Reflective Essay: Solution of Wicked Problem through Leadership

This reflective essay discusses the solution of a wicked problem through leadership approaches. It explores the concept of wicked problems, introduces a chosen wicked problem of income and wealth inequality in Australia, and reflects on critical leadership studies to inform a leadership approach. The essay also reflects on the author's approach to leadership as a result of completing the subject.

Running Head: MANAGEMENT
0
Leadership
Reflective Essay: Solution of Wicked Problem through Leadership
(Student details :)
5/31/2019

Management
1
Contents
Reflective Essay.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Reflection...................................................................................................................................2
What is a wicked problem......................................................................................................2
Introduction to a chosen wicked problem..............................................................................3
Reflection on Critical Leadership Studies to inform my leadership approach......................3
Reflection on my approach to leadership as a result of completing this subject...................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................7

Management
2
Reflective Essay
Introduction
This reflective essay is based on solving a wicked problem with leadership
approaches. To do so, some major important leadership styles will be discussed in the context
of solving wicked problems in this era. Besides, an introduction of the wicked problem in
general as well as specifically will be covered in this paper. In general, wicked problems are
those issues which are complex as well as dependent on so many factors which make it hard
to get what exactly issues is and how to handle it (Beinecke, 2010). In other words, it can be
said that wicked problem is like a tangled mess of threads and it is very difficult to know
which thread needs to pull first.
For doing so, a wicked problem of income and wealth inequality in Australia has been
chosen for demonstrating effective leadership approach as one of the solutions of wicked
problems (Grint K. L., 2010). Besides, I will critically think, reflect as well as explain how I
will engage with critical leadership studies for informing my leadership approach in this
modern business world. Subsequently, I will also critically think, reflect and explain my own
approach to leadership being an outcome of completing the current subject of a wicked
problem (Beinecke, 2010). I have chosen income and wealth inequality in Australia as the
wicked problem because, in this technological world, every person, organization, and leader
needs to be aware of the issue of income and wealth inequality in Australia as the resources
are depleting day-by-day in contrast to requirements of people of this earth.
Reflection
Here, I am reflecting on the issue of income and wealth inequality in Australia for
solving it with the help of effective leadership because reflection is the best way to learn
through experiences and past doings largely. Here I am using my critical thinking and
complex problem-solving skills for reflecting upon critical leadership studies in order to
inform my self-leadership approach (Hickson, 2011).

Management
3
What is a wicked problem
In my views based on (Grint K. L., 2010), wicked problems are complex difficult
dares which are subjective and hence cannot be separated through their attached environment.
Besides, these problems are often hard to control as well as eliminate altogether from its
roots. The reason why these problems are termed as wicked is that drawing solution to a
wicked problem is next to impossible because there is no relation can be seen amid the
problem’s cause and effects (Beinecke, 2010). In other words, a wicked problem is usually
open-ended which require multiple partial solutions for addressing such problems. In this
way, my research and evolved opinion suggest that solving these critical problems always
require effective leadership.
Introduction to a chosen wicked problem
As we just discussed that, wicked problems are the issues having numerous
interdependent factors attached to making their solution seem impossible. The factors
attached to income and wealth inequality in Australia problem are hugely incomplete, and
difficult to define which ultimately makes this issue complex (Beinecke, 2010). I analyzed
that a deeper understanding of the stakeholders is required along with an innovative approach
fed by design thinking. In this context, I found that income and wealth inequality in Australia
has been considered as a wicked problem because without ensuring the sustainable future of
any business model or earth no success can be achieved in long-term. However, sustainable
development requires addressing many other relevant issues which are hard or impossible to
solve presently. In this way, it is clear that there can be no formula to achieve income and
wealth inequality in Australia, hence income and wealth inequality in Australia seems a
wicked problem to me. There is a fact about the wicked problem that they have no stopping
rule or point or I can say that there is no way to find the final solution of a wicked problem.
Likewise, income and wealth inequality in Australia is an example of a wicked problem
which has no endpoint, every achieving point should be a starting point for achieving a
sustainable future (Beinecke, 2010). Moreover, income and wealth inequality in Australia
problem has no immediate solution thus it is indeed a wicked problem (Hoch & Kozlowski,
2014).
Reflection on Critical Leadership Studies to inform my leadership approach
In this context, I have researched on the wicked problem of income and wealth
disparity within the nation of Australia and hence I found that I could be solved from

