...Ford Motor Company Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company Kwatila Ghanyen Prof. Mike Petty BUS 520: Leadership and Organizational Behavior Strayer University Wednesday November 16, 2011 Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company Allan Roger Mulally is the present Chief Executive Officer of Ford Motor Company. Ford has been struggling to survive since the 2000s but has regained tremendous profitability under the leadership of Mulally. In this paper, we shall discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance, Mulally’s leadership style at Ford and how goal setting has helped Ford improve performance. Ws shall also assess Mullaly on each element in communication openness and the effectiveness of his leadership style and conclude by making recommendations on whether Mullaly should continue with his leadership style or use a different style. The Role of Leadership and How it Can Impact Organizational Performance Leadership is very vital to any organization or business; it guides people towards productive results and aims at achieving the goals of an organization. An effective leader is able to motivate and influence followers when there is a proper alignment between the leader and subordinate. Leadership has been recognized as a major factor in project success and charismatic transformational leadership has a substantially positive effect on organizational performance. (Huang, Hsu & Chiau, 2011) Leaders induce change in organizations through...
Words: 1708 - Pages: 7
...ASSIGNMENT #3 ALAN MULALLY, CEO FORD MOTOR COMPANY STUDENT: LINDA LANG AUGUST 8, 2010 STRAYER UNIVERSITY BUSINESS 520: LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR INSTRUCTOR: CARLENE GRAHAM ALAN MULALLY, CEO – FORD MOTOR COMPANY The Ford Motor Company began its journey in the auto industry with the creation of the 1908 Model T. Henry Ford’s creation of the Model T changed the way in which people transported themselves on a daily basis. This paper will address how an iconic company such as the Ford Motor Company is currently negotiating the issues of organizational performance, leadership style, and goals for the company. Lastly, I will attempt to address the effectives of the changes that the Ford Motor Company has made and continues to assess. Discuss leadership and how it can impact organizational performance. Leadership is, simply put, the art of inspiring and motivating others into motion in order to achieve an aspired goal. The leader sets the direction of action and takes part in the process, whether alone or as a guide to a team, so as to accomplish a set goal. In the world of business transactions, leaders who are successful and effective are those who inevitably increase a business’ productivity. There are so many different styles and models of leadership. Each style or model can be both successful and unsuccessful in reaching goals, contingent upon the context in which the style or model is being used. Reaching the productivity goal is dependent...
Words: 2601 - Pages: 11
...Ford Motor Company: Management and Leadership Randall Bullard Randall Bullard, Yahoo Contributor Network Sep 11, 2009 "Share your voice on Yahoo websites. Start Here." More: Ford Motor Company Newsvine Effective Management Effective Managers FlagPost a comment Economic changes continue to transform the very essence of how business is conducted. A company must be able to recognize the paths they face and be able to poise themselves to confront any obstacles to achieve the goals they set. One would ask how a company can poise themselves to meet these demands and the answer to that would be simple, thorough capable management and strong leadership. The answer may be simple but achieving this can be a daunting task. What does it take to have capable management and what qualities make up a good leader? Ford Motor Company is one company that has taken these items to task and have produced results that illustrate the power of effective management and precise leadership. The company's ability to appoint qualified managers and leaders has allowed the company to rise from previous lows and mistakes to be poised for a bright economic future. To be successful Ford Motor Company is required to have both good management and good leadership. Looking at these two terms one would think that they are one and the same. Isn't a manager a leader? Isn't a leader a manager? Thought these terms seem to be one and the same, they can be truly different when taken in...
Words: 2186 - Pages: 9
...Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company Leadership and Organizational Behavior 05/15/2011 1 Ford Motor Company 2 Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company “Leadership is a process of developing ideas and a vision, living by values that support those ideas and that vision, influencing others to embrace them in their own behaviors, and making hard decisions about human and other resources” (Hallriegal & Jr. Slocum, 2011, p. 4). Leadership is an important concept and it all starts with the leader. A Leader should exhibit 5 key attributes: model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act and encourage the hearts. These five characteristics make up the five practices of exemplary leadership. Leadership has a huge impact on organizational performance. Leadership is one of the drivers of a successful company, a company who provides leadership can change an employee from a worker to a valuable team player. Leadership helps change an employee’s attitude. An employee that feels they are of value and has a relationship with the leader/manager becomes a more productive employee and enhances productivity. Discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance. The behavioral model of leadership Is Mullay’s leadership style. Behavioral model of leadership focuses on what leaders actually do and how they do it (Hallriegal & Jr. Slocum, 2011). “This model states that effective leaders help individuals and teams to achieve...
Words: 961 - Pages: 4
...ALAN MULALLY, CEO – FORD MOTOR COMPANY The Ford Motor Company began its journey in the auto industry with the creation of the 1908 Model T. Henry Ford’s creation of the Model T changed the way in which people transported themselves on a daily basis. This paper will address how an iconic company such as the Ford Motor Company is currently negotiating the issues of organizational performance, leadership style, and goals for the company. Lastly, I will attempt to address the effectives of the changes that the Ford Motor Company has made and continues to assess. Discuss leadership and how it can impact organizational performance. Leadership is, simply put, the art of inspiring and motivating others into motion in order to achieve an aspired goal. The leader sets the direction of action and takes part in the process, whether alone or as a guide to a team, so as to accomplish a set goal. In the world of business transactions, leaders who are successful and effective are those who inevitably increase a business’ productivity. There are so many different styles and models of leadership. Each style or model can be both successful and unsuccessful in reaching goals, contingent upon the context in which the style or model is being used. Reaching the productivity goal is dependent upon the success of the leader to effectively evaluate and motivate the team. In my opinion, after reading the accounts of so many businesses (such as Ford, Campbell’s Soup, DineEquity, and PricewaterhouseCoopers)...
Words: 2524 - Pages: 11
...Running head: FORD MOTOR COMPANY Leadership and Organizational Behavior Professor Michael Padgett Strayer University Ronetta Perry May 15, 2011 “Ford Motor Company” The Ford Motor Company, founded in 1903 by Henry Ford, is one of the largest auto makers in the world. In recent years, the auto industry, including Ford Motor Company, has experienced increase financial hardship. Ford lost $12.6 billion in 2006, $2.7 billion in 2007, and as a result of the biggest sales slump in decades, they lost $14.6 billion in 2008, making it the worst year in its history. But when the car industry went into what seemed like a death spiral during the global recession, Ford resisted taking the federal bailout and vowed to show the industry that the brand was built for toughness. Discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance. “Leadership is commonly defined as establishing a clear vision, communicating the vision with others and resolving the conflicts between various individuals who are responsible for completing the company’s vision”(Media & Vitez, 2009). Traditionally there are four different leadership styles that suit the follower and their willingness; the telling style in which the leader gives specific directions and supervises closely, the selling style which helps builds confidence in the follower by the leader providing direction and encouraging two-way communication, the participating style in which the leader encourages followers...
Words: 1432 - Pages: 6
...Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company” Corey Young Dr. Bernard Nash Leadership and Organizational Behavior May 8, 2011 Discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance. The impact of leadership in building a successful business is quite enormous. Firstly, leaders make things happen---They are the catalyst for business success; they challenge the status-quo; they are vision-driven; they think differently. Secondly, leaders manage through times of change---They determine direction; they are goal-setters and goal-getters; they move organizations from where they are to where they need to be. And thirdly, leaders are revolutionaries---They face reality and mobilize appropriate resources; they encourage others to do the same; they leave a footprint that cannot be erased. These are the Jack Welch of the 21st Century who turns a dying business to a multi-billion dollar business, just as Allan Mulually did for Ford Motor Company. Mulually