Learning Activity #1- Joe Jackson owned a sawmill in Stuttgart, Arkansas. It was a family concern that hadn't changed in 50 years. Having grown up in the business Joe had never investigated the strengths and weaknesses of his position as Vice President. His father was always the president and he and his older brother Jacob were the heirs. The business was in turmoil because of his father's precarious health. The father will soon step down. Joe's brother was expecting to step up to the role of Vice President. Joe feels that would be a mistake. The business itself is being quickly eroded because of global sustainability issues. Joe could see this but not Jacob. Joe needs to have a long talk with Jacob to help him see his reasoning. Either they work together for the future of the company or Joe would have to take the lead role.
Prepare an outline of the points for Joe to make in his discussion with his brother. Explain the role of the 21st Century leader. Make sure to reference your reading material to validate the points you make.
Learning Activity #2 - John Kotter in his article, "What Leaders Really Do" makes the following statement: "Managers promote stability while leaders press for change, and only organizations that embrace both sides of the contradiction can thrive in turbulent times."
From the case below, explain what you think Dean Adams role should be in light of this quote; the leader's role or the manager's role. Be sure to include in your comments the different solutions that might result from a leader's perspective and that of the manager's perspective. Where do they overlap? Finally, suggest which role is best for Adam and the organization and why.
(The applicable case study follows)
STUDER INTERNATIONAL
At 7:30 AM Dean Adams hit the snooze alarm for the third time, but he knew he could not go back to sleep again. Rubbing his eyes and shaking off a headache, first checked his Blackberry and read an urgent message from his boss. Sue Chan, chief security analyst, had resigned. She needed to be replaced immediately. Frustrated, Adams lumbered toward the shower, hoping it would energize him to face another day. After last night's management meeting, which ended after midnight, he was reeling from the news that his Wall Street employer, Studer International, was spiraling toward a financial meltdown.
Adams scratched his head and wondered, "How could one of the world's largest insurance companies plummet from being the gold standard in the industry to one struggling for survival?" At the end of 2007 Studer International had $100 billion dollars in revenue, 65 million customers, and 96 thousand employees in 130 countries. One year later and staggered by losses from the financial crisis, Studer teetered on the brink of failure and needed emergency government assistance. Studer had been a victim of the financial meltdown in the credit markets. Studer's collapse sent shockwaves throughout the financial community over the world.
Within Studer's Manhattan office, Adams and his coworkers felt growing pressure to respond to this crisis quickly and ethically. But morale was sagging and decision making was stalled. New projects were on hold and revenues were not coming along fast enough. Job cuts were imminent. Finger pointing and resignations of key managers had become commonplace. Strong leadership was needed to guide the employees to stay the course. Adams knew his first priority was to replace Sue Chan. When leaving the meeting last night, his boss had told him, 'It is critical that we keep key managers in place as we weather this storm. If we lose any, be sure to replace them with ones who can handle the storm and make tough, maybe even unpopular decisions.
Working up a sweat as he rushed into the office, Adam began sorting through the day's priorities. His first priority would be to consider the internal candidates to replace Chan. He pondered the characteristics required for a chief security analyst and scribbled down on his notepad: experienced in security and regulatory issues, strong decision making skills, high ethical standards, able to make job cuts, comfortable slashing budgets and respected for calm leadership. Adams immediately thought of Julie Cobb, a senior analyst who had been vocal about her desire to move up and had recently shown steady leadership as the organization began to crumble.
Cobb had worked her way up through the organization, becoming a respected expert in her field. She had developed a strong team of loyal employees and made training and job development a priority. She was likeable, sensitive to her employees and a consensus builder. While many managers in Studer had made questionable decisions, Julie had held herself to a high ethical standards and created a culture of integrity. Cobb was focused on the future, a go-getter who knew how to get results.
With the future of the company at stake, Adams wondered if Cobb could handle the tough challenges ahead. Although he valued her team building skills, she could be soft when it came to holding employees accountable. A good part of her motivation was to have employees like her. When she reported a shortfall in earnings in the last company meeting and came under fire she became defensive and didn't want to point fingers at the employees who were to blame. In fact, Adams recalled another instance when Cobb recoiled at the thought of firing an employee who had developed a pattern of poor attendance when her husband had become sick. She acknowledged a hesitation to confront poor performers and employees who were struggling to balance home and work life.
Adams stirred his morning coffee and wondered, "Is Julie Cobb capable of balancing kindness and thoughtfulness during this crisis?" Can I count on her to be decisive and focused on top and bottom-line results? Is she too much of a people pleaser? Will it impact her ability to be successful?