Management
4
extensive use of good leadership approaches. I have thoroughly studied the chosen wicked
problem with the help of its major characteristics (Maas, 2014). My critical leadership studies
suggest that leaders can hugely take help of the distributive leadership approach in order to
find an effective solution of the chosen wicked problem. In the context of a wicked problem,
despite the huge economic advancements achieved by this contemporary world I observed
that above than 90 percent income of the world is being accumulated by less than 10 percent
of the people of the world (Grint K. , 2010). My leadership approach will demonstrate
winning practices in order to solve the wicked problem of income disparity in Australia.
During my future leadership approach, I will bring the whole system to ensure short-term
wins for organizational people while on the way to solve the long-term system solutions
(Nohria & Khurana, 2010). I learned that any critical and collaborative problem-solving
process involves tough efforts, time and resources contributed from every person of the
company or institution. For solving any wicked problem like chosen problem leaders should
preserve their interests as well as will power or the group to keep going on a good pace (Oc
& Bashshur, 2013).
Furthermore, while studying wicked problem I noticed two common responses from
the clients who have faced wicked problems. Being a leader, solving a wicked problem
requires keeping calm and then thinks positively (Beinecke, 2010). The second response
should be to oversimplify the issue and then to utilize a tame problem-solving approach for
addressing it. While critically thinking over critical leadership studies for informing my own
leadership approach I considered that wicked problem is suited to a teamwork approach. In
addition to that, the principle of solving a problem should be addressing a multifaceted issue
with a multifaceted team (Hickson, 2011).
My future leadership approach while solving wicked problems will consider the fact
that chosen wicked problem require a clumsy solution which can pragmatically engage with
existing as well as upcoming resources. I realized that leadership can effectively solve the
wicked problem of income and wealth inequality. I found that people in Australia are
distinguished on the basis of their status, history, and religion which make their income
unequal as compared to each other. In my future leadership practice, I will use the fact that
responding to any wicked problem requires the leaders as well as the business enterprises for
taking assistance of various measures to get an effective solution (Heyrup & Bente, 2009).
Through conducting a detailed research on the chosen problem I got to know that within

Management
5
Australia there are numerous individuals who are truly unable to achieve the basic minimum
needs of their daily living.
In the context of wicked problems, I would like to quote some examples of the wicked
problems which have been identified while I reflected upon critical leadership studies to
inform my own leadership approach, as follows:
 Reducing crime
 Accomplishing required sales when also complying with rules and regulations
 Mergers and acquisitions
 Change implementation within international organizations
 Social issues like anti-social behavior and substance abuse
 Disruptive changes within technology and markets
 Developing sustainable competitive benefits while money is low (Lunenburg, 2012).
Apart from this, while I was finding probable ways to address the wicked problem of
income disparity during my previous assignments, then I realized that leaders play a key role
in resolving issues in any scenario. For example, resolving performance issues needs a major
contribution of the leaders of that organization (Grint K. L., 2010). Whenever I think from a
leader perspective then I realize that for leaders recognizing the different types of problem
which are related to the main wicked problem is a challenge. Thus, being a leader I will apply
different leadership approaches like transformation, the servant as well as transactional
leadership to resolve such wicked problems during my future. When I conducted research on
wicked problems and leadership then I found a strong connection amid the two. Besides, I
also found so many other wicked problems such as major change programs within global
organizations (Hales, 2018). I will demonstrate my future leadership approach while taking
care of the action and methodologies adopted the world’s famous leaders in the context of
relevant wicked issues (Cambridge International, 2019). Besides, I will introduce high levels
of connectivity in my future leadership approach. In this way, I can explain that being a
leader for tacking any wicked problem in future I will first recognize the problems associated
with the wicked problem. Secondly, I will avoid attempting managing the situation or
controlling it with illogical reasons and measures. Subsequently, I will inform my future
leadership approach by establishing mutual goals as well as a common purpose with my
subordinates or peers (Beinecke, 2010).

Management
6
Reflection on my approach to leadership as a result of completing this
subject
After completing this subject and assessments related to this subject my approach has
been evolved largely. My approach to leadership has upgraded and changed for better results
in the future (Goldman, 2012). After studying this subject I got to know that wicked problems
like income disparity within Australia keep mutating by their nature but people of this
modern world just like to end things (Faozanudin, 2014). However, I will become a problem-
solving leader while countering this human impulse through setting expectations which the
group’s solutions will be incomplete.
Now, post studying this subject I intend to become a leader who always stay
optimistic as well as form paths forward for his or her subordinates. I will adopt a leadership
approach in the future where I will intentionally integrate learning as well as learning systems
into the processes through the get-go (Donnithorne, 2009). My evolved insights will lead
directly to recognizing a set of behaviours which are deployed by the emergent leaders. My
future leadership practice based on the acquired learning through studying this subject will
contain the following major qualities and actions:
 In the future, being a leader I will always set shared goals which will offer partial
solutions to future wicked problems based on a greater level of connectivity within
organizational hierarchies.
 In the future, my leadership approach will contain building trust activities within as
well as between hierarchies. I learned that wicked problems are necessarily novel and
unique hence they can be no known solutions to such problems. While studying this
subject, I learned that all possible solutions include partial and multiple are usually
one-shot operations in the context of reducing problem effectively. I will build trust
among people that the organization will never punish those people who attempt good
ideas which do not work in the way as intended. As a leader, I will build the trust
when developed new ideas from my sub0ordinates will be tried then fail (Denehy,
2010).
 During the upcoming time, my leadership approach will intent to exchange info and
other resources so that effective partial solutions can be developed through sharing
info across organizational as well as functional boundaries. Subsequently, I will also

