Week 23

   Week 23 (12/21/2013)

1)      In your own words and using referenced quotes describe what is meant by the term “strategic leadership".

 Strategic leadership is the  process of using well considered tactics to communicate a vision for an organization or one of its parts. Strategic leadership typically manages, motivates and persuades staff to share that same vision, and can be an important tool for implementing change or creating organizational structure within a business.
Strategic leadership is the process of managing, motivating and persuading the employees to communicate the same vision, which could be important tool for creating an organizational structure within a business. It is a process of implementing well defined strategies to share a vision for an organization. This style of leadership is dynamic by nature and requires a high level of commitment and work involvement (Lynch, 2009).

2) Identify two interesting similarities and two differences between the 5 Elements of Successful and Effective Strategic Leadership model and the Transcendent Leadership model.

The similarities between the 5 elements of successful and effective strategic leadership model and the Transcendent leadership model are as follow:

Ø  The model helps in gain sustainable competitive advantage by emphasizing on the environment change.

Ø  The models build an effective relationship with the stakeholders within the company as well as outside the organization by providing benefits.( www.nata.aero)

 The differences between the 5 elements of successful and effective strategic leadership model and the Transcendent leadership model are as follow:

Ø  The transcendent leadership emphasizes on leadership for organization benefits as well as self leadership that involves transcending own desire to help others while the five elements of successful and effective strategic leadership model only emphasizes on the leadership for the organization profit by motivating the employees. 

Ø  The strategic leadership focuses on human resources to develop the relationship in the organization where as transcendent leadership focuses rules and regulation.( www.leadershipreview)

3. How would you describe Jeff Bezos strategic leadership style?

Is there evidence that he demonstrate all the elements of strategic leadership from the two models? Which elements are strongly evident in the case and which less so?

(Think about all five elements of the Lynch model and all three elements of the transcendent leadership model)

In his interview with Harvard Business Review Mr.Bezos said that he gives interview so that customers will get chance to understand and know more about them, their operations and purposes. In this way they develop and communicate their organizational purpose. They keep their customers’ and employees’ choice as their main priority and hire people who understands the customers’ needs and preferences. In this way they manage human resource and organizational resources. They have set ethical standards by not burdening their customers with higher prices though after the survey they know that they have to increase their price. They did meaningful things like Kindle, Amazon web services etc. They are also clear about how and what they advertise and does not cover up their shortcomings. They believe to create a customer loyalty by satisfying them which automatically maximize the free cash flow over the long term. In this way they define and deliver their stakeholders. They have sustained competitive advantage over time by doing best for their customer and securing in a position for a long run.( www.integralleadershipreview)

Hence, all the above mentioned points clearly prove that he has demonstrated all the characteristics of Lynch Model but he has not demonstrated transcendent model as they are more focused on human resource than leadership for others, self and the organization.

References:

n.d.). Retrieved from www.nata.aero: http://www.nata.aero/data/files/safety%201st%20documents/etoolkit/safety%201st%20etoolkit%20april2013.pdf

(n.d.). Retrieved from www.leadershipreview.org: http://www.leadershipreview.org/2006spring/Article3.pdf

(n.d.). Retrieved from www.integralleadershipreview.com: http://integralleadershipreview.com/1928-transcendent-leadership-pathway-to-global-sustainability/