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Transforming your strategies

 

I watched the videos by McChrystal (2011) and VitalSmarts (2012) and then evaluated their approaches compared to the textbook by Brown (2011). First, there is a stark difference between the type of leadership that was used in these situations. In the video by VitalSmarts (2012), Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale used transformational leadership to lead his team through change while the company he oversees was implementing new employee training. I’ve learned about so many different types of leadership since I started by graduate degree program and it has been a fun and interesting experience seeing many new forms of leadership. The latest has been transformational leadership, which gives more attention to the charismatic and affective elements of leadership (Northouse, 2018, p. 161). In the video by McChrystal (2011), he used prime examples from his experience in the military, which uses a traditional approach to leadership with a top-down reporting structure. Having come from a military family, I know that leadership varies quite a lot from one commander to the next. Each may bring their own approaches to how leadership will work under their orders. In nearly all those cases, I believe that military leadership is built on trust, many times in an authentic way that exceeds the transformational leadership shown by McIngvale. Authentic leadership goes beyond existing charismatic and transformational leadership theories by focusing on a leadership approach that fosters high levels of trust which in turn encourages people to be more positive (Helland and Winston, p. 49). The people referenced in both videos were learning new elements to leadership that would allow them to share in the vision of the organization. In the case of McIngvale, he wanted to reach sustainability of a company that had recently gone through some tough times. With McChrystal, he referenced how the art of learning to parachute with the US Army was about building trust and looking out for one another.

Every organization has a culture, but some cultures are stronger than others (Brown, 2011, p. 405). The difference between a weak and strong culture is the number of people sharing the values and the commitment level from members towards the values, as pointed out by Brown (2011, p. 406). Whether or not an organization needs to adjust or manage around their strategy for change can be decided by its compatibility with the existing culture.

For McIngvale, it was important that as the leader of his company he establish a new culture and identity for the employees to rally around. If he wanted to increase sales, make his employees more focused on themselves and the customer, he needed to change the way of doing business. He succeeded by telling the audience about the positive results they experienced after implementing those changes. As for McChrystal, realistic experiences allow people to judge whether giving orders or building consensus is the best way of applying leadership. Ultimately, it is about building trust with the team or in his case, with his platoon. Obviously, sharing the vision with employees or soldiers gives people the opportunity to learn and understand the direction of the organization. I think Brown (2011) said it well; In summary, leadership in today’s fast-changing world involves developing an innovative corporate culture: a culture that recognizes employees’ needs, the firm’s history, the marketplace, and the company’s products and services (p. 409).

References

Brown, D. R. (2011). An Experimental Approach to Organization Development. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.

Helland, M.R., & Winston, B. E. (2005). Towards a Deeper Understanding of Hope and Leadership. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies. 12(2),42-54. DOI: 10.1177/107179190501200204

McChrystal, S. (2011, March). Listen, learn…then lead. [Video file]. Retrieved https://www.ted.com/talks/stanley_mcchrystal_listen_learn_then_lead

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th Ed.) Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publishing.

VitalSmarts Video. (2012, September 17). Influencer: Gallery furniture video case study. [Video file]. Retrieved https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E20RW75Fhu4

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