Leadership Style: What Do People Do When They Are Leading?
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Assignment # 4Leadership Style: What Do People Do When They Are Leading?
JOEL CHAGADAMA
DR. TAMERIA VICKERSON
BUS 520
5/30/13
Leadership style is the art and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people on uses. The early study of leadership has been very influential and established three major leadership styles which are authoritarian, democratic and laissez fair. (lewin, llippit, White 1939). In this paper I will be looking at Gary Kelly the CEO of Southwest Airlines, his leadership style and philosophy. I will also examine his personal and organizational values and how these values have influenced ethical behavior with the organization. I will also determine what are his greatest strengths and weaknesses.
1. Provide a brief (one [1] paragraph) background of the CEO
Southwest Airlines would not be the company it is without having a superb leader. It takes a good leader to understand the current economy, market, and internal business to make a company be profitable. As of 2008, the CEO and chairperson of Southwest Airlines is Gary Kelly. Gary Kelly has been working for the company for the past 23 years and the time he spent with the company has given him the edge to understand what the company needs in order to be successful. Gary C Kelly born in 1955 San Antonio Texas began his work at Southwest Airlines as a Controller and later on moved up the corporate ladder to become the companys Chief Financial Officer and Vice President Finance. He was then promoted to Executive Vice President and CFO before being promoted to CEO and Vice Chairman in July 2004. Then in May 2008 Gary was promoted to chairman and President in July 2008.
Garys perseverance and dedication has earned him respect among his
2. Analyze the CEOs leadership style and philosophy and how the CEOs leadership style aligns with the culture
As C.E.O. he has held onto this philosophy, both on a personal level and a corporate level. He often wears a pink suit to work and even dressed up as a woman for Halloween one year. He has maintained corporate collectivism in many ways. Employees (while individually empowered) are encouraged to incorporate Southwest Airlines into their own personal identities. Employees associate strongly with Southwest and work to improve the company. Goals revolve around big picture customer satisfaction, thus not encouraging potentially harmful competition amongst employees.
This collective attitude should not suggest Mr. Kelly wants to reduce personal identity. Rather, Kelly is the opposite. The C.E.O. has a low level of power distance. Employees are empowered by their flexibility to make decisions often reserved for managers. They are allowed to use their best judgment in order to satisfy disgruntled customers. This low level of power distance is also demonstrated by the size of the executive offices, which resemble a college dorm. This reduces elitism and hierarchal tensions. The attitude being that they want to keep the atmosphere fun and not snobby. This allows employees to feel connected throughout the company, regardless of company hierarchy. This allows Garry C. Kelly to encourage a collective attitude while never losing individuality.
3. Examine the CEOs personal and organizational values.
As Chief Executive of Southwest Airlines, Gary Kelly maintains his focus on three important areas for the company: low cost, customer service, and its people. Over the years, Kelly has dressed up as Gene Simmons from KISS, Captain Jack Sparrow, Edna Turnblad, and Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, according to Southwest.com. Halloween is a big deal at Southwest Airlines – a majority of employees participate in costume contests and will decorate their stations at airports. Kellys attitude toward Halloween is a perfect example of his desire to create a different kind of corporate culture. While some CEOs stay in their massive office and hardly ever crack a smile, Kelly appears to be anywhere and everywhere at any given time interacting with all ranks of employees.
4. Evaluate how the values of the CEO are likely to influence ethical behavior within the organization.
Gary Kellys values focus on creating a working environment that consists of people having fun and enjoying their jobs, yet at the same time getting the job done. The culture that Kelly has created at Southwest Airlines emphasizes a laid back and efficient environment. Kellys instrumental values, which shape the behaviors needed to achieve a goal or end state, are honesty, independence, open-mindedness, cheerfulness and imagination. All four of the work values, achievement, concern for others, honesty and fairness are all very present with Kellys values. Honesty and concern for others are very present at Southwest Airlines as the employees are encouraged to treat others with respect and compassion. A perfect example of the values of George Kelly and his fellow employees is reflected in the Mission Statement of Southwest Airlines, “The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit (Southwest Airlines).”
5. Determine the CEOs three (3) greatest strengths and three (3) greatest weaknesses.
Garys greatest strength is his personality, his compassion for his employees and his strong ethical behavior. Hes an excellent speaker and has great presence. Hes highly intelligent and very diligent. This has shown a very strong effect on his employees. Kelly enjoys being very free spirited and humorous in the workplace which I believe works to his advantage and often rubs off on his employees in a very good way. As workers act in a more relaxed and humorous way, they tend to work at a much higher level in every way.
An effective leader has compassion for their employees and believes them to be a companys most important asset. To be a successful company is to keep employees satisfied, motivated and provide them with a sense of security and this is an area that Kelly and Southwest Airlines had excelled. Kelly completely believes in his employees and hire/promotes mainly within the company. This is strongly highlighted in one of the interviews in which he said, “We expect our leaders to develop people”, (Birgham