Who Community Leaders Admire (And Why it Matters)

• In Event: Hosted Poster Session, Author Book Signing Event, and Reception
  In Poster: Public Leadership Display Posters

Short Description

The purpose of this pilot study is to determine who community leaders admire and how their results compare to those of the American public, and correlate with their perceptions of the community, gender roles, partisanship, and readiness for global change.

Detailed Abstract

Nearly annually since 1947, Gallop has been noting whom Americans admire. This data is used to analyze differences in regard to changes in society. The purpose of this pilot study is to discover if there are notable differences between whom the public admires and who community leaders admire. By analyzing responses from community leaders in a county in Pennsylvania, this data will allow for a deeper understanding of how community leaders differ from the general public, and show evidence that this study can be expanded to include community leaders beyond the county level. The results identify foreseeable issues relating to gender, bipartisanship, and a limited worldview that is not conducive to global change. The results were examined along with responses to a community survey in order to draw inferences from the values of people selected for admiration and the responses of the community leaders on key community topics.
Each cultural group has a different way of deciding how a hero is defined, and who should be looked to as a role model. This data is used to analyze differences in society. Tom W. Smith conveys, “When people select heroes, they choose individuals who exemplify and personify virtues valued by society…By studying those whom society admires we can not only learn about its cast of heroes, but also draw inferences about the values shared by its people. Similarly, by following changes in its hero types we can track how society is changing” (1986). In determining who community leaders admire in this pilot study, we will see if there is a difference between virtues valued by leaders and by the public.
In order to determine exactly what differences there may be between who community leaders admire compared to the general American public, it was essential to conduct a review on where the differences in roles models may be found. A review of literature was performed that covers three subtopics related toward whom community leaders admire. The subtopics are the following: (a) role models and hero worship, (b) community leadership, and (c) identity development. Through analyzing each area of focus, it is clear that who a person selects as a role model is an indication of what they value.
The study found notable similarities between community leaders and the public. Barack Obama and Pope Francis were the top male selections for each poll, and Hillary Clinton was noticeably favored as the most admired female in each poll. However, there were other responses from local community leaders that tell of an increase in admiration for other leaders at the local level that is not identifiable from the Gallop polls. This increase in admiration for local leaders suggests that these leaders are likely more focused on community issues and less focused on the global climate or preparing the community for global change.
In researching the key areas of focus, it is evident that who leaders admire changes in professions based on gender. For example, the category most leaders admire for men is in business (nearly 37 percent), where the women in the category of business rank at just over nine percent of respondents. Women selected were more often chosen outside in the categories of “other” and then identified as “mother” and “wife.” No male selected as a person of admiration was selected as “other” and then identified as a husband or father. Which category a person is admired for could be responsible for career choices made by future generations for reasons of prestige and community acceptance.
Furthermore, research found that there is a correlation between who leaders admire and what they believe are areas of strengths and weaknesses in the community. Areas of change are divided within the categorized groups. In certain situations, when “politician” is indicated as the category a person is in, the perception of the community is different between those who have chosen a person who is a democrat and those who have selected a republican. When those who are selected for admiration have conflicting viewpoints (e.g. Barack Obama and Mitt Romney), a similar conflict seems to emerge on identifying priorities for the county.
The answers indicated in this pilot study show results that pertain to issues relating to the community, gender, partisanship, and thinking toward global change. When developed into a study, the information provided will allow for researchers to understand what differences address global challenges as indicated by the results of leaders from several communities. In understanding who community leaders admire and how they perceive the community, this pilot study offers a new analysis for determining community leadership attitudes in areas of community, gender, partisanship, and thinking toward global change.

Participants

• Sean J Cullen, Alvernia University

• Tufan S. Tiglioglu, Alvernia University

• R. David Myers, Alvernia University