Characteristics of Business Leadership: Alan Mulally

Leadership is a facet of management. It is just one of the many assets a successful manager must possess. The main aim of a manager is to maximize the output of the organization through administrative implementation. To achieve this managers must undertake the four functions of management: planning, organization, leading and controlling. In some cases leadership is just one important component of the leading function. Predpall (1994) said, "Leaders must let vision, strategies, goals, and values be the guide-post for action and behavior rather than attempting to control others". In some circumstances, leadership is not required. For example, self-motivated groups may not require a single leader and may find leaders dominating. The fact that a leader is not always required proves that leadership is just an asset and is not essential.

To me “Leadership means leading people for positive outcomes”. An effective leader may have many aspects but the relationship that exists between a leader and their followers is one of the most important aspects of leadership which can determine the success quotient in any organization.

Leadership goes beyond management, for some, leadership is instinctual and pours over into your personal life. This paper will discuss a leader I admire in my personal life, and analyze their leadership style. I will discuss how that leader has influenced my leadership style, as well as how things like environment and the economy affect my leadership approach.

Every group, team, or organization has a leader. That leader has to have certain qualities to be well respected and followed by his or her following. Not only does the leader have qualities and responsibilities to maintain but also the group’s members. Both the leader and individuals in the group must have respect, fear, and honesty among each other to be a productive group.

In American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company, Bryce Hoffman conducts over 100 interviews and had access to numerous company documents and personnel. Hoffman notes that prior to Alan Mulally accepting the Chief Executive Officer position, Ford was a venomous culture that had Executive Leadership not being truthful and honest with the Ford family. The backstabbing climate had turned so ugly that executives were placing hidden recording devices in each other’s

I believe Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Co. is an excellent leader. Reason being, though the economic crash of 2008 added extreme pressure for most motor companies in the U.S. to file for bankruptcy, Mulally did not want to file or take a government bailout. Instead, he took a risk, unlike the other car companies. So, after earning $7.2 billion of profits within his 5-year plan - which is far more than GM or Chrysler. He showed great skills with unique elements in term of his leadership and management style which helped form Ford’s culture. He was the type of

While trying to enhance the budgetary state of the battling automaker, another CEO, Alan Mulally, had been chosen in September 2006. Mullaly, a previous official VP of the Boeing Company was relied upon to utilize his mastery and authority aptitudes to remake the corporate culture and recover Ford's capacity to contend in a worldwide industry. Mulally expressed that "the greater is-better perspective that has characterized Ford for quite a long time was being supplanted with another approach: Less is More." Ford expected to give careful consideration to cutting expenses and changing the way it worked together than to conventional estimations, for example, piece of the overall industry

In corporate America the term used to describe a person in a position of power is “Manager”. A leader can be a manager, but a manager is not necessarily a leader. Leaders motivate, challenge, and influence others to achieve goals. Great leaders have the necessary skills and attributes which allow them to connect with the team and organization. Being a leader is not the same as managing an organization. Leader’s posses the interpersonal skills needed to influence others to achieve a goal willingly. Leading is a major part of a manager’s job. Leaders do not need to be a manager to lead people, but managers must know how to lead as well as manage.

Alan R Mulally, Ford’s Chief Executive, mortgaged all of the company’s assets, sold off a majority of its shares in many other companies and made job cuts in the hope to use the money to improve the fate of the company. Alan R Mulally, told the financial institutions that he plans to make Ford’s focus revolve around developing smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles in order to keep up with the foreign automotive producers, and increase domestic interest in the company’s products. After refocusing the company, Allen also introduce a new type of technology that would help Ford Motor Company appeal more to the eyes of the consumers. (Bill Vlasic, 2009)

The basic premise for leadership is the process of influencing other people to follow your lead in order to accomplish a goal. It is about the relationship between the leader and the followers. A good leader tries to motivate people to bring about positive changes revealing a common objective without using coercion or manipulation. Leadership is not about control, but permitting interaction and communication between the leader and the individual followers. With empowering others, leaders build a foundation of collaborative thinking and encourage an atmosphere of personal involvement; a leader can strengthen the respect and loyalty of his or her followers. Leaders can affect this process by applying their own personal characteristics, such

So he underwent a plan and where Ford would be successful and profitable. Ford motor company distributes and manufactures into different segments around the world like, North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa. The main issue in this case was expanding overseas and reshape the financial problems. I think to me the most interesting thing about this case study was how Ford introduced and outsider with no automotive industry experience. To me this is outstanding and a risky move, but I’ve heard the “higher the risk the higher the outcome”. But I think his experience in management is what transferred and made him succeed. Now, explaining the external analysis, internal analysis, and SWOT analysis of Ford will support my recommendations for the company.

Mulally’s own leadership style reflected this. Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, classified this type of leadership as level 5 Executive. Someone who builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. Mulally was a coach, not a king and while he relished the spotlight that came from Ford’s amazing resurgence, he was constantly pulling other executives into with him.

Dynamic leadership is one of the prerequisites for the success of any organization. A good leader not only sets an example for others to follow, but also inspires courage and confidence in their minds. Powerful leadership generates trust and respect in the minds of its followers and leads them to fulfill the ultimate objective of any organization. In the context of business organization, the ideals, like leadership, unearth the true potential of a candidate. Leadership does not necessarily come from a higher rank or a superior position; it is inherent to the personality of an individual and flourishes under extreme situations (Tracy, 2014). Also, leadership is the biggest driver of any type of change. Without the guidance of a passionate leadership, it is difficult for an organization to undergo any transformation. Leadership combines the various parts of an organization into one unit and paves the way for success.

It is undeniable that there are many challenged factors in today’s business world. One of the most important is leadership skill. Macmillan online dictionary (2015) defined leadership as “the position of being the leader or being in charge of an organization”. Leader is a person who leads the team to achieve the goal. There are several roles of leader such as problem solving, improving team performance, motivating, planning and organizing etc. According to Adairs Action-Centred Leadership Model (1973), the model consists of three main elements, which are co-ordinating teamwork, accomplishment the task and supporting individual. A person cannot perfectly reach a goal with one or two focusing factors. Effective Leader or manager has to

Leadership plays a critical role in the achievement of organizational growth and exhibit the best performance in the industry. Leadership determines the success of an organization as it is important to understand that the companies that perform excellently well in the industry are inspired by the conduct and attitude of their leaders. Leaders need to institute measures and mechanisms that will substantially improve the performance of their companies and project a good corporate image. It is important to acknowledge that corporations never fail but leaders do as they are charged with the primary mandate of ensuring that all the operations of the companies are structured for excellence.