Successful Leaders in Contemporary World: People versus Task Oriented - Essay Example

 Successful Leaders in Contemporary World: People versus Task Oriented – An Analysis Table of Contents 1.0 Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………. 2 2.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………….. 3 3. 0 Methodology…………………………………………………………………………… 4 4. 0 Findings………………………………………………………………………………… 4 5. 0 Definition of Terms…………………………………………………………………….. 5 6. 0 Discussion of Contemporary Leaders……………….…………………………………. 6 6. 1 Rupert Murdoch………………………………………………………………………... 6 6. 2 Warren Buffett………………………………………………………………………….. 7 6. 3 Bill Gates……………………………………………………………………………….. 8 6. 4 Donald Trump………………………………………………………………………….. 9 6. 5 Jack Welch……………………………………………………………………………... 10 7.0 Analysis……………………..………………………………………………………….. 12 8. 0 Recommendation………………………………………………………………………. 12 9.0 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………… 13 10. 0 References……………………………………………………………………………...15 1.0 Abstract The objective of this essay is to choose a few existing leaders to concentrate on and to critically analyze using various management theories whether these leaders are people oriented or task oriented. The following contemporary leaders are chosen for the discourse: Rupert Murdoch, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, and Jack Welch. A conclusion would finally be proffered after an evaluation of the findings and a recommendation would be stipulated accordingly. 2.0 Introduction Leadership seeks to bring people and groups from where they are to where they have not been. It enables people to go beyond the confines of mediocrity and tread into the realm of excellence. In the process, it induces people to define their desires and to pursue them with passion. Ultimately, leadership transforms potential into reality. According to Warren Bennis, “leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential.” (Christian Leadership, n.d., par. 7) Leaders are concerned with the creation of an environment for performance. They integrate tasks, structure, technology, resources, and people into a productive configuration. They achieve goals through the efforts of other people. They have to influence the behavior of other people in order to get things done. The diverse patterns of behavior and actions that leaders exhibit over a period of time and perceived by followers have been identified as the dominant style of leadership. This style is developed utilizing an interplay of factors which shape leadership development. Leadership style is the pattern of behavior and actions that leaders make over a period of time as perceived by followers. It is how leaders behave, over time, when they are trying to influence the performance of others. Style is the visible aspect of leadership which can be seen in the day-to-day interaction of leaders with followers. It is a manifestation of a leader’s assumptions, philosophies and attitudes. Generally, leaders can be classified according to being task oriented or people oriented. This classification was based on Blake and Mouton’s Managerial Grid (1985). In this regard, this essay is written with the objective of choosing a few existing leaders to concentrate on and to critically analyze using various management theories whether these leaders are people oriented or task oriented. The following contemporary leaders are chosen for the discourse: Rupert Murdoch, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, and Jack Welch. A conclusion would finally be proffered after an evaluation of the findings and a recommendation would be stipulated accordingly. 3.0 Methodology The essay would be developed using secondary sources of studies from various research literatures on the topic of leadership. It would initially present an introduction of leadership in general and explicitly define the objective of the essay. The leaders to be analyzed are hereby identified as Rupert Murdoch, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, and Jack Welch. The essay would then proceed with a definition of relevant terms such as leadership, Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid, people oriented, task oriented, among others. Further, the main body of the essay would present distinct leadership characteristics of the identified leaders to analyze and assess their general leadership style using Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid. An analysis of the findings would reveal which style is used by majority of the contemporary leaders: people-oriented or task oriented – and determines if, indeed, this particular style contributed to their success. Finally, a recommendation on the most appropriate leadership style that could be used by present and future leaders would be presented prior to concluding remarks. 4.0 Findings From the five contemporary leaders that were identified and analyzed in terms of their leadership style conforming to either people oriented or task oriented, it is eminent that more than 80% (or 4 out of 5) are confirmed to be task-oriented. Although most acknowledged that people are a critical resource needed to achieve organizational goals, it is their emphasis on the achievement of tasks that is of utmost importance to them. As most are in the top level of the hierarchy, their leadership skills are assessed in terms of how successful they are in achieving organizational goals. Therefore, their effectiveness as leaders are measured by the amount of tasks accomplished. 