12.3 Constitutive

I'd like to stay in Chapter 7, Cheney et al. (p. 192) and talk about the Constitutive Approach. According to the book, the constitutive approach suggests that individuals that are considering to be leaders should become familiar with the socially constructed nature of things, events, and ideas. They also say, that they should try and influence others' constructions or interpretations. It suggests to me that what they are saying is that these 'leaders-in-training' should be socially skilled at being perceptive. That is, that they should be mindful of how things are and what people think and how they might interpret things. It would appear that if this 'leader' hasn't done so already, that he/she would have to go through some sort of crash course of being socially aware. Since the book describes this approach as a skill then how are these leaders building these skills? Are they reading books of contemporary social issues? Are they attending plays that focus on the plight of immigrant? Are they meeting with their local charity organizations and volunteering? Are they surrounding themselves with people that give him/her a perspective on what is 'really happening'?