It is fascinating to compare "geezers" and "geeks". The era where heroic leaders was born, the Geezers age range from 70-93. It was between the years from 1945 – 1951 when the geezers were about 25-30 years old. (G.Bennis and Thomas). Geezers went through the Great Depression when growing up itself is a major issue. During WWII, the geezers experience dislocation from family and community, mortality and personal loss. The fail in government also created greater awareness of U.S diversity and hypocrisy. The needs of the geezers was stability and security. The ability to control over my space and the strong believer of “hard work pay off” theory. Making a living become their main priority. Heavier emphasis on military service shape a command-and-control leadership style within the geezers. Entrepreneuring was a big word back then; it is the only way for one to control his/her destiny. (G.Bennis and Thomas)
On the other hand, the geek age range from 21 – 43. Between the years 1991 -2003, was when the geeks were 25-30 years old. (G.Bennis and Thomas) During the geeks era, there were abundance of opportunity, exploration ad possibilities. Technology advancement, economic growth and globalization create more than enough option in life. The needs of the geeks was to create an identity, finding a meaning in life. The key characteristic was the idea of ‘making a difference’. In comparison with the geezers, the geeks are more participatory, engaging, collaborative approach to leading. Entrepreneuring on the other hand become a form of self-expression. Due to the abundance of option, the geeks are more prone to job-hop. (G.Bennis and Thomas)
Both the geezer mention in the book and geezer leaders in Singapore went through a significant ...
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...l, or a devastating event such as a death in the family or prison.
Being a Singaporean, I believe there were two ‘crucible’ events that affected leaders in Singapore. They are WWII and the Independent Day. The devastating effect left behind by WWII served as reminder to the leader not to start WWIII. The Independent Day of Singapore was the marked that we no longer belong to any other people but ourselves. The day that Singaporean found an identity for the first time and beginning of the journey to become a proud Singaporean of who we are today.
Works Cited
Abraham Lincoln Research Site. Abraham Lincoln Research Site. n.d. Website. 27 2 2014.
G.Bennis, Warren and Robert J. Thomas. Geeks & Geezers. Boston: Accenture LLP, 1992. Book.
Lee Kuan Yew. The Biography Channel website. 27 2 2014. http://www.biography.com/people/lee-kuan-yew-9377339.
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