Business Executive George Zimmer Founder of Men's Warehouse - Coursework Example

Leadership Styles of Business Executives Leadership Styles of Business Executives: A case study of Men’s Warehouse Analysis of Business Executive George Zimmer’s (Founder of Men’s Warehouse) Leadership style and its Impact on the organization George Zimmer Leadership Style (Based on a leadership theory) George Zimmer founded Men’s Warehouse- a retailer company for men’s clothing, in the year 1973 and saw it accomplished notable financial success over the years. He was however fired from the company’s position as chairperson of the Board in 2013, two years after leaving the C.E.O position and 40 years of active running of the firm (Forbes Magazine. 2013). As the C.E.O of Men’s Warehouse though, George Zimmer maintained the practice of a Participative and democratic kind of leadership, as described by Lewin’s leadership styles.

He believed in the people in an organization being the most important aspect of consideration. He stated in one interview that “What creates longevity in a company is whether you look at the assets of your company as the untapped human potential that is dormant within thousands of employees, or is it the plant and equipment?. If you ask me how I measure the results of my training program, I cant. I have to do it on. trust in the value of human potential” (Skip LeFauve interview, 1998). As the top manager, he believed in collective decision making which allowed for participation of workers at all levels in the organization.

According to George Zimmer, this was the ultimate mechanism of winning over employee commitment in the job environment. The business executive believed in creating of joint goals for the organization, which workers could identify with and gain a sense of belonging in the company (Pfeifer et al. 1999). The Participation theory of leadership advocates for the notion that joint decision-making facilitates social commitment to the company among workers. It also assumes that since joint decision-making involves diverse viewpoints, the resultant decisions are generally better compared to cases otherwise; it is described by other scholars in the business field as Management by Objectives (MBO) (Changingminds.com. 2014).

As a participative leader, George Zimmer was also a democratic leader who shunned autocratic decisions in most cases, save for extremely sensitive company matters. His ‘people’ management style has proved to be successful and insightful, considering it is goal oriented, focusing on the results of business activities. Concerning Management by Objectives (MBO), the leadership approach bears the philosophy of ‘why we do’ and not ‘what we do’, a clearly strong foundation for the business that motivates people within and outside the company (Changingminds.com. 2014).

Analysis of Men’s Warehouse Health (based On media info) George Zimmer was the face of Men’s Warehouse, for the four decades he ran the firm, he attracted admiration from people within and outside the company, he was dedicated to ensuring the company brand became a success and he for sure loved his job as the C.E.O of the company. He believed in creating and maintaining value for the firm as the main objective via facilitating sales operations. As a result, the company maintains a competent sales workforce and vast storage capabilities that ensure it achieves desired sales volume.

The company also invests heavily in advertising (Pfeifer et al. 1999). The Fortune magazine (2013), ranked Men’s Warehouse as the 50th best company to work for in the United States in 2013 concerning work life, pay, benefits, diversity, training and healthcare cover. For the first quarter of 2013, Men’s Warehouse experience a 23% increase in profits. As of the same time the company operated 1,143 retail outlets. Relationship between George Zimmer’s Leadership style and health of Men’s Warehouse It remains a fact that for the near forty years that George Zimmer was at the helm of Men’s wear, the company recorded outstanding success in its business undertakings.

The founder of Men’s Wear undoubtedly employed effective strategies that guided the company on a path of success. His approach to involve workers in decision-making was practical largely on sales staff of the company. Constant training of these customers ensured they interacted well with customers who in turn achieved satisfaction and kept the company in business (Pfeifer, 1997). It is true that effective leadership represents a key factor in an organization’s success. The leadership style of George Zimmer’s kept Men’s Warehouse’s workers motivated in the work place.

The fact that the organization was able to hold high regards for employees as a function of management ensured they were satisfied in terms of compensation, work conditions and benefits like training and gym and aerobics facilities at work among others (Study Mode. 2013). The Leadership style of George Zimmer achieved the purpose of transforming individual employee potential into reality by involving them in the decision-making processes of the firm. The former C.E.O was undoubtedly setting the pace for workers.

As the face of the company, his leadership offered direction with much emphasis and power, not authority. His engagement in other company duties aside from his job description as C.E.O such as appearances in advertisements and campaign for public caused gave him enhanced social standing that was instrumental to the safeguarding of the company’s brand and image (Pfeifer, et al. 1999). References Changingminds.com. (2014). Leadership Teories. Retrieved from http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leadership/theories/leadership_theories.

htm Forbes Magazine. (2013). The Worst CEO Screw-ups of 2013. Retrieved online from http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/12/18/the-worst-ceo-screw-ups-of-2013/ Pfeifer, J. (1997). The Mens Wearhouse: Success in a Declining Industry. Case HR5, Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Stanford, CA. p. 2 Study Mode. (2013). Case study: Men’s Warehouse: Success in a Declining Industry. StudyMode.com. Retrieved online from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Case-Study-The-Men%E2%80%99s-Wearhouse-Success-1377513.

html Skip LeFauve interview by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton, Detroit, MI, March 25, 1998 Pfeifer, J. et al. (1999). Knowing `what to do is not enough: Turning knowledge into action. California Management Review. 42(1). 15-28.