Psychology of Leadership

Leader2Leader Dialogue Report

Delsa Christian

Foundations of Org Behavior (LDR-365-0

Indiana Wesleyan University

April 11, 2022

Leader2Leader Dialogue Report

Mr. David Karagu is a Kenyan American Businessman who owns the Ivory Chevy Auto Group based in Atlanta. He is an Alma matter of Morgan State University, where his father worked as a professor. He worked for several dealerships before opening his dealership, Ford Motor Company, in Jacksonville, Florida. At the age of 30, he opened his own Ford dealership making him one of the youngest Ford motor dealers in the United States. Later, he would diversify to Mercedes Benz dealership, which he opened in 2005 in Augusta, Georgia. The business turned out to be a gold mine since he was one of the five Black men to own a Mercedes Dealership in history. He would later open a BMW dealership in Columbia, South Carolina, followed by other car dealerships such as Subaru and Volkswagen in the same state. In 2010, he sold off his car dealerships and consolidated his dealership investment into one big company Ivory Chevy Auto Group. The company grossed revenues of upto$10 million, making it one of the most successful car dealerships in Atlanta and one of the most successful Black-owned companies in the region. The company is ranked as one of the most successful Black-owned companies, with this fete earning him a coveted spot in the Black Enterprise Magazine. This reputable publication recognizes critical investors.

Ivory Chevy Auto group is a company that employs approximately 100 employees. The company grosses approximately $10 million. Mr. David is the managing director of the company. On a daily basis, he receives approximately five reports ranging from car sales, credit reports, and reports on orders placed amongst several others. However, the reports will differ based on the sales and the financial year period.

One of the critical lessons learned on leadership in handling conflict is to listen keenly, differentiate the facts from fiction and other irrelevant issues, and fairly offer judgment. Fairness is a vital tool for any leader if the company succeeds. Fairness maintains satisfaction levels amongst employees since they are guaranteed that their issues are being solved openly and truthfully. Maintaining employee satisfaction levels isn't easy hence the need to find a way to solve conflicts that Mr. David solves through negotiation. He applies the concepts of truth, fairness, and justice in every negotiation, ensuring that all his employees are satisfied by his judgment. Through negotiation, he can solve his problems internally without court proceedings.

Self-evaluation and fair self-criticism is the best way to recover from mistakes. Self-criticism is incredibly best for any leader if they desire to face up to their mistakes. It helps one charter the best path possible to recover from their error and ensures that the individual never repeats a similar wrong. Being authentic to oneself while still avoiding being too harsh on oneself will help one realize their mistakes and recover from them.

Power-sharing is a contentious issue for any organization or individuals who desire to share it. One can describe sharing power as stepping on burning charcoal and hoping one won't get burned. One lesson learned from conversations with Mr. David Karagu is that each shareholder needs to know their strengths and weaknesses first. An individual who is especially good in finance and poor at public relations cannot head the company since public relations is what moves the company. This is especially beneficial in sharing power since it will enable each party to get a place in the appropriate positions.

Delegation of roles and authority where employees can make significant decisions concerning the company is one way of empowering employees. The employees can share in the company's growth by having their input considered and factored in when executing decisions within the company; sharing of information is also crucial.

I would change the leadership structure in the company. This leader follows a hierarchical leadership system; this system follows the top-down approach, which means that despite employees being part of the decision-making process, the executives still hold much of the power, and employees are not always consulted at each level. The bottom-up approach or the non-hierarchical allows for the decentralization of authority, and employees are part of the decision-making process.

Leadership principles that I noted throughout the conversation include the need to think significantly and out of the box, customer obsession where the desire to satisfy the customer comes first, and insistence on the highest standards of practice from oneself and the employees.