Assessing Your Own Leadership Capability and Performance

Introduction

Established in 1858, Cambridge Assessment is an international exams group designing and delivering assessments to over 170 countries worldwide. Cambridge Assessment operates three exam boards; CIE, Cambridge English and OCR (Cambridge Assessment, 2015a). Group Print and Operations operates as the role of service provider to the exam boards from two large distribution centres (DC10 and DC20). The purpose of this assignment is to review what is seen to be the prevailing leadership style within Cambridge Assessment. Throughout, the review will explore how the constraints and demands imposed by the business units on DC10 have an impact on the prevailing leadership style.

Understand Leadership Styles within an Organisation

At Cambridge Assessment the concern for task is always the main focus, which is evident in:
• The setting of key performance indicators (KPI’s) and the close monitoring by managers to ensure all targets are being met.
• The traffic light systems used by all departments to ensure tasks are running on time and within budget. If a red light flags a problem, managers can reorganise or increase their teams to get back on track.
• The planning matrix, for a ‘busy session’, details every report to be despatched at DC10 from start to finish date so departments can organise the staff and number of shifts required.
• SOP’s being enforced so that best practice is performed by the teams to ensure optimum efficiency and quality.
The ideology strives towards team leadership as shown on Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid by giving equal concern to people, as is given to the task (The Open University, 2011). This is evident through the GPAO staff discussion forum which empowers workers at all levels to have an input and discuss improvements