To be successful in today's global marketplace, an organization must learn to adapt in order to stay one step ahead of the competition. Mission statements, goal setting, and planning methods alone are simply not enough anymore. Management fads have given way to time-tested management principles that distinguish good companies from truly great companies. Many organizations have found success by utilizing a technique of balancing their core ideology, stimulating progress, and seeking support by aligning company objectives, strategies, and policies. These companies are what Jim Collins and Jerry Porras call "visionary". Built to Last seeks to discover these timeless management principles that make a company truly "visionary" (Collins & Porras, 2002).
One of the central principles presented in Built to Last is the importance placed upon building the company, rather than relying exclusively on building a specific product or service. Collins and Porras use the metaphor of clock-building versus time-telling to illustrate this point. The distinction is drawn between leaders who are able to merely "tell the time" and those which are capable of "building a clock". Charismatic managers tell the time " they have exceptional skills in the here and now. However, truly great leaders build the clock " they create a company culture that can succeed far beyond the term of any one leader or the life of a product. Visionary companies don't simply follow others in their field, they tend to lead the way. While having a great product or operational idea is time-telling, creating an organization that has the capacity to succeed through many product life-cycles, and under successive leaders, is clock-building. This metaphor shatters the myth that truly s...
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In conclusion, Built to Last gives many examples of companies that have focused more on building an organization rather than making a profit. Many of the most successful companies have gotten to that point through a passionate commitment to a core ideology. They continually look to preserve that core, while creatively seeking ways to improve and stimulate progress. These are the timeless management principles that have worked for visionary companies of the past, present, and future. According to Collins and Porras, "one of the most important steps you can take in building a visionary company is not an action, but a shift in perspective" (Collins & Porras, 2002). To be built to last, you have to be built to change.
Reference
Collins, J., & Porras, J. I. (2002). Built to last: Successful habits of visionary companies. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
Heroes and leaders have long had a popular following in literature and in our own imaginations. From Odysseus in ancient Grecian times to May Parker in Spider-man Two, who states, “We need a hero, courageous sacrificing people, setting examples for all of us. I believe there’s a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble” (Raimi, 2004). Organizations need heroes, too. We call them organizational leaders. The study of organizational leadership, then, is really the study of what makes a person a successful hero. Or, what processes, constructs, traits, and dynamics embody the image of a successful leader.
Twenty-first-century societies could be characterized as the modern humanity with Cutting-edge technology and multiculturalism, with extreme materialism and economical drive. As a result, any modern organization, regardless of its size, type or nature, has to depend upon the factual structures and best management paths to survive in today’s civilization. Lee G.Bolman and Terrence F. Deal’s (2013) book “Reframing Organizations” presents most updated and developed managerial approaches to leadership and structure for the organizations.
This paper will compare and contrast two CEOs that led technology companies through difficult times. Michael Dell CEO and founder of Dell Computers and Andy Grove former CEO and cofounder of Intel each provided quality leadership as their companies faced challenges in the fast-paced computer technology industry. This paper will introduce each man and describe their contributions to their company and the field of management, resistance they encountered, similarities in their professional lives and how they differed. The information about these two success CEOs comes from Jeffrey Krames (2003) book What the Best CEOs Know: 7 Exceptional Leaders and Their Lessons for Transforming Any Business.
In today’s organization, strategic leadership is required for the drive to the top, the leaders believe in innovation and change. Therefore, they set forth by investing their strength to achieve success. Strengths Based Leadership by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie discussed the three keys to becoming a more effective leader through strengths, working with the right people of equal strength, seeking the right people on the team and achieving the basic need of a leadership. The strength of a leader is in his communication, a great communicator is one who thinks ahead of time in making sure things are done thoroughly. However, a leader’s strength can be categorized as a visionary thinker. The strength of a visionary thinker is one that understands the purpose of a project and work effectively to accomplish the project in a timely manner. According to (Rath & Conchie 2009, p.13), “Leaders can learn to develop certain skills which can help them become more effective, efficient,...
In today’s business environment, corporations must be able to adapt and develop strategies that allow them to remain as competitive as possible within the markets they serve. Leaders within those corporations must be able to fully understand the most effective leadership style required depending on the situation at hand. One style may be effective in one situation while another style may need to be used in another. In this day of environmental dynamism, organizations have had to refocus on organizational capabilities in order to attain a competitive advantage in such an environment. This refocus has led to a break in routines and involves a shift in organizational norms and required knowledge. James Clawson discusses the three levels of leadership in his book entitled “Level Three Leadership: Getting Below the Surface.” This article will discuss some issues that may arise within corporations and what leadership styles may be most effective for differing situations based on Clawson’s text.
