thinking on the basis of fixed mindsets. Reproduction or thinking on the same pattern is something that is mostly done in academic environment rather than searching for alternatives. In some instances seeking new information is allowed but treading new territories or discovering new paths to seek new information is not done. In face students are taught in educational institutions to think reproductively and linearly. Out of the box thinking is something that is not allowed to flourish. Instead pupils are given the reproductive way that curbs the innovative way. Mostly a general text book and assignment and reports approach is adopted but analysis and critical approach has not taken roots in the educational system. A perfect society can not be established with fixed mindsets and so out the box thinking needs to become the part of the education system. "The education they receive emphasizes rote memorization of whatever it is that the powers that be in the society think is worth rote memorizing. In a religious environment, it might be the Bible, the Koran, or some other holy book. In a secular environment, it might be a set of disconnected facts about the exports of various countries or the dates of certain treaties. Such training may be useful for those who build their lives expecting others to do what they have done; it will not be useful in developing the critical-thinking skills children will need to cope in a flexible way with a rapidly changing environment" (Sternberg , 2004) Good Curricula: The experts in the field of education all over the world including United States criticize the kind of curricula being taught in schools and universities. They say the things and the way things are being taught in high schools and universities in United States do not prepare students for the current society much less a Utopian society. They also point out some Asian and African countries where the curricula being taught has not changed or updated in many years. They are carrying on with the system of education that was there since they were colonies of Western nations. There should be different programs launched by the government and experts try to find out ways to make the curriculum better to suit the needs of a perfect society. "Young children need instruction in moral distinctions and matters of degree; in speaking and writing with exactness and brevity; and in landmark issues and events in American history, including slavery, the Revolutionary War, the Constitution, the Civil War and Pearl Harbor. At present, however, young children are taught nothing about expressive skills, nothing about moral reasoning and nothing about the pivotal happenings that have made the United States, warts and all, the greatest nation in the history of mankind" (Rethinking Education, 2004) Equal Chances: Last but not the least should be that fact that opportunities for education should be for all and sundry whether rich or poor. Plato in his original ideas also proposed such a system. "Plato believed that the interests of the state are best preserved if children are raised and educated by the society as a whole, rather than by their biological parents. So he proposed a simple (if startlingly unfamiliar) scheme for the breeding, nurturing, and training of children in the guardian class" (Kemerling). References: Kemerling, Garth Plato: Education and the Value of Justice. Retrieved October 5, 2006, from Philosophy PagesWebsite:http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/2h.htm Rethinking Education. (September 8, 2004). The Washington Times, p. A14. Sternberg, Robert J. (2004).Four Alternative Futures for Education in the United States: It's Our Choice. School Psychology Review. 33, 67+. Mays, Elizabeth. (2001). The Educational Theory of Aristotle. Retrieved on October 5, 2006 from Website: http://www.newfoundations.com/GALLERY/Aristotle.html Utopia. Retrieved on October 5, 2006 from Wikipedia Encyclopedia Pages Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia Bogler, Ronit & Nir, Adam E. (2001). Organizational Vision: The Other Side of the Coin. Journal of Leadership Studies. 8, 135+. Read More