Management
7
demonstrate some role-modelling acts as an emergent leader to make above
comfortable (DeRue & Ashford, 2010).
 Being a great leader, I will be embracing emergence within my future leadership
approach. I learned that emergent leaders always signal that the principle of self-
organization is always right.
 In future, based on past learning acquired this subject I will explore new territories
through too much thinking on possible solutions as I learned that re-thinking and re-
assessment revolve old ideas in a good manner (Book Boon, 2010).
 I will create new knowledge as I learned that the creation of novel knowledge is a pre-
requisite for accomplishing goals and hence every leader must create new knowledge
within an organization.
 While completing my research on this subject and related assessments, I learned that
great leaders are enablers, coaches and facilitators. Thus, I will become an enabling as
well as an emergent leader in the future workplace (Bolman & Deal, 2017).
In this way, while critically thinking, reflecting on my evolved leadership approach
being a result of completing this subject, now I can easily suggest that people require to have
good info for guiding their decision-making (Faozanudin, 2014). I want to become a leader
who engages in multiple, collaborative ways to interact with his or her colleagues for solving
any wicked problems. Moreover, my evolved opinion over leadership approach which I
intend to have in the future suggests that I will learn as well as grow by doing despite just
taking in information and theoretical data. Thus, I will use design thinking and system
thinking approach while finding solutions to future wicked problems. Therefore, this subject
study allowed me to have insights which are useful for my future from the perspective of
leadership and career development (Bassos, 2016).
Conclusion
In conclusion, with the help of reflecting on leadership approached needed to solve
wicked problems I could analyze the critical problem of income and wealth inequality within
Australia. With writing this reflective essay I found the significance of wicked problem along
with its major characteristics. I also found based on those characteristics that not all wicked
problems are impossible to solve but only those with an indeterminate scale and scope are
having no solutions. Yet, this subject taught me that leaders and effective leadership can

Management
8
solve and minimize all wicked problems like income disparity within Australia. Therefore, I
intend to practice an evolved leadership approach on which I critically reflected in the above
section of this essay. Finally, critical leadership studies have helped me to inform my current
leadership approach along with my future leadership approach.
References
Barlett, C., & Wozny, M. (1999). GE's two-decade transformation: Jack Welch's leadership.
Boston: Harvard Business School.
Bassos, B. (2016). What is reflective practice? In The reflective practice guide: An
interdisciplinary approach to critical reflection. Oxon: Routledge.
Beinecke, R. (2010). Introduction: Leadership for Wicked Problems. Innovation Journal,
14(1).
Bolman, L., & Deal, T. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership.
London: John Wiley & Sons.
Book Boon. (2010). Thinking Strategically. Retrieved from Book Boon:
http://training.hr.ufl.edu/resources/LeadershipToolkit/job_aids/strategic_thinking.pdf
Cambridge International. (2019). Educational Leadership. Retrieved from Cambridge
International: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/support-and-training-for-
schools/professional-development-qualifications/curriculum/educational-leadership/
Denehy, J. (2010). Leadership characteristics. The Journal of School Nursing, 24(3), 107-
111.
DeRue, D., & Ashford, S. (2010). Who will lead and who will follow? A social process of
leadership identity construction in organizations. Academy of management review,
35(4), 627-647.
Donnithorne, L. (2009). West Point Way of Leadership. England: Crown Business.
Faozanudin, M. (2014). Role of Local Leadership in Providing Quality of Basic Education.
US: Atlantis Press.

Management
9
Goldman, E. (2012). Leadership practices that encourage strategic thinking. Journal of
Strategy and Management, 5(1), 25-40.
Grint, K. (2010). Leadership: A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Grint, K. L. (2010). Wicked problems and clumsy solutions: the role of leadership. The new
public leadership challenge, 169-186.
Hales, J. (2018). THE PROS AND CONS OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP. Retrieved 12 10,
2018, from http://blog.zingtrain.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-servant-leadership
Heyrup, S., & Bente, E. B. (2009). Reflection: Taking it beyond the individual. New York:
Routldge.
Hickson, H. (2011). Critical reflection: Reflecting on learning to be reflective. Reflective
Practice, 12(6), 829-839.
Hoch, J., & Kozlowski, S. (2014). Leading virtual teams: Hierarchical leadership, structural
supports, and shared team leadership. Journal of applied psychology, 99(3), 390.
Hogg, M. (2010). A social identity theory of leadership. Personality and Social psychology,
5(3), 184-200.
Johnston, M., & Marshall, G. (2013). Sales force management: Leadership, innovation,
technology. London: Routledge.
Lunenburg, F. (2012). Power and leadership: an influence process. International journal of
management business and administration, 15(1), 1-9.
Maas, W. (2014). Leadership styles and organizational commitment: literature review.
Bachelor Thesis Organisation & Strategy, 1-21.
Nohria, N., & Khurana, R. (2010). Handbook of leadership theory and practice. UK: Harvard
Business Press.
Oc, B., & Bashshur, M. (2013). Followership, leadership and social influence. The
Leadership Quarterly, 24(6), 919-934.

Management
10