1. LEADERSHIP AT WORK – Leadership Right–Wrong (5 Points)
– Leader Wrong: Think of a specific situation in which you were working with someone in a leadership position over you, and that person was doing something wrong for you. This person might have been a coach, teacher, team leader, employer, immediate boss, family member, or anyone with a leadership position over you. ‘‘Wrong for you’’ means that a person’s behaviors reduced your effectiveness, made you or your coworkers less productive, and was demotivating to you or your colleagues. Write a few words below describing what the leader was doing wrong for you.
– Think of a second situation in which someone in a leadership position did something wrong for you. Write a few words below describing what the leader was doing wrong for you.
2. LEADERSHIP AT WORK – Your Ideal Leader Traits (5 Points)
– Spend time thinking about someone you believe is an ideal leader. For the first part of the exercise, select an ideal leader you have heard about whom you don’t personally know. It could be someone like Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, or any national or international figure you admire. Write the person’s name here: ____________. Now, in the space below, write down three things you admire about the person, such as what he or she did or the qualities that person possesses.
– For the second part of the exercise, select an ideal leader you know personally. This can be anyone from your life experiences. Write the person’s name here: ____________. Now, in the space below, write down three things you admire about the person, such as what he or she did or the qualities that person possesses.
3. LEADERSHIP AT WORK – Mentors (5 Points)
– Think of a time when someone reached out to you as a mentor or coach. This might have been a time when you were having some difficulty, and the person who reached out would have done so out of concern for you rather than their self-interest.
– Mentoring comes from the heart, is a generous act, and is usually profoundly appreciated by the recipient. How does it feel to recall the situation in which a mentor assisted you? Below, briefly describe the situation, who the mentor was, and what the mentor did for you.
– Share your experience with one or more students. What are the common characteristics that mentors possess based on your combined experiences?
4. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: CASES FOR ANALYSIS – Waiting for Clearance (5 Points)
He wanted the help, but CEO Tony Bussard wanted to relinquish none of the power when he agreed with board members of Alvon Biometrics to maintain control over the financial and administrative side of the company while naming a COO to oversee day-to-day operations. Everyone agreed that the job was too big for one guy. After months of assessments, interviews, and discussion, Juan Carlos De la Vega was hired as COO of the company. De la Vega came to Alvon from a smaller rival company and was initially excited about his new position and the future of Alvon. De la Vega trained in military security investigations and became interested in the measuring and statistical analysis of biological data that included fingerprints, eye retinas and irises, voice patterns, and facial patterns that could be used in security systems. He had worked his way up through rival Bi-Tech to a position in middle management and jumped at the opportunity to guide a significant company in the field he was passionate about. ‘‘That is so cool,’’ was a De la Vega trademark comment as he delighted in the giant leaps of each system’s gadgetry.
But De la Vega’s exciting new position came with its frustrations as he tried to plunge into the rapidly changing technology while simultaneously fitting into the organization and tiptoeing around Tony Bussard’s ego.
Bussard welcomed De la Vega with the enthusiasm of an under-fire field officer who looks up to see reinforcements. He enthusiastically introduced the new COO and raved about De la Vega’s experience and expertise in biometrics. Bussard praised De la Vega for making my job easier.
Now, one year into the job, De la Vega was still wondering what was expected of him and where Bussard’s duties ended, and his duties began. Those things were never spelled out in an agreement, and the boundaries remained vague and confusing. Even during the initial job interviews, Bussard and board members showed great interest in De la Vega’s background and talked endlessly about Bussard’s vision for the future. But now, in retrospect, the COO realized that there was little or no discussion of his vision or any mention of how he would fit into the future being laid out for him.
With no explicit agreement, De la Vega’s earnest efforts to get guidance about his responsibilities seemed to be brushed aside by the CEO, who remained elusive and vague. ‘If he repeatedly tells me, ‘Yeah, yeah, we’ll talk,’ I think I will scream,’’ De la Vega complained. ‘‘I want to feel like a COO, not a sidekick to the CEO. At the same time, I don’t want to push so hard that Bussard and the board members become concerned that they made a mistake in selecting me.’’
The confusion about De la Vega’s role also filtered down the ranks. Employees’ expected initiative from De la Vega remained uncertain about his range of responsibilities. People looked almost exclusively to Bussard for direction, bypassing the new COO. Workers liked De la Vega and admired his industry experience. However, old habits die hard, and the habit of yielding to Bussard’s leadership remained intact. Even one year later, employees were reluctant to take a chance on angering Bussard by shifting even a portion of their attention and allegiance to De la Vega. For his part, De la Vega knew the time for clarity was now, but he hesitated, not knowing exactly how or when to approach the CEO from a position of strength.
– How would you characterize De la Vega’s style as a follower? What tactics might help improve his relationship with Bussard? Explain.
– If you were in De la Vega’s position, what would you have done from the beginning? Be specific about your actions and timing.
