Three research questions and their implications

¶ … skills a leader must have to be successful? Which of these skills do already posses and which you like to develop?

There are many abilities that leaders need to be successful, with the most critical one being the ability to communicate clearly, succinctly and with credibility to both peers and subordinates. Additional skills include the ability to define a compelling vision for employees to believe in and see how their contributions make a difference to attaining the vision's goals. Steve Jobs at Apple Computer and his vision of personal MP3 and video players that spurred the development and launch of the iPod products and iTunes service are an example of this leadership attribute. Leaders also need the ability to define solid strategies that can lead to the fulfillment of their vision as well. Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric is a leader who has the balance of vision and pragmatism to get goals accomplished that are part of a broader vision. There is also the critical need for instilling confidence and trust in subordinates through consistency of actions and fairness in decisions on their behalf. Being trustworthy as a leader is critical to gain cooperation and effort for strategic goals and the attainment of a corporate vision. Of these skills, the development of communication and vision skill sets is the most critical for my career. From taking communications courses and also getting involved in speaking training programs, these skills can be gained. The ability to instill trust in subordinates takes experience and the strength to stay consistent, a skill that will take much time to develop through on-the-job training.

Explain what you as manager would do to handle an employee that wasn't performing in the job the way you both agreed it would be done? How do you think the employee would react to you? Why?

If an employee was not performing to my standards in a job, I would first of all never confront them in public about my disappointment in their performance; I would have a one-one-one discussion with them behind closed doors and provide specific feedback as to why I didn't feel they measured up. Second, I would give them a plan for improvement and also make it clear I was there to help them improve, and I could be asked at any time for guidance. I would do this assuming the employee was interested in improving and staying in the job. If they were not I would have a candid conversation with them, telling them that maybe the specific job they were working on wasn't for them. If they agreed I would help them find a position either in the company or in the industry more aligned with their interests. In short, I would attempt to coach them to where they felt their passions were for work so they could be successful. It would be more consultative and coaching to them. I think this approach would help to diffuse the stress of the employee not doing the work correctly or at all, and help them get to a position in their careers where they could excel. I think they would appreciate that; ultimately the best managers specifically focus on helping their subordinates get to their goals, regardless if those goals are in their department or not. it's best, I believe, to have honest discussions like these with subordinates to show that I would care about them as people too, and that working for me is more of a coaching and developmental experience and less of a dictatorial or demanding one.

Describe some of the major stressors in the workplace? What would you do if you were experiencing some of those stressors at work?