Discussion:
What is one recent news story that you have found illustrates the relationship between a business leader's role and the success or failure of his/her business?
PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY YOU AGREE WITH MY CLASSMATE RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS? (A MINIMUM OF 100 WORDS)
CLASSMATE'S POST
Effective leadership is a key element for a successful business. Being an effective leader encompasses many things, and it is more than just delegating assignments. It requires vision, collaboration, planning, and practice. It is a lot of hard work and dedication, and most of all it requires you to believe in the product or company which you are representing. This was evident in an article I read that highlighted the accomplishments of late CEO Vaughn Beals, Jr., and how his early leadership saved Harley Davidson from financial ruin in the 1980's. Under his supervision he slashed production costs, made factory inventories more efficient, and railed against product defects. He marketed his product to "Baby Boomers" who were itching to feel young and rebellious (Griffin, 2018). Beals and his marketing team encouraged dealers to brighten their showrooms, welcome new comers, and offer techniques on how to feature the Harley Davidson brand of merchandise. Beals and his team took feedback from customers and made necessary adjustments to their motorcycles, some of the features included comfortable and cushy seating for long drives and rubber mounted engines to reduce vibration (Griffin, 2018). Because of his relationship with his business this company flourished and the Harley Davidson brand became iconic; bike rallies became annual events for bike enthusiast and their families; and the customer loyalty they have instilled in their buyers has become legendary.
References
Griffin, Jill. (2018). My Love Affair With Harley Davidson. Tweet This, 1-3.