Leadership Style: What Do People Do When Leading?

Leadership Style: What Do People Do When They Are Leading? Due Week 9 and worth 100 points

Choose one (1) of the following CEOs for this assignment: Larry Page (Google), Tony Hsieh (Zappos), Gary Kelly (Southwest Airlines), Meg Whitman (Hewlett Packard), Ursula Burns (Xerox), Terri Kelly (W.L. Gore), Ellen Kullman (DuPont), or Bob McDonald (Procter & Gamble). Use the Internet to investigate the leadership style and effectiveness of the selected CEO. Write a five to six (5-6) page paper in which you:

  • Provide a brief (one [1] paragraph) background of the CEO.
  • Analyze the CEO’s leadership style and philosophy, and how the CEO’s leadership style aligns with the culture.
  • Examine the CEO’s personal and organizational values.
  • Evaluate how the values of the CEO are likely to influence ethical behavior within the organization.
  • Determine the CEO’s three (3) greatest strengths and three (3) greatest weaknesses. Support your reasoning.
  • Select the quality that you believe contributes most to this leader’s success.
  • Assess how communication and collaboration, and power and politics influence group (i.e., the organization’s) dynamics.

Use at least five (5) quality academic resources in this assignment. Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements: Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format.

Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

Paper For Above instruction

The leadership landscape within major corporations is profoundly shaped by the particular styles and philosophies that CEOs adopt, which, in turn, influence organizational culture, ethical climate, and overall effectiveness. This paper explores the leadership style of Meg Whitman, the former CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, analyzing her background, leadership philosophy, alignment with organizational values, and the impact of her personal traits on her organizational success.

Background of Meg Whitman

Meg Whitman was born on August 4, 1956, in New York City. She holds a degree in Economics from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Whitman’s career includes leadership roles at Procter & Gamble, eBay, and Hewlett Packard. She is renowned for transforming eBay from a small online auction site into a global e-commerce giant, demonstrating innovative leadership and strategic vision. Her tenure at Hewlett Packard Enterprise was marked by efforts to streamline operations and focus on enterprise services, illustrating her adaptability and forward-thinking approach.

Leadership Style and Philosophy

Meg Whitman’s leadership style is predominantly transformational, emphasizing innovation, strategic vision, and motivating employees toward shared goals. She believes in empowering her teams, fostering a culture of high performance, and embracing change to drive growth. Her leadership philosophy centers on innovation, customer focus, and operational excellence. Whitman’s approach aligns with Hewlett Packard’s culture of technological innovation and commitment to quality. She promotes transparency, accountability, and a proactive attitude, which helps to build trust and commitment within the organization.

Values and Ethical Influence

Whitman exemplifies organizational values such as integrity, customer focus, and excellence. Her personal values of perseverance, transparency, and dedication permeate her leadership style, influencing ethical conduct. Her emphasis on ethical behavior fosters a culture of trust and accountability, critical for maintaining stakeholder confidence. Whitman’s commitment to sustainability and corporate responsibility further underscores her ethical stance, positively influencing organizational ethics and guiding employees toward responsible decision-making.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Among her key strengths are strategic vision, resilience, and her ability to inspire teams. Whitman’s strategic foresight enabled her to identify market trends and position organizations for long-term success. Her resilience was evident in her ability to navigate complex organizational challenges and setbacks. Additionally, her capacity to motivate and mobilize talent fosters a high-performance culture. Conversely, her weaknesses include sometimes overextending resources, a tendency toward risk aversion, and challenges in maintaining work-life balance during intense periods of growth and change.

Contributing Factor to Success

The most significant contributor to Whitman’s success is her strategic vision. Her capacity to anticipate industry shifts, coupled with her ability to adapt organizational strategies accordingly, has made her an effective leader capable of guiding large corporations through transformation. Her focus on innovation and customer-centric strategies has differentiated her leadership style and driven organizational growth.

Impact of Communication, Power, and Politics

Effective communication has been central to Whitman’s leadership, enabling her to articulate vision and motivate employees. She values transparency and clarity, which foster trust and alignment. Collaboration within her teams is encouraged, recognizing that diverse perspectives drive innovation. Power dynamics and organizational politics influence her decision-making processes, and her emphasis on ethical conduct and integrity helps mitigate negative political behaviors while fostering a culture of accountability. Her adeptness at navigating corporate politics ensures she maintains influence and drives organizational change effectively.

Conclusion

Meg Whitman’s leadership style exemplifies the transformational approach, characterized by strategic foresight, ethical commitment, and inspiring leadership. Her ability to align her personal and organizational values with her leadership philosophy fosters a high-performance, ethical organizational culture. Her strengths have propelled her to significant achievements, while her weaknesses highlight areas for ongoing development. Ultimately, her focus on communication, collaboration, and navigating power dynamics has been essential in achieving organizational success and shaping a values-driven corporate environment.

References

  • Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78-90.
  • Hoon, C., & Shiu, G. (2020). Ethical leadership and organizational climate. Journal of Business Ethics, 162(2), 319-330.
  • Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2017). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations. Jossey-Bass.
  • Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). Sage Publications.
  • Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Pearson Education.
  • Choi, S., & Mai, L. (2018). Transformational leadership and innovation in organizations. Journal of Management, 44(3), 1047-1071.
  • Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational leadership (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Antonakis, J., & Day, D. V. (2017). The nature of leadership. Sage Publications.
  • Harvard Business Review. (2019). How to lead change. Retrieved from https://hbr.org
  • Robinson, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2019). Organizational behavior (18th ed.). Pearson.

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