For years, David and Evie Wexler of The Little Guys Home Electronics had many id

Question

For years, David and Evie Wexler of The Little Guys Home Electronics had many ideas about how to improve the home electronics store in which they were working, but could not put them into action. So they decided to start a small business. Twelve years later, many of their ideas have been met with widespread success. Like many entrepreneurs, the Wexlers felt blocked by their old positions and wanted to strike out on their own. They possessed many of the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs. They took their high energy level and need to succeed and formed The Little Guys as a partnership with a long-time associate, Paul Gerrity. The three owners maintained control and responsibility of the entire company, believing that combining their diverse skills would produce the greatest success. Today, with annual sales of over $10 million, The Little Guys has moved beyond the start-up phase to become a success. While the founders have benefited from the growth of their business, they are not resting on their laurels. Instead, they look forward with anticipation to the next big challenge.

After viewing The Little Guys video case study, please answer the following three questions in three to six paragraphs (250-500 total word count).

Identify the effective general leadership traits that have contributed to The Little Guys' ongoing success. (Chapter 2)

Identify the behaviors often incorporated by entrepreneurial leaders. (Chapter 4)

Determine the entrepreneurial attitudes that have most prominently contributed to the success of the Little Guys. (Chapter 4)

Explanation / Answer

ANSWER

A leader is decisive, strong, knowledgeable, cool, calm, and collected in times of disarray. We all want that strong command presence when we're working an incident. We want that understanding during troubled times. We want a leader that uses all of his traits, not his rank, to get respect.

With that said, a leader can easily be the little guy with no rank. How many of us have seen someone that leads by example, steps out on the ledge to learn new material, does his job, goes to school, enhances his career beyond what is required, and expects nothing in return? Those are the marks of a leader. You must strive for more because no one will ever give you something for free.

There have been many newcomers in the U.S. fire service lately. A lot of these rookies are right out of high school; I've seen and heard of the many deficiencies in some of these personnel. Sometimes, it's basic things such as tying their shoes; sometimes it's more technical things, such as running a chain saw. But we have to find a way to bring them up. We have to empower our one-, two-, and three-year seasoned firefighters to become leaders in their own right. We must instill in them the traditions and the brotherhood of the fire service, as well as instruct them in the science of firefighting. We must teach them about building construction and structural collapse, and point out the Frank Brannigans, the Chief Vinnie Dunns, and others who have made contributed to fire science. They must learn about the origin of the Maltese Cross and the history behind the badge--it's not just a shiny piece of metal to wear.

Any member of the fire service can teach these lessons. You don't have to be a 20-year veteran to know the history behind the badge or why these subjects are important. You may be a two-year probie, but you can still have a powerful impact on the first day of a rookie. To all the inexperienced people, listen up, and to the already seasoned, lead by example. Don't be afraid to step out there, even if it is only in the station--a great starting point for developing leadership skills. General Robert E. Lee only promoted personnel that kept an orderly tent. Eventually, after you prove yourself, you have the opportunity to show what you can accomplish. Stick with it and show you can be responsible.

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