Autocratic, Democratic and Free Rein Style, Essay Example

It appears that Joan and Garret Salmon are in a compromised business situation regarding their company Invitations Inc. It appears that Garret wants her daughter Joan to take over the company as the new CEO, yet according to the case study it does not appear as if he fully wants to give up his own ownership in the company. Based on the case study, it appears that Joan lacks hands on experience in the role of leadership, but her characteristics show that she has the potential to be a leader and possibly run the company successfully.

The process of becoming a leader requires many factors including personal experience and influenced behavior. Learning from experience creates the most effective leaders and this shows in Garret’s history as the company leader. This is because they know what decisions work and what decisions don’t work. They understand the effects of such decisions because they have made them themselves. Being able to pass on such knowledge to a team is an important and required characteristic of an effective leader. (Puccio, Mance, & Murdock, 2011)

Effective leadership must always be assessed in the context of the leader, their team of followers, and the situation they are in. Leaders may need to respond to different followers in different situations, all depending on the factors and circumstances. Joan seems to lack influence on the other employees following her due to her reputation as the boss’s daughter. In some scenarios, two different leaders may have two different responses to the same team and situation. This seems to be the case with Garret and her daughter Joan. (Puccio, Mance, & Murdock, 2011)

This does not necessarily mean that either leader is right or wrong. This simply demonstrates that there are different approaches to leadership styles and that some leaders find certain styles more effective than others.

It is important for leaders to be able to listen to their team. In order for a leader to be effective, they must first understand that not everybody is like them. If a leader assumes the role of a dictator with absolute power, then as history has shown, the followers will eventually grow tired of the dictator and over turn them. In the business or political sector, a leader can easily be reassigned, voted out, or vetoed out of their position. A leader must understand their team so that they know exactly what they are working with. (Klebe, 2012)

When an effective leader understands their perspectives of their team, then they will understand the full ability which they are capable of. Having such valuable knowledge is crucial in strategic planning for a business venture. The approach a leader can take towards having an effective group of followers is making clear the common interests and goals that they share. Presenting such information will have everybody, the leaders and the followers, on the same pace. This will make for an easy flowing work environment with minimal error, because everybody will understand their duties. (Puccio, Mance, & Murdock, 2011)

The development of self-awareness is another characteristic an effective leader should carry. Being able to formulate a comprehensive and consistent set of values is a must. However, such sets of values will vary depending on the type of followers a leader is presented with as well as the present situation. An effective leader will understand how to formulate their values in such a way that conforms to specific followers and situations. (Puccio, Mance, & Murdock, 2011)

With leadership also comes creativity, especially for a company like Invitations Inc. Creativity is frequently regarded as the driving force of innovation. However, creativity is not required to be left up to odds.  For years, the grounds of creativity studies has developed into the management processes, models, and personal qualities that assist in better understanding of the elements required to surface valuable and original change which is imperative to leaders and the role of leadership in every sector. (Klebe, 2012)

This new concept of leadership can be referred to as Creative Leadership, where creativity in leadership serves as a momentum to innovation. It is argued that given the measure of fluctuation in science and technology, businesses dependent on scientific developments and technological breakthroughs require creative thinking in leadership to sustain and continue in times of pivotal change. This role of being a creative leader will be necessary for Joan to pick up as the company lacks growth in their sales revenue according to the case study. (Klebe, 2012)

There are three primary types of leadership styles that an effective CEO can approach. These leadership styles are referred to as autocratic, democratic, and free reign. Depending on the project and the situation, an effective CEO may take one of these leadership approached or a combination of them.  (Chand)

If an effective CEO such as Joan were to take the autocratic approach to leadership, then they would assume full control over the project. None of the workers employed under the project manager would have a say in any of the decision making. Those who take the approach to autocratic styles of leadership are often referred to as “micromanagers”. If the Joan were to take a democratic approach to leadership, then she would still assume control of the project. (Chand)

However, this style of leadership allows the workers employed under the CEO to have a say in the decision making. The CEO will often regard and even encourage their workers’ feedback on situations pertaining to the project and the work environment. Free reign leadership allows for workers and employees to conduct work through delegation on their own terms, without being excessively managed. (Chand)

There is no easy route that leads to the success of an effective CEO that is able to excel in all of the desires and requirements for every business, including Invitations Inc. An effective CEO who happens to find success in one business or company may not be as successful in another. Much of the success for a CEO may be dependent on how the business sets itself up for engaging in specific projects. An effective CEO must know exactly how the business operates in order to make sure that they can realize their potential in the business itself and Joan must realize this if she plans on any leadership success for Invitations Inc.

