Assignment: Choosing the Right Leader
In creating a positive organizational culture, good leaders need to understand how individual personalities fit into the workplace. When the right person is paired to the right job, productivity goes up! Read the scenario and the document provided and then address the checklist items.
The following Course Outcome is assessed in this Assignment:
MT302-2: Apply personality theory within a business environment.
Scenario (fictional): The Pilston family has been in the cookware or camping business (your choice) for over 60 years. They have always had a family member as president of the (your company name of choice). As the current president steps down, the founders’ remaining family members are not inclined or are unable to take over the business and have called you in as their consultant to perform the executive search. They know this will be a challenge based on several changes that may need to take place in the very near future in order to successfully continue their business.
The industry is beginning to change. The competition is beginning to change over to using Blockchain ledger technology that shares data within a network in sequential order with a timestamp — like a database, but encrypted. They also have been increasingly automating their production line. Now with the increasing competition, they realize that without changing to these technologies, the business may not survive. This will mean laying off some personnel, and this will be the first time in its history that this company has had to contend with major layoffs; in the past layoffs were not necessary since growth outpaced the need to lay off workers. With no family member currently to lead the company, the company must do an intensive search for an individual suited not only to their industry with the right expertise and education, but the right personality to lead the company into a new era.
This company has a culture that has remained the same from its inception with a reputation for reliability within the industry. Most employees pass their jobs on to someone else residing in the local community by referring them for the job; so all employees really feel like one extended family. They expect little change now. Although their market has been predominantly in the United States (U.S.), with little or no diversity in the workforce, they are increasingly getting inquiries from Asian countries since competitors’ prices have increased substantially. Currently there are 300 employees in this small Western U.S. city though the salaries and benefits have always been on par with the industry salaries elsewhere in the country. Their belief in the customer first, taking the time to get things done in a precise manner, and honesty have been hallmarks of this family business.
In light of the possible future demands and needs of this company, and as this company’s hired consultant to do the executive search, address the checklist items.
Checklist:
- Identify the industry and name of the company (your choice) based on your choice of either a cookware or camping equipment company, and identify the products the company provides.
- Summarize the problem, and the company’s culture as presented in the scenario. Describe any changes that might be necessary and that will pertain to the type of personality the new president will need to have.
- Explain the traits and personality factors that should be considered when selecting the next president using the Reading from Chapter 5. Include the Big Five personality traits, Holland’s typology, and at least one other personality theory in your response (you may use the Internet but provide the source URL).
- Explain how the personality you described previously of the new president would benefit the employees and the success of the company going forward.
● Submit your 8–10 slide PowerPoint® presentation with no more than five bulleted items per slide, in 24-point font, with either audio (or speaker notes below each slide) with additional title and reference slides to the Dropbox. The title of your presentation will be: Finding a New Leader for (your choice) Company.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
In this assignment, we are given a scenario where a family-owned company needs to hire a new president to lead the business into a new era. As a consultant, we need to identify the industry and name of the company, summarize the problem and the company’s culture, describe any changes that might be necessary and the type of personality the new president will need to have, explain the traits and personality factors that should be considered when selecting the next president, and finally, explain how the personality of the new president would benefit the employees and the success of the company going forward.
1. Identify the industry and name of the company (your choice) based on your choice of either a cookware or camping equipment company, and identify the products the company provides.
Let’s choose the camping equipment industry for this scenario. The company name will be WildWood Outdoor Gear that provides camping equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, camping stoves, and other outdoor gear.
2. Summarize the problem, and the company’s culture as presented in the scenario. Describe any changes that might be necessary and that will pertain to the type of personality the new president will need to have.
WildWood Outdoor Gear has been a family-owned company for over 60 years, but the founders’ remaining family members are not inclined or are unable to take over the business as the current president steps down. With the industry changing and competition increasing by switching to blockchain technology and automating their production lines, WildWood Outdoor Gear needs a new leader who can lead the company into a new era. The new president will have to make some tough decisions such as layoffs which the company has never done before.
WildWood Outdoor Gear has a culture that has remained the same from its inception with a reputation for reliability within the industry. The company has 300 employees in a small Western U.S. city, and most employees feel like one extended family. They expect little change now, and their belief in customer service and honesty have been hallmarks of this family business. With increasing inquiries from Asian countries, the company will likely need to diversify its workforce.
The new president will need to have the personality traits to adapt to change, be empathetic, and have excellent leadership skills to lead the workforce during difficult times. The new president will not only need to have expertise and education in the industry but also have the ability to implement new technologies, diversify the workforce and lead the company to success.
3. Explain the traits and personality factors that should be considered when selecting the next president using the Reading from Chapter 5. Include the Big Five personality traits, Holland’s typology, and at least one other personality theory in your response (you may use the Internet but provide the source URL).
According to the Big Five personality traits, the new president should have openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Openness helps the president to adapt to change and to be innovative in finding new ways to diversify the workforce. Conscientiousness helps the president to be detail-oriented and hardworking, which is essential to lead the company towards success. Extraversion will help the president to communicate effectively, build relationships, and inspire the employees to work towards a common goal. Agreeableness helps the president to be empathetic, to understand the needs of the employees, and to provide support during tough times. Finally, neuroticism helps the president to handle stress and to be resilient in the face of challenges.
Holland’s Typology suggests that the new president should have a realistic and enterprising personality type. Realistic personalities are practical, down-to-earth and prefer tasks that involve hands-on problem-solving. An enterprising personality is ambitious, energetic, and has excellent leadership skills. A combination of these two personality types can help the new president to identify the problems and take practical steps to solve them while providing direction and inspiration to the employees.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) can also be a useful tool to assess the new president’s personality traits. According to the MBTI, the new president should be an ENTJ or ESTJ. These personality types are natural leaders, decisive, and excellent problem-solvers, which are essential qualities to lead WildWood Outdoor Gear into a new era.
Source URL: https://www.verywellmind.com/the-big-five-personality-dimensions-2795422, https://www.truity.com/personality-type/ISTJ, https://www.truity.com/personality-type/ENTJ
4. Explain how the personality you described previously of the new president would benefit the employees and the success of the company going forward.
The new president’s personality traits of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism, along with a realistic and enterprising personality type, will benefit the employees and the company going forward in several ways. The new president’s openness to change and innovation will help the company diversify its workforce and adapt to new technologies. Their conscientiousness will ensure that they pay attention to detail and work hard towards the company’s success. Their extraversion will help them to communicate effectively and inspire the employees to work towards the company’s goals. Their agreeableness will help them understand and support the employees during tough times, and their neuroticism will help them handle stress and be resilient in the face of challenges.
In summary, the new president’s personality traits and personality type will help them to lead WildWood Outdoor Gear successfully into a new era by diversifying the workforce, adapting to new technologies, and providing effective communication and support to the employees.
