I have to confess that I hadn’t had the opportunity or reason to contemplate my worldview, much less put it in writing. This activity made me reflect on my worldview. Merriam-Webster describes worldview as ‘a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint’; for the purpose of this post we will assume this is one’s individual standpoint. As per G. K. Chesterton “the most practical and important thing about a man is his view of the universe” (1986, p. 41). I believe there is a conscious or subconscious set of beliefs and values that determines most, if not all, our decisions and interactions; and this is my interpretation of the idea of worldview.
As per Valk et al (2015), leadership study “encourages awareness of one’s own view or vision of life as a means to better engage with others. ” In my case, my decisions as a leader are not much different from my decisions as a human being, In terms of my personal interactions, my decisions are based on empathy. I strive to ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you ‘ . In a professional or organizational context I tend to make decisions depending on what works for the larger good. I also tend to be frugal and try to do the most with the least. Valk et al (2015) state that ” One’s view of the world is initially shaped by the immediate context out of which one emerges—family, community, social, and cultural environments.” If we added religion to this statement, it would explain the basis of my worldview in totality. In this sense I agree with the authors that one’s worldview influences our process of seeking answers. I grew up in a culture and society that has limited resources, and that has made me very averse to waste. I also belong to a religion that believes in sharing and kindness, hence my empathetic approach to leadership. Having said that, I would like to argue that not all decisions made by one are based on their worldview, especially in our professional lives. I for one can confirm that a lot of my decisions are based on hard -core research, expert opinion , best practices or company policy.
Sometimes our worldview conflicts with company policy or professional expectation. How does one reconcile the two ? What if one had to choose one or the other?
References
Chesterton, G. K. (1986). The collected works of G. K. Chesterton (Vol. 1). San Francisco, CA: Ignatius.
Valk, J.; Belding, S.; Crumpton, A.; Harter, N.; Reams, J. (2011). Worldviews and Leadership: Thinking and acting the bigger pictures. Journal of Leadership Studies. Summer2011, Vol. 5 Issue 2, p54-63.
Merriam-Webster. Retrieved Jan 2, 2018 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worldview. Retrieved
Hi Simarjit,
Excellent questions! Do you have an experience from your own professional life of a time when a professional decision was in conflict with your personal values or worldview?
Dr Strong . As a physician there are many potential situations where our personal beliefs are at odds with what the patient expects, what is best practice , organizational policy or evidence based recommendation. Death with dignity, recreational marijuana use, same sex related issues, are some of the current topics where there is conflict between patient expectation, physician’s personal values, federal and state rules and regulations, and organizational policy. In these situations I usually let my personal beliefs take a backseat, allowinig organizational policy and evidence to guide my judgement.
Hey Simarjit, your question made me think of the news article I read about changes to the summer jobs grants policy that many religious organizations previously received but can no longer due to a conflict of ideologies. Organizations must now sign an attestation that they agree with abortion and sexual identity rights. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/canada-summer-jobs/eligibility.html
While this is larger than dealing with a conflicting worldview issue at work, I feel it is a major shift in cultural morality on a large scale. Previously when one felt their worldview conflicted with an issue they were given an opportunity to abstain from participating but now as this issue becomes more politicized the outcome doesn’t seem that clear anymore. Even the TWU court case is relevant here as it is a conflict of worldview and the world has to decide which worldview they wish to support.