Our commitment to steady, long-term improvement in our products and processes is the cornerstone of our business strategy. To achieve this objective, we must work to continuously improve the overall quality of our design, manufacturing, administrative, and support organizations.
There have been countless books, lectures, and and trainings, and retreats constructed around the idea of cultivating leadership in an individual. However, cultivating individuals’ ability to follow great leadership has received far less attention. Who are these people leading if each person within an organization is being trained to be a leader? The word follower has negative connotations, evoking the images of a weak, uncreative, milquetoast personality. However, Jimmy Collins, in his book, “Creative Followership: In the Shadow of Greatness”, suggests that the ability to be led brings as much creativity, consciousness, and indeed leadership to an organization or team as the leader himself. Great followership is a reflection of great leadership. In this, the follower is just as important as the leader in the relationship. Many great leaders have asserted that a leader with even a modicum of understanding of what drives their subordinates can take their organization to previously undreamt-of heights in creativity and productivity. Collins does not disabuse us of this notion, he does however add that the follower is indispensable agent in this interplay between leader and follower.
Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge is an organizational management book written by Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus for those who aim to become better leaders. The authors emphasize that having executive positions or being a manager does not automatically make one a leader. A leader is one who inspires his staff, help them find purpose in their work, and effectively implement their plans. They separate the book not quite into chapters on different topics, but rather by four strategies that they have determined are vital for any leader to take on. The strategies are effectively concluded as attention through vision, meaning through communication, trust through positioning, and the deployment of self. A prominent feature of Leaders is the various
Organizations operate in a turbulent environment that forces them to change even against their will to do so. Every organization has a fair prediction of its future that is why they all spend time and resources to put in place strategic plans. More often they get challenged not to follow these plans because they fail to appreciate that change is a natural phenomenon which is intimately entwined with continuity and that change-continuity continuum is what defines organ...
The TED talk video with Simon Sinek really captured my attention and made me more aware of what a real leader should be for an organization. (YouTube). Sinek gave us valid evidence that a leader can create either a successful team or completely shut down their functionality. My organization is a manufacturing company for making wheel loaders, dozers, trucks, and excavators and chapter nine of our book resonated with me since it spoke about Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, Checklists, and ISO standards. All of these items have been implemented by a vision from our CEO and I understand more today, than I did seven weeks ago that his ability to formulate the vision is the start of the equation which was shown in the video by Professor Gill, for our Leadership class. Professor Gill was able to explain all of the criteria needed for a successful organization and it all starts with the leadership. You can be strong in statesmanship and weak in innovation as a leader, but it is important to identify your weakness to surround yourself with other leaders who have the strength you are lacking.
Jim Collins and his research team have done a wonderful job identifying what it takes for a company to go from good to great. I found this book to be extremely interesting and would like to share several of my thoughts.
The selection of contemporary leader book was challenging at first, however after considering the attributes and qualities of different leadership styles Steve Jobs: Ten lessons in leadership written by Michael Essany was the best choice. This book discussed what can be learned as a leader and the lessons are relevant to my own leadership style. There is a direct relationship of the lessons and Steve Jobs’ leadership style identified including wait for nothing, fail big or don’t bother failing, limit your confidence to your field, there’s no substitute for passion, consider your legacy before you have one, and there’s always ‘one more thing’ (Essany, 2012). The lessons illustrated that Steve Jobs was progressive in his thinking and relentless to develop technological advancements that consumers could not live without. Therefore, Steve Jobs leadership style was influential and other entrepreneurs need to utilize these lessons in pursuit of similar success.
The company that the author has chosen to compare his own organization with is the Toyota motor company. The Toyota Company has become a renowned leader in the area of quality management. Toyota’s theory of “keep it lean” has kept the company running at a level that eclipses the industry standards.
Peters, T. J. & Waterman, R. H. (1982). In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies. New York: Harper &
Kelley,T. (2005, Oct.). The 10 faces of innovation. Fast Company, 74-77. Retrieved 6th March’ 2014 from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=9&sid=1d6a17b7-c5f7-4f00-bea4 db1d84cbef55%40sessionmgr10&hid=28&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=bth&AN=18386009