5.0 Definition of Terms One of the most exciting and challenging theories encompassing human behavior in organizations is leadership. Leadership is the process of influencing people to work or act towards the attainment of specifically defined goals (Martires & Fule 2000: 569). This topic of delving into human behavior in organizations intrigued many scholars that Ken Valenzuela, the Chief Editor for BeALeader.Net collected various definitions of leadership, to wit: “Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal”. (Northouse, 2004). His own definition is hereby presented as “the ability of developing and communicating a vision to a group of people that will make that vision true” (Valenzuela, 2007). Authors Lussier & Achua (2004) define leadership as “the influencing process of leaders and followers to achieve organizational objectives through changes”. (Lussier & Achua, 2004) Robert Blake and Jane Mouton developed the managerial grid to represent various leadership styles. The grid has two dimensions: namely, concern for tasks and concern for people. Concern for tasks refers to the amount of emphasis a manager place on achieving tasks or responsibilities. Concern for people, on the other hand, has to do with the degree of importance a manager puts in meeting the needs of people. The way a manager links these two concerns together defines his leadership style. (Clark, 2008) Having distinguished the relevant terms for the discourse, interesting facts and characteristics of contemporary leaders would be presented. 6.0 Discussion of Contemporary Leaders Leaders are a distinct breed of individuals who thrive and excel in a highly competitive environment. The past century has witnessed the growth and evolution of business enterprises, some of whose existence are still being savored through products and services that have survived until the present times. The innate skills which exhibit inherent characteristics of a successful leader are being tested to the limits. But, as this discourse would eventually reveal, the distinct traits that catapulted these leaders to their apex are the very same traits that would be utilized to turn environmental threats into opportunities. These leaders would be closely examined in terms of exhibiting either people-oriented or task oriented styles in their practice of leadership. 6.1 Rupert Murdoch One the strengths of FOX TV is its leadership – owned and headed by Rupert Murdoch, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He is known to be powerful, greedy and fearless. (Mondo Code: Rupert, 2010, 1) His keen acumen in business and entrepreneurship enabled him to acquire vast ownership in media companies in the world. Rupert Murdoch is known to have catapulted News Corporation into one of the most productive and progressive media and entertainment companies in the United States today. According to Woopidoo (n.d., par. 1), “Murdoch wields considerable power with his global media company and is often wooed by politicians to persuade him to favorably cover their campaigns. His empire covers television, filmed entertainment, cable network programming, book publishing, direct broadcast satellite television, magazines and newspapers operating in the United States, Australia, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Asia and the Pacific Basin.” The article additionally reported that “his rise through the ranks often caused controversy and outrage because of his ruthless management style and desire to succeed” (Woopidoo, n.d., par. 4) Furst (2003, par. 1) pictured Murdoch, to wit: “dominating, manipulating, never sentimental about business, keeps you on your toes, right-wing, a gambler, a catalyst for change, a dictator, a tyrant, and the greatest dealmaker of our time.” In a closer examination of his management and leadership style, particularly assessing if he is basically task-oriented or people-oriented, Furst averred that “Rupert Murdoch is well known for his style in using people to build his empire. However, he does not pay much attention to people, and those who are not doing their job do not belong there and simply have to go” (2003, par. 6) 6.3 Warren Buffett According to an article written by Michael J. Spindler (2010), Warren Buffet is “the CEO, and the biggest shareholder of the Berkshire Hathaway Company. Buffet's has an estimated current net worth of approximately $52 billion in US funds. Forbes Magazine ranks Buffett the third richest person in the world in September 2007 behind Carlos Slim and Bill Gates” (par. 1) His leadership style is described as “driven by a high need to be right, a Conscientious, C type. The C personality is introverted and task-oriented. Cs are often accountants and engineers. Buffet is analytical, a critical thinker, detail-oriented, conservative, risk-averse, quiet and private. He's controlled, even-tempered, objective, dispassionate, patient and diplomatic. He has very high standards, follows the rules and is perfectly organized. He picks good people and treats them with respect.” (Reed, 2010, par. 2) Clearly, he has been identified as a task-oriented leader with high drives to succeed. 6.3 Bill Gates One of the most successful and famous leaders and entrepreneurs of contemporary times is Bill Gates, owner of Microsoft. Gilgenbach (2006), in his article, “What made Bill Gates so successful and why Microsoft won’t be the same without him”, contended that “if I had to choose one word to describe Bill Gates, it wouldn’t be any of the usual suspects. It wouldn’t be rich, although he is the wealthiest man in the world. It wouldn’t be powerful, although he has shaped the future of computing. It wouldn’t be nerdy, but some may describe him as such. It definitely wouldn’t be evil, although many people think that is the case, and in my Mac loving days, that thought probably crossed my mind. No, the word that I would use is “passionate”.” The prominent and distinguishing characteristics and traits which identify and set entrepreneurs and leaders apart are their vision, dedication and commitment, and their high drive to achieve. What was not mentioned