Week 1 Learning Activities
Theme One: The role of the 21st century leader as
differentiated from that of the 20th century leader.
Learning Activity 1
Joe Jackson owned a saw mill in Stuttgart, Arkansas. It was
a family concern that hadn’t changed in 50 years. Having grown up in the
business Joe had never really 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 his
father’s health was precarious and he was forced to step down. Joe’s brother
was expecting to step up to the role of Vice President but Joe knew that was a
mistake. The business itself was being quickly eroded because of the
sustainability issues facing the world. Joe could see this but not Jacob. Joe
needed to have a long talk with Jacob to make him see reason. Either they
worked together for the future or Joe would have to take the lead role.
Prepare an outline of points for Joe to make in his
discussion with his brother. Explain the role of the 21st century leader and
why it differs from that of the 20th century leader. Make sure to reference your
reading material to validate the points you make.
Theme Two is the difference between the leader and the
manager
Learning Activity 2
Click on the link below and fill out the chart to include
the individual characteristics of a leader and manager in the categories named.
Leader/Manager Chart
Theme Three is the corollary of LA2 how do the two roles
overlap?
Learning Activity 3
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.” Juan Para must make a
decision about hiring June Jacob. Determine his solution if he uses the
leader’s perspective and then if he uses the manager’s perspective. Do you see
a difference? If so why? If not why not? Could the outcome be the same and
still benefit the company?
Protection Insurance Stays Alive
At 7:30 a.m., Juan Para hit the snooze alarm for the third
time, but he knew he could never go back to sleep. Rubbing his eyes and shaking
off a headache, Para first checked his IPHONE and read an urgent message from
his boss, explaining that Jack Nixon, chief security analyst, had resigned last
night and needed to be replaced immediately. Frustrated, Para lumbered toward
the shower, hoping it would energize him to face another day. After last
night’s management meeting, which had ended after midnight, he was reeling from
the news that his employer, Protection Insurance, was spiraling toward a
financial meltdown.
Para 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, Protection had
$100 billion in annual revenues, 65 million customers, and 96,000 employees in
130 countries. One year later and staggered by losses stemming from the credit
crisis, Protection teetered on the brink of failure and was in need of
emergency government assistance. Protection had been a victim of the meltdown
in the credit markets. The collapse of this respected financial institution
sent shock waves throughout the world’s economy.
Within Protection’s Manhattan office, Para 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,
revenues weren’t coming in fast enough, and job cuts were imminent.
Finger-pointing and resignations of key managers had become commonplace. Strong
leadership was needed to guide employees to stay the course. Para knew his
first priority was to replace Jack Nixon. When leaving the meeting last night,
his boss had told him, “It’s critical that we keep key managers in place as we
weather this storm. If we lose any, be sure you replace them with ones who can
handle the stress and can make tough, maybe even unpopular, decisions.”
Working up a sweat as he rushed into his office, Para began
sorting through the day’s priorities. His first task would be to consider internal
candidates to replace Nixon. He pondered the characteristics required of a
chief securities analyst and scribbled them on a 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. Para immediately thought of June Jacob, a senior analyst
who had been vocal about her desire to move up and had recently shown steady
leadership as the organization started to crumble.
Jacob 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
likable, sensitive to her employees, and a consensus builder. While many
managers within Protection had made questionable business decisions, June had
held herself to a high ethical standard and created a culture of integrity.
Jacob was focused on the future—a go-getter who knew how to get results.
With the future of the company at stake, however, Para
wondered if Jacob 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 large part of her motivation was to have people like her. When
she reported a shortfall in earnings in the last company meeting and came under
fire, she’d become defensive and didn’t want to point fingers at employees who
were to blame. In fact, Para recalled another instance when Jacob recoiled at
the thought of firing an employee who had developed a pattern of poor
attendance while caring for her sick husband. She confessed a hesitation to
confront poor performers and employees struggling to balance home and work
life.
Para stirred his morning coffee and wondered aloud, “Is June
Jacob capable of balancing kindness and toughness during a 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 lead successfully?”