Effective CEOs must carry a unique set of personal characteristics in their personality that will make them more compelled to be as effective as the CEOs in a variety of other businesses. Presented here is a set of basic personal characteristics for effective CEOs that can make up a contour of an effective project manager for most businesses.

Firstly, an effective CEO needs to be have an extroverted personality in order to maintain control of the social architect. Garret showed this as he led the company to success with his own extroverted personality as described in the case study. It is more than likely that CEO will be required to give presentations as well as lead work teams.

For the most part, a CEOs job consists of 90% in communication skills. The audiences for CEO presentations can range from basic project groups to project sponsors. In some cases audiences may include potential investors. An effective CEO will need to be comfortable with speaking out to any dimension of stakeholders and groups of potential customers in a wide array of different situations. If a person carries the traits of an introverted personality, then they will most likely be required to go through long term training and teaching until they feel comfortable enough speaking out to public audiences. This is necessary in order to be fully effective in all business environments. Extroverted people have a tendency to exhibit a natural state of comfort in these kinds of situations which puts them at an advantage. (Puccio, Mance, & Murdock, 2011)

With this being said, the stakeholders are a primary party that Joan should worry about as a CEO. Although it is true that focusing on sales revenue in order to maximize profits for a company’s stock holders is essential for the continued operations of a business, it cannot act as the only priority. The interests of the stake holders are just as important for the sustainment of any business. If the stake holders are not satisfied through a company’s well-grounded social corporate responsibility or (SCR) then they will stand against the company giving it a negative reputation. Such a negative reputation could be harmful to sales and investments.

Effective CEO also need to present personal courage. In most businesses the CEO will be required to settle disputes and other issues of decision making amongst the business stakeholders. Negotiations of such issues may commonly be subtle, specifically during fragile moments in the sustainability of a business.

The correct decision for the project is usually not always the one that is agreeable with all of the stakeholders. An effective CEO must show personal courage in all of their decisions made, follow them all the way through, and make sure that the team continues to work as a team for the better interest of the business. Keeping the respect from all of the stakeholders requires a skill set, which can be obtained through experience. Joan may have been exposed to such a scenario while working under her father which would contribute to her experience.

The father Garret must quickly develop his short term goal orientation in order to decide what role he wants to play in the company. Joan needs to know this so that she may be able to effectively asses her own role and new business plans for the company. This will in turn allow for Joan to make her long term goals based on her father’s role in the company. This then allows for the two of them to form a business relationship. They already share a personal relationship as family, but that is irrelevant in running a business. They must understand each other’s plans and goals in order to develop an effective and continuing relationship builder with an emphasis on business acumen. This will be necessary when Joan decides how she should handle the company’s “green side” dilemma.

Both Garret and Joan can use this concept of moral compass in their favor in order to guide the integration of their business goals and ensure the sustainability of Invitations Inc. A solid business relationship must be established and communication is the key to this.

Change will surely be necessary in both the company and its leaders. Most leaders who talk about life in the contemporary environment almost always start off their explanations with some regard to the unexpected rates of change. Typically, the reference to such increased rates of change is given as a passive statement.

Often, lack of explanation is provided, as the leader more than likely assumes that their audience is fully aware of such increased levels of change through their own regular experiences in life. Some trends show regard to the claimed increase in change, as well as data that exists to clearly present that life is constantly changing at a quickly fluctuating rate. This is why Garret and Joan must be quick but calculated in their business decisions.

References

Chand, S. (n.d.). 3 Styles of Leadership: Autocratic, Democratic and Free Rein Style. Retrieved May 23, 2015, from http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/leadership/3-styles-of-leadership-autocratic-democratic-and-free-rein-style/28002/

Klebe, A. (2012). The Art of Creative Leadership. Retrieved from http://alexanderklebe.com/creative-leadership

Puccio, Mance, M., & Murdock, M. (2011). Creative Leadership: Skills That Drive Change. SAGE Publications.