The role of the leader in managing a crisis:
Case Study
“The Truth is that no one factor makes a company admirable. But if you were forced to pick the one that makes the most difference, you’d pick leadership.” (Warren Bennis, 1998)
Leadership is today`s most contreversial and commented topic. Do we really know what leadership is all about? Today leadership is becomming a more and more a demanding task.
John Kotter (2001), a leadership expert at the Harvard Business School, defines leadership as the ability to cope with change. "Leadership is a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". (Chemers M. (1997) An integrative theory of leadership. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers)
One of the most important and specific characteristics that is looked for within a leader of a business or organisation is their ability and competency in coping with a crisis. Globilasation of business strongly influences the mechanisms of a crisis within a business environment. Without any doubt, the mass media’s interest and portrayl of leadership within a business demonstrates that leadership as one of the most demanding tasks in running a successful business. Within a crisis greater pressure and focus is placed upon a leader of an organisation to deliver and produce positive results for the investors and shareholders of a business and this in turn makes the leaders life even more difficult to achieve. The Twenty First Century has globalised leadership of business and this is directly linked to the increasing national and international political and economic arrangements which increase the conditions for competition and changes the social and cultural diversification of an company and organisation. The results of these factors allows us to see the changes and the development of an individual within a business environment and in
References: 1. İtler Akat, Gönül Budak, Gülay Budak, Isletme Yönetimi, Istanbul, Beta Basım Yayın Dagıtım A.S1994, s.339 “ 2. Longman Dictionary 3. Lerbinger, O. (1997). The crisis manager: Facing risk and responsibility. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. 4. Coombs, W. T. (1999). Ongoing crisis communication: Planning, managing, and responding. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage 5. James, E. (Spring 2007). "Leadership as (Un)usual: How to Display Competence In Times of Crisis". Leadership Preview. http://www.leadershipreview.org/2007spring/Article4.pdf. “ 6. http://www.turkiyegazetesi.com.tr/news/2815/basortu_krizi.aspx 7. Kotler John P, Degisimi Yönetmek, Çev.Meral Tüzel, 8. Mahmoud Erramel, Micheal Bourn, The Role Of Accounting Information Systems _n a Organization Experiencing Financial Crisis Accounting Organization and Society 1990 p,339 “ 9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_management