LEADERSHIP CASE PROBLEM A 511 LEADERSHIP CASE PROBLEM A Malcolm Eyes the Executi
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LEADERSHIP CASE PROBLEM A 511 LEADERSHIP CASE PROBLEM A Malcolm Eyes the Executive Suite Malcolm comes from a family whose members accepting the distribution center assignment, Mal- include many successful business executives, colm told his new manager, "I will do my best to be inclhuding his parents. Since he was a teenager, an outstanding performer here. But I am wondering Malcolm has been fascinated with the prospects of if spending time in a distribution center will really becoming a corporate executive. In addition to enhance my credentials for becoming an executive more typical teenage interests, Malcolm would fre in this company." section of his local news Upon completing his eighteen-month supervi- ies of business execu uated. His boss noted that his performance was too focused on his career ambitions and not paper, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes. He also sory assignment, enthusiastically read biographi tives including Warren Bufet, Henry Ford, and slightly above average, but that he seemed a little Martha Stewart. the good of the company Malcolm studied industrial engineering as an undergraduate, thinking that such a program would give him a solid base for understanding the operations of a business. He followed up his under- focused enough o eader Malcolm's next assignment was as a team I of a logistics group that kept track of the flow of equipment that manufactured overseas. Given that about 80 percent of the company's manufacturing duate degree with an MBA, with an emphasis on leadership and organizational behavior. Malcolm said to himself, his family, and friends repeatedly, "I know I have what it takes to get to the corner office. was globally outsourced, logistics was highly valued at the company A few weeks after Malcolm began his new assignment, he met with his company assigned With first-rate interpersonal skills to match his mentor, Jessica, a manufacturing executive. Asked solid education, Malcolm was well received by an how his work was going at the company, Malcolm on-campus recruiter for a major player in the replied: "Maybe you can help me. I'm enjoying my high-tech field, a manufacturer of computer equip- work, but I think that my career is inching along, ment and services. He was chosen to a manage when I should be making big strides. I would like to ment training program in which he would be be assigned to a strategy team, or maybe a new given approximately one-year assignments in sev- product development team. In this way I would eral business functions. His initial assignment was get the experience and the visibility I need to as a member of a team whose purpose was to help move more quickly into the corner office. reduce the manufacturing costs of desktop Jessica responded, Malcolm, I think highly of you, but your idea of career progress is old fash- Six weeks after being assigned to the team, ioned. You need to focus more on performance Malcolm informed his team leader that he was devel- than promotion oping his skills in Mandarin Chinese, a language he had studied in college. As Malcolm explained to his team leader, "Chinese is going to help me because so Questions g is outsourced to China. 1. In what way is this case about leadership And besides, a second language can only be an asset for a future executive leader." 2. What would you recommend that Malcolm do Afier about lifteen months on the team, Malcolm to facilitate his path to an executive position was appointed as the supervisor of an order fulfill3. To what extent do you think Jessica's comment ment group within a distribution center of the com- pan is justified? complex. UponExplanation / Answer
1.
The case exemplifies the issues and resulting ambiguity faced by the ambitious employees, willing to be a top leader, but they choose the wrong path. An effective leaders as perceived by Malcom is not the one who is highly skilled and sitting at the top of the organizational hierarchy. Rather, the effective leader (as indicated by Jessica) is the one who makes the followers to perceive his ideas, sets an example by following his own words and motivate the people to achieve a superior performance. Here, the leader communicates in ways that people strongly buy his ideas and follow him. Hence, the case presents the path. A leadership development process should follow to develop a leader and make the prospective leader to understand about the effective leadership in different scenarios.
Regarding Malcom, the organization is putting him into the different projects and roles, but lack of proper guidance to Malcom, has made him still wondering about the top position rather delivering top performance.
2.
Following action should be recommended to Malcom to achieve his goals.
A. Malcom should put his learnings into developing new ideas that motivate the whole team and result of superlative degree is achieved.
B. Malcom should communicate the team in ways that they will accept the solutions and work to achieve them. It will bring higher efficiency and the management will start noticing him.
C. Malcom should walk the talk. It will make people to believe what he says. It will add to his credibility and his team will work extra mile to achieve what he has proposed. It will make him become an effective leader.
D. Malcom should contribute in trouble shooting and promote the team to sit together and discuss the innovative ways that can resolve the problems. It will build recognition to the team and Malcom himself.
Above methods, will give Malcom the opportunity higher up the order. Soon, he can realize the position, he has strived to achieve in his study days.
3.
Jessica Comment is fully justified as it is the performance that matters to the organization as it helps in achieving the organizational goal. An effective leader drives and motivates people to achieve the best performance. But, Malcom is not focussed about the team performance, rather he is focused about the ambitions. In one way, it is pulling the overall growth of Malcom as a leader.
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