Unit 7: Discussion 2 MBA695 Peer Response

Unit 7: Discussion 2 MBA695 Peer Response

Response Comments - After posting your initial response to the question, begin making comments to your peers. A minimum of two comments made on two different days must be posted in the discussion for a passing grade.  The comments must be early enough before the end of the week to allow for replies. 

John Cone (Student 1)

Class,

Leaders are among the most purposeful and essential members of any organization.  With that widely known, the debate around best leadership styles and what it means to be a good leader always produced a wide variety of differing opinions.  Some people believe in tough love and others a guiding hand.  Maybe some choose a laissez-faire, relaxed approach in leading, while others constantly search for status updates and tracking the completion of milestones.  In my opinion, the top three attributes needed for a good strategic leader include relationship management, a capacity for pro-social rule breaking, and enough emotional intelligence to switch between leadership styles as necessary.  These qualities combined make for a good leader.  One of this weeks text sources states, "The corporate environment is messy: key executives often undertake strategic actions that may not be well aligned; a company’s most threatening competitor may not be apparent in advance; the players in any industry can make a multitude of strategic moves; and the results of competitive interaction between industry competitors are not always predictable." (Burgelman, 2015)  Given this challenging environment that is often laden with bureaucracy, it becomes necessary for strategic leaders to move at a speed that keeps up with the requirements of competitive advantage.  Usually breaking rules is seen as taboo behavior which employees commit out of self-interest, but there are many recorded instances of breaking rules for the right reasons, such as to help a client or employee, or to serve the company more efficiently (Morrison, 2006). Relationship management is huge because strategic leaders operate in the relationships which can be the key to success or failure, often dealing with tough decisions and short time horizons to make them which will ultimately affect the lives of many more people, employees and customers.  Good leaders need these relationship skills to make the tough decisions and deal with the reactions of others (Graham-Leviss, 2016).  Finally, there is no guarantee that one leadership style will work at all times.  The idea behind this is promoting "situational leadership"--the idea that good leaders changes styles based on the scenario they encounter (Kloeforn, 2017).  A leader may need to be charismatic and direct efforts, but also know when to get out of the way and let teams be productive when they are working efficiently.  Change is one of the only constants in any organization, and a good leader will be able to reflect that.

-John Cone

References Burgelman, R. (2015). Built to Become: Corporate Longevity and Strategic Leadership. Stanford University. Graham-Leviss, K. (2016). The 5 Skills That Innovative Leaders Have in Common. Harvard Business Review, 1-6. Kloeforn, S. (2017, April 20). Advantages of switching among leadership styles. Retrieved from BizJournals: https://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/news/2017/04/20/advantages-of-switching-among-leadership-styles.html Morrison, E. (2006). Doing the Job Well: An Investigation of Pro-Social Rule Breaking. Journal of Management, 5-28.

Zachary Sales (Student 2)

Hello, class.

There are several attributes that make up a successful leader. Having leaders that can successfully and strategically lead an organization to both innovation and long-term success is a must. Three attributes that I think are encompassing with these types of leaders are the ability having a strategic vision, setting an example for others to emulate, and developing a sense of responsibility amongst subordinates. 

Companies that work without an effective strategic vision often quickly find themselves dead in the water. Without any clear and concise expectations for missions and goals, an organization's trajectory cannot move forward. A successful leaders should have the fortitude and ability to help structure a company's vision by utilizing all the resources at its disposal. "Effectively enlisting the hearts and minds of your organization in a shared vision of the future differentiates leaders from non-leaders" (Isaglobal, 2021, p. 1). Taking the best parts of the best ideas and formulating them into an ideal strategic vision is easier to do with an effective leader that can see the bigger picture. Having a clearly defined strategic vision that incorporates an organization's corporate values lays the foundation for its strategic success. 

Setting a proper example for others to emulate is another vital attribute of any successful leader. This sets forth the standard of excellence that a leader should want their subordinates to follow. "When leaders are not competent with information or their responsibilities, they communicate that it is OK for everyone to be incompetent" (squareoneleadership, 2013, p. 1). By exercising strong professional competence and integrity, a leader may inspire those under their charge to follow suit. Subordinates can see what is obtainable and try their best to move their way into a leadership position as well. This continuous passing of the torch will help to breed innovation and sustain the livelihood of an organization.

Setting the example also ties into the last attribute I mentioned, developing a sense of responsibility amongst a leader's subordinates. An organization is driven forward by the people it employs. A successful leader will instill a sense of responsibility and deep connection in those under their charge. However, it is not a one-sided relationship. As the old saying goes, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink". Simply put, it is also on the subordinate employee to be willing in having the desire to take action of their responsibilities. A good leader will do everything in their power to ensure that their team feel an obligation to the outcome and results of a task.

REFERENCES:

Graham Leviss, K. (2022). The 5 Skills That Innovative Leaders Have in Common. Harvard Business School Cases, 1–1384.

Marine Corps. Leadership: Set The Example. (2013, March 15). Square One Leadership. https://squareoneleadership.com/2013/03/15/marine-corps-leadership-set-the-example/ (Links to an external site.)

Mobilio, L. (2021, May 21). 5 Components and 4 Criteria of an Effective Strategic Vision Statement. LSA Global. https://lsaglobal.com/blog/5-components-4-criteria-effective-strategic-vision/