Read a case study and then answer three questions associated with them.

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you would be willing to work two extra days per week for a month. After you explained that you could work only your usual three days per week due to college and other commit- ments, your boss threatened to cut your hours indefinitely. Given how much you need the money, you grudgingly agreed to work the two extra days per week.

Your manager is using _____ power to persuade you to work the two extra days per week.

Scenario #3: Assume you were recently promoted to assistant man- ager of the bank in your hometown. You are friends with the employees who now report to you. You notice that they still treat you like a buddy and do not seem to respect you in your new role. You decide that it will be in everyone’s best interest if you assert yourself by reminding them that you are now their manager (and not their buddy). This is a challenging transition, but you feel the need to have their respect now that you are the manager.

You are using _____ power to encourage employees to respect you in your new role as assistant manager.

Scenario #4: Assume you are an experienced marketer of outdoor adventure trips. You recently changed jobs. While working for your previous employer, Outdoor Adventures, you cre- ated several successful marketing programs that resulted

in a 30 percent increase in sales over a three-year period. Now that you recently joined Eco Tours & Adventures, none of your co-workers knows the extent of your marketing knowledge. Your goal is to increase your power within the company. You decide to develop a really impactful and cre- ative marketing campaign unlike any used by Eco Tours & Adventures in the past.

You are using _____ power to increase your influence at Eco Tours & Adventures.

Scenario #5: Assume you are a salesperson and just found out that your organization’s largest client is thinking about moving its busi- ness to one of your competitors. If this happens, you will lose about 30 percent of your commission this year, not to men- tion the loss of revenue to your company. You decide to rush over to see your contact at the client company. You spend two hours listening to why the client might leave and ask repeatedly what your company can do to make things right. You are nervous, but still use your charm and sense of humor to convince your contact that you and your company deserve one more chance. Your contact agrees to get you a meeting with the CEO and to put in a good word for your company. She says she is doing this because she likes you (profession- ally) and doesn’t want to see you lose the business.

You are using _____ power to convince your contact that you and your company deserve another chance.

Josh Breitt, Rachel Starr, and Justin Diamond started an advertising agency to serve the needs of small businesses selling in and around their metropolitan area. Breitt contrib- uted clever ideas and a talent for writing scripts and woo- ing clients. Starr brought a wealth of media contacts, and Diamond handled the artwork. Their quirky ad campaigns soon attracted a stream of projects from car dealers, com- munity banks, and a carpet store. Since the agency’s first year, these clients have kept the bills paid while the three win contracts from other companies. Breitt, Starr & Diamond (BS&D) prospered by helping clients keep up with the times, and the agency grew to meet the demand, adding a book- keeper, a graphic artist, a web designer, two salespeople, a social media expert, and a retired human resource manager, who works 10 hours per week.

As the firm grew, the three partners felt they were con- stantly being pulled away from their areas of expertise to answer questions and solve problems about how to coordi- nate work, define jobs, and set priorities. They realized that none of them had any management training—and none of them had ever wanted to be a manager. They decided to

hire a manager for a position they would call general man- ager of operations. That person would be responsible for supervising the employees, making sure expenses didn’t go over budget, and planning the resources (including people) needed for further growth.

The partners interviewed several candidates and hired Brad Howser, a longtime administrator for a four-physician medical office. Howser spent the first few weeks quietly studying BS&D’s financial data and observing employees at work. Then he became more outspoken and assertive. Although the partners had never cared to monitor what time employees came or left, Howser began requiring all employees to start by 9:00 each morning. The graphic artist and one of the salespeople complained that flexible hours were necessary for their child care arrangements, but Howser was unyielding. He also questioned whether the employees had been shopping carefully for supplies, indi- cating that from then on, he would be making all purchases, and only after the employees submitted their requests on a form of his design. Finally, to promote what he called team spirit, Howser began scheduling weekly Monday-morning

Concluding Case B R E I T T, S TA R R & D I A M O N D L L C

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Leadership  Chapter 12 369

staff meetings. He would offer motivational thoughts based on his experience at his previous job and invite the employ- ees to share any work-related concerns or ideas they might have. Generally, the employees chose not to share.

Initially, the partners were impressed with Howser’s vigor- ous approach to his job. They felt more productive than they had been in years because Howser was handling employee concerns himself. Then the top salesperson quit, followed by the social media expert. The bookkeeper asked if she might meet with the partners. “Is it something you should be discussing with Brad?” Rachel asked her. The bookkeeper replied that, no, it was about Brad. All the employees were unhappy with him, and more were likely to leave.

D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S

1. Assume that hiring a general manager of operations was a good idea. What leadership style would be most effective in this position? Why?

2. What leader behaviors did Brad Howser exhibit? How well did they fit the needs of the ad agency?

3. Consider your own leadership style. What are some of your tendencies, and how might you change your perspective?

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