Section A – Chapter 4
Leader as an Individual
Bob Iger, Walt Disney Company
Bob Iger thought he was going to be CEO of Capital Cities/ABC. Instead, the company was sold to the Walt Disney Company and Iger worked for 10 years under Disney CEO Michael Eisner before taking the top job himself. Rather than let the disappointment get him down, Iger absorbed all he could at Disney and feels grateful for working with the former CEO. However, by the time Iger took over, relationships in and outside the company were strained.
Eisner was known as a micromanaging, imperious, and aggressive leader. Iger, a quiet, behind-the-scenes guy, seemed an odd choice. “There were many naysayers,” recalls one investor. Iger didn’t let the criticism bother him. He began the hard work of revitalizing the company. Instead of tossing Eisner’s people out, Iger got them on board. He believes in ruling by consensus and prefers to stay in the background. His easy manner, good nature, and humility enabled Iger to transform Disney’s troubled culture. That has contributed to both a creative and a financial revival at the company.
- How could Iger exhibit emotional stability? Discuss.
- Discuss how would you lead and work with people with varied personality traits.
Section B- Chapter 5
Leadership mind and emotions
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke Univeristy Blue Devils
Mike Krzyzewski doesn’t think of himself as a basketball coach. He considers himself a leader who just happens to coach basketball. And for Krzyzewski, almost everything in leadership depends on one element: personal relationships. Although he’s a tough man with tough standards, Krzyzewski has been accused of “coaching like a girl” because of his interactive, emotionally-charged style. When the legendary coach of Duke University’s Blue Devils recruits a player, for example, he tells him, “We’re developing a relationship here, and if you’re not interested, tell me sooner rather than later.” As a coach, Krzyzewski emphasizes teamwork rather than individual performers, fosters a family feeling among players, and says he coaches “by feel.”
- Why does Krzyzewski place such emphasis on relationships? Do you agree or not. Explain.
- Being an emotional intelligent leader is something you can learn and develop. Which of the four elements of emotional intelligence do you consider most essential to an effective leader? Why?
Section C – Chapter 9
Leadership Communication
Alan Mulally, Ford Motor Company
Communicate, communicate, communicate,” says Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Company. “Everyone has to know the plan, its status, and areas that need special attention.” Mulally’s emphasis is on open and honest communication. When he arrived at Ford, there were only six or seven people reporting directly to the top leader, but Mulally quickly changed that to include every functional discipline on the executive team, because “everybody had to be involved.”
He instituted color coding for reports: green for good, yellow for caution, and red for problems. In the beginning, managers were all coding their operations reports green. Mulally bluntly said “You . . . know, we lost a few billion dollars last year. Is there anything that’s not going well?” Manager Mark Fields admitted production problems with a new car model. The whole place was deathly silent . . . then Mulally started clapping and told Fields how much he appreciated his honesty.
- How does Mulally foster an open communication climate? Do you agree or not. Explain.
- If you were in Mulally position, how would you use communication to influence and persuade others.
Section D – Chapter 10
Leading Teams
Georgetown Preparatory School
When the H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak hit, Georgetown Preparatory School, the oldest all-boys school in the United States, was ready. Georgetown began thinking about a flu preparedness plan several years ago. Leaders put together a cross-functional team made up of teachers, coaches, administrators, support staff, and outside consultants. The result was FluPrep, a plan that makes everyone aware of what to do individually and collectively to combat seasonal flu.
The team addressed a number of difficult questions, such as how to encourage “responsible absence,” whether to track foreign travel of students and staff, at what point the school would close should an outbreak occur, and how to use distance learning. Few schools have addressed preparedness needs on this level.
- How did the Georgetown Preparatory School use cross-functional teams? Discuss advantages and disadvantages of cross-functional teams.
- In case you are experiencing conflict, what style of handling conflict would you typically use? Can you think of instances where a different style might have been more productive. Explain.
IMPORTANT NOTES: You are expected to answer these questions comprehensively with detailed explanation and examples wherever applicable. Please answer each part of the question in a separate paragraph and cite relevant sources that you refer to in APA style.