here but innate in leadership traits is their willingness to take calculated risks and the desire for innovation and improvement. The successful leader, Bill Gates, has passion as one of the characteristic of his leadership style. A leader might possess all the characteristics and traits necessary to succeed. He might have the appropriate motivational factors to drive him to focus on his goals. But if he does not have the determination to “relentlessly execute” ways and means towards the achievement of his objectives, despite any detriments and insufficiencies on resources that he has, and then his leadership vision would lack luster. In a study conducted by Kumar (n.d.), Bill Gates is more of a “task-oriented leader who wants performance from his subordinate or follower and work has to be done to achieve goal or objective of the company”. (12) Control is basic to his character and finds that the best people must be recruited and trained to achieve organizational goals. 6.4 Donald Trump A prominent and successful figure who exemplified success in leadership and entrepreneurship is Donald Trump. In a study conducted by Hornaday & Abound (1971) regarding characteristics of a successful leader and entrepreneur, they averred that there are distinct characteristics eminent in Donald Trump’s personality, among those traits that they mentioned are: “a streak of independence which stops them from just wanting to work for someone, and doing so will never satisfy them, no matter how near to the top they get. This is why they are better suited to owning and running their own business than working for someone else.” Found to be domineering and highly disciplined, Trump is known to rule with an iron fist – making him more of a task oriented leader. There are five key personal qualities which exemplify the leadership and entrepreneurial strategy employed by Donald Trump and enabled him to succeed in all his endeavors. These qualities are: enthusiasm, relationship-building skills, showmanship, preparation, and tenacity. (Ross 2005 p.4) He learned his entrepreneurial strategy from his father. “Donald Trump received much of his business sense from his father, Fred Trump, who was forced by his father's death to help support a large family. His father succeeded in producing affordable housing. Donald Trump was brought up assisting his father with his business ventures. Donald set a goal to be involved in real estate in a larger scale than his father. Trump started a billion dollar empire and is now also on his own hit TV show called the Apprentice. Donald Trump owns over 100 businesses.” (Harper & Arington 2004) He also suits Grabinsky´s profile of the a leader and an entrepreneur which depicts him as a restless, non-conformist person, a little crazy for the rest of the people, obsessive, exploiter of himself and of his workers, with “flexible” ethics, especially with respect to his relationship with the government, with great intuition. He or she is also disciplined, a leader, with a capacity for organizing and with very good physical condition. (Grabinsky, 1987). 6.5 Jack Welch One of the most notable leaders who manifest the characteristics and traits of a servant leader is John Francis Welch, Jr., former Chief Executive Officer of General Electric, known as Jack to many. According to Byrne (1998, par. 12), “No one, not Microsoft's (MSFT) William H. Gates III or Intel's (INTC) Andrew S. Grove, not Walt Disney's (DIS) Michael D. Eisner or Berkshire Hathaway's (BKR.A) Warren E. Buffett, not even the late Coca-Cola (KO) chieftain Roberto C. Goizueta or the late Wal-Mart (WMT) founder Sam Walton has created more shareholder value than Jack Welch.” He has a charismatic personality, “coupled with an unbridled passion for winning the game of business and a keen attention to details” (Byrne, 1998, par. 16). He demanded an informal structure where the traditional chain of command was violated; enforced an open communication at all times encompassing all levels; and regularly and frequently interrelated with all personnel regardless of ranks. He has great faith in people’s creativity and believes in the value of surprise. As emphasized, “there are no bounds to human creativity. ''The idea flow from the human spirit is absolutely unlimited,'' Welch declares. ''All you have to do is tap into that well. I don't like to use the word efficiency. It's creativity. It's a belief that every person counts.''” (Byrne, 1998, par. 31) Concurrent with his philosophy of enforcing the element of surprise in GE, Welch made “unexpected visits to plants and offices, hurriedly scheduled luncheons with managers several layers below him, and countless handwritten notes to GE people that suddenly churn off their fax machines, revealing his bold yet neat handwriting. All of it is meant to lead, guide, and influence the behavior of a complex organization.” (Byrne, 1998, par. 22) According to Woopidoo Biographies, “his no nonsense leadership style gave him a reputation of being hard, even ruthless, but also fair when making business decisions.” (n.d., par. 4) He made a staggering 100,000 or more employees taken out of GE during his helm. Jack steered GE into one of the most remarkable rises in the history of America’s business organizations. Welch personally sets precise performance targets and vigilantly monitors them throughout the year. He directly meets and interacts with thousands of his employees; regularly reviewing their performance and motivating them to exceed their expectations. Jack Welch focused on this people. He acknowledged the vast potentials that each of his personnel has. He personally teaches and trains his personnel, particularly the managerial and executive groups. He has a unique and charismatic way of motivating them by making them feel that any of them can talk to him directly and informally at all times. He encourages sharing of success and failure as a continuous learning experience for growth and development. He manifests the characteristics of an intent listener, always aware of critical organizational issues, has exemplary business acumen, with commitment to the growth of people. Jack Welch’s style of leadership enabled GE to rise beyond anyone can ever imagine. Byrne averred that “it is a model that has delivered extraordinary growth, increasing the market value of GE from just $12 billion in 1981 to about $280 billion today.” (1998, par. 11) His servant leadership style transformed his organization into an informal learning company, with constant quest for growth and development encompassing personal, professional, community responsibility and societal concerns. Krames (2005, par. 1) described Welch as manifesting 4E’s of leadership. His being energetic, able to energize, has the ability to make an edge through tough decisions and gets required results through strategic executive make Welch’s behavior and actions beneficial to those who had the opportunity to have served him – and those he has served. Jack Welch is truly an inspirational leader as his style of leadership enriched everyone he came in touch with. This leader exhibits some traits exemplifying both servant and transformational leadership in the following aspects: being people oriented, believing that subordinates who know their tasks and are aware that they are contributing to organizational goals are innately motivated, being passionate in one’s work, being genuinely concerned of others, providing followers with opportunities to excel and succeed. 7.0 Analysis As leaders, the five contemporary leaders discussed above actively take charge and are accountable for the destiny of their organization. They believe that nobody else should be blamed. Even for some circumstances, the leaders are faced with the opportunities to make professional choices based on experience and business acumen. So, whatever direction that the organization takes in its corporate life, it is only right and proper to take them accountable for their actions. Further, in our busy world today, people are faced with a barrage of tasks and responsibilities which sometimes create confusion rather than order. Leaders must identify one’s personal and professional mission by spending time doing what fits one’s organizational mission. Through prioritizing daily organizational activities and by applying time management skills to program and schedule upcoming tasks, these leaders excel in their endeavors. 8. 0 Recommendation From the findings and analysis of the leadership style most prevalently used by contemporary leaders, it is mostly recommended that leaders in the topmost level of the organizational hierarchy must be more of a task-oriented leader than a people-oriented one. This recommendation rationalizes successful people’s ability to engage in various leadership and entrepreneurial activities. Highly successful entrepreneurs like Donald Trump and Bill Gates exemplify personality and character traits which incorporate time management and prioritizing tasks and responsibilities. It is important to recognize which activities require immediate action and which could be deferred to a later date. It is such a reassuring feeling to realize that by practicing the theory of putting first things first, one would be on the road to future success in whatever endeavor one aims to be in. Leaders are assigned and employed to do their tasks. Systems are installed to implement the necessary changes. However, when a gap still exists between knowing and implementing the solution, the top honcho should take the helm and assume responsibility in decision making. As timely recommended by O’Neil (2008), the leaders should create and head the teams to solve the problems. It should be a direct application experience. Leaders should not be wary or afraid to get their hands dirty for the sake of saving lives. By being part of the action team, only then can these leaders be assured that the solutions carefully drawn and crafted are efficiently and effectively implemented. 9.0 Conclusion The effectiveness of leadership skills is a matter of goal accomplishment. The personality of a successful leader encompasses characteristics and traits which surpass a limited domain. The scope of their vision goes beyond dreams and aspirations of ordinary businessmen. Their business acumen is exemplary. Their love for their work is more of a passion, a drive, an upsurge of potential energy towards the achievement of a specified goal. The essay was successful in achieving its objective of analyzing leadership styles using various management theories to determine whether these leaders are people oriented or task oriented. The contemporary leaders chosen for the discourse: Rupert Murdoch, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump show that their leadership style is mostly task oriented than people oriented, Only Jack Welch manifested a people oriented leadership style. By initially learning about the attributes that shape the personality of entrepreneurs, people who desire to emulate them, may determine the characteristics which serve as models of successful behavior. By being aware that these traits can be utilized in conjunction with other factors, would enable aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs to hone their skills, to continue learning, to focus and seek for opportunities in the ever changing, competitive environment. References Blake, R. R. and Mouton, J. S. (1985). The Managerial Grid III: The Key to Leadership Excellence. Houston: Gulf Publishing Co. Byrne, J. (1998). “How Jack Welch Runs GE.” Business Week. 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