Clayton Industries - Qualities of a Good Leader - Case Study Example

Clayton Industries. Case analysis

Introduction

It is often suggested that employees should be regarded the most valuable asset of a company. Indeed, this can be explained by the fact that sometimes certain employees are able to have a significant influence on the development of an organization, allowing it to deal with the crisis effectively. It is obvious that these are not ordinary employees, but successful leaders who are placed at strategic positions and are given responsibilities to cope with a crisis. The case of Clayton Industries is a good example how the future of a company was in the hands of a leader. Clayton Industries is an organization that was founded slightly less than a hundred years ago. Over the history, it expanded overseas and now operates both in the United States and in Europe. Everything went well for it until the Global Economic Recession of 2008-2009 struck. This paper will provide an examination of leadership of Peter Arnell, a person who was tasked with saving the company branch in Italy.

Personal background

To begin with, it may be crucial to understand the background of Arnell is a leader since it is able to provide a considerable amount of valuable insights regarding his leadership (George et al 163). Thus, the case study mentioned that Arnell had served in the Royal Marines for seven years. He even was promoted to Captain. Another element that is stated regarding his background is the fact that he studied in a business school in London. The evidence shows that while this seems to be a rather unexpected combination of knowledge, but military background together with business skills can make a good leader. Indeed, many years in the army taught Arnell the value of discipline. As a result, he translated this approach to the business environment.

Making an impact

Another point that should be stressed bout Arnell as a leader is the fact that he was never satisfied with a supporting role. Indeed, the text suggests that once he acquired a job, but did not like it because it did not allow him to make any significant impact on the situation. Yukl points out that power and influence are particularly important when it comes to understanding leadership since the latter does not deal with distribution of it only, but also reflects the innate desire to enjoy power and leadership (198). Based on the information that is available regarding the inclinations of Arnell, one might come to a conclusion that he is a person that wants to embrace a sufficient amount of power and would like to make an impact on an organization. That is why the task that he was given really suits him.

The Golden Rule

The Golden Rule is interaction states: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. That is exactly the kind of approach that was utilized by Arnell: he admits that he drives himself hard, but he also expects that others will follow the suit. In other words, some might point out that he may be too demanding or too pushy, but one should not forget the fact that he is too demanding and too pushy towards himself as well. In other words, if he sets a bar, he works hard to be able to reach it. This may be regarded as a rather positive quality for a leader since he sets the example for the followers and encourages them to do the same, showing that since he is able to deal with it, other can deal with it as well.

Blunt honesty

The previous section focuses on one aspect of interaction with people. However, there is another aspect that should be stressed, namely blunt honesty. Indeed, some might suggest that managers feel the temptation to speak out their mind directly since they know that their subordinates are not going to talk back. However, one should point out that sometimes blunt honesty may have positive results. Thus, when Arnell took over the Italian branch, he made it very clear that the most important task for him, the company and the staff is to improve the current state of affairs. That is why he insisted that the vacations are to be postponed. Some might point out that this was a rude move and he did not have the right to say so. However, it is important to keep in mind that he said exactly what he was thinking and prepared the staff for the future.

Making tough decisions

One would make no mistake suggesting that leaders are often faced with difficult decisions that they have to make. One may go even further suggesting that such decisions should be regarded as a test for their leadership. If this is indeed so, then Arnell may have already passed this test. The case study reports that when working in the UK he advocated and facilitated closing of Corliss boiler plant. What is even more important is that this was his decision which was made within weeks after he assumed a high position. Nevertheless, one should point out that this tough decision necessary to make sure that the operations of the company state in line with the cost cutting program. Therefore, there is evidence that Arnell once could make a difficult decision that was conditioned by the strategy of the company.

Work/life balance

It will not be an exaggeration to assume that the balance between work and life constitutes one of the major issues of being a leader. For example, King, Altman, and Lee insist that problems regarding delineating professional and personal life can result in a significant decrease of productivity and potentially harm the performance of a person (126). However, if one takes a close look at what Arnell did when he was assigned to go to Italy will explain the manner in which he tries to find this balance. Thus, the case study shows that he went to Italy in July, but asked his family to come over in October. In other words, there were three months when he lived alone in a foreign country. As he put it himself, he needed this pause in order to me able to focus on the task and achieve. This might be interpreted as a good sign and show that Arnell is able to balance his work and life.

Dismissing employees

At the very beginning of his leadership in Italy, he dismissed three managers after the first meeting solely for the fact that they did not want to postpone their vacation. Daft and Marcic point out that this might be regarded as a good example of a workplace conflict (484). Some might argue that this was the decision that Arnell would regret. While indeed the reason for firing the three managers was not well explained, one should keep in mind that he did it not because he abused his power. If one carefully examined the situation, one will be able to see that Arnell deliberately purged the workplace of the people who were not ready to put their effort into achieving the desired result. In spite of the fact that they had the right to refuse and to go on the vacation, such attitude during a crisis should be interpreted as a sign of low morale and such employees will not benefit the company.

Negotiating skills

It has already been mentioned that leaders have to deal with conflicts a lot. This means that they have to have good negotiating skills that it is beneficial to the solve conflict with the help of finding a mutually acceptable compromise that would benefit both parties. However, this may be particularly hard when the parties hold opposing views. Nevertheless, the case study suggests that Arnell is able to negotiate successfully. Consider the situations when he was able to settle the conflict with FILM. In addition to that, he was able to persuade the bank to postpone the credit deadline. Therefore, it is obvious that this leader knows how to handle difficult negotiations.

Collecting information

Many people believe that being a leader is all about making decision. It is quite obvious that the latter is an irreplaceable part of leadership as such, but one should also point out that collecting information is as important part of making decisions. The text shows that prior to outlining the available option, Arnell spent a considerable amount of time understanding the market and learning the history of the company. This shows that he does not want to make decision that will change the course of the development of a company dramatically, but he wants to introduce changes that would alter it in a harmonious way. That is why he learned about the operations of the previous leader and tried to find a way to cope with the possible mistake that he had done in the past.

Facilitation of interaction

It has been stated in the beginning of the paper that employees are the most valuable asset of a company. The same approach can be implemented when it comes to evaluating the relationship between leaders and followers. No matter how good Arnell can be, much of work is done by his colleagues. That is why it is crucial that he focused on facilitating interaction between them which is exactly what happened: he organized a conference where managers could meet and exchange their views on the current situation. All this leads to the understanding that Arnell is well aware of the fact that in order to achieve the organizational objectives he has to organize the work of other employees. This is particularly important since it shows that he has a clear plan in his mind and is going to implement it.

Conclusion

Having examined all the points which were made in the paragraphs above, one is able to come to the following conclusion: the evidence shows that Arnell is a good leader since he possesses all qualities of a good leader. First of all, he has a personal background that taught him the importance of discipline and it is something that projects on the business world. He wants to make an impact on the situation and is not satisfied with a supporting role. He is demanding to the employees, but he is also extremely demanding toward himself. He expresses his opinions bluntly, even though it might cause conflicts. He is capable of making difficult decisions when needed. Moreover, he is able to find the right balance between work and life, making sure that one does not distract from the other. He has great negotiating and information collecting skills and he facilitates interaction of the employees.