Public Relations
Varying Degrees of Leadership: Successes and Failures in Modern Business Structures
By Jim Ernst
Public Relations Management
Summer 2011
Overview This paper is focused on the differences between good and bad leaders and the deeper issues that affect individuals in the leadership positions. With a basic knowledge of how managers are successful, future leaders can begin to incorporate these skills into their own management style and become better leaders. The idea for this research project came from an increased need to determine what traits and skills were found in successful managers. Obvious case examples are those of Enron, Worldcom, and Adelphia, but there are many other managers and CEO’s that let their companies suffer and fail just from their lack of devotion to their respective companies.
Research
In today’s business environment, there are many types of organizations and leaders who run these organizations. Great leaders help shape and grow the company while a bad leader can allow the company to go stagnant or even fail. What makes a leader great or bad? This all depends on the characteristics of their own personality. We often see a bad leader as one who embezzles as we have seen with companies like Enron or Adelphia. We can also view bad leadership as CEOs who let their company remain stagnant. One example of this type of leader is Jim Keyes, former CEO of Blockbuster, Inc. He continued to run the organization as it was in its heyday instead of keeping up with the times. He refused to change to the demands and ease of digital rental companies. Even when faced with change, he chose to stay with physical dvds instead of adapt to the digital download market. In such a wide array of leadership types, how can we begin to predict if a leader will be successful or a flop?
One area that we can use as a litmus test to see if a new CEO can succeed is by determining if they live into the corporate culture. Corporate Culture is defined as “A blend of
By Jim Ernst
Public Relations Management
Summer 2011
Overview This paper is focused on the differences between good and bad leaders and the deeper issues that affect individuals in the leadership positions. With a basic knowledge of how managers are successful, future leaders can begin to incorporate these skills into their own management style and become better leaders. The idea for this research project came from an increased need to determine what traits and skills were found in successful managers. Obvious case examples are those of Enron, Worldcom, and Adelphia, but there are many other managers and CEO’s that let their companies suffer and fail just from their lack of devotion to their respective companies.
Research
In today’s business environment, there are many types of organizations and leaders who run these organizations. Great leaders help shape and grow the company while a bad leader can allow the company to go stagnant or even fail. What makes a leader great or bad? This all depends on the characteristics of their own personality. We often see a bad leader as one who embezzles as we have seen with companies like Enron or Adelphia. We can also view bad leadership as CEOs who let their company remain stagnant. One example of this type of leader is Jim Keyes, former CEO of Blockbuster, Inc. He continued to run the organization as it was in its heyday instead of keeping up with the times. He refused to change to the demands and ease of digital rental companies. Even when faced with change, he chose to stay with physical dvds instead of adapt to the digital download market. In such a wide array of leadership types, how can we begin to predict if a leader will be successful or a flop?
One area that we can use as a litmus test to see if a new CEO can succeed is by determining if they live into the corporate culture. Corporate Culture is defined as “A blend of
Bibliography: 1. D. Gordon Smith, “Corporate Governance and Managerial Incompetence: Lessons from Kmart,” North Carolina Law Review Vol 74 Number 4 (1996):1037 – 1139. 2. Jerome Want, Corporate Culture: Illuminating the Black Hole. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2006. 3. David Ogilvy, Confessions of an Advertising Man. London: Southbank Publishing, 1963. 4. Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose. New York: Business Plus (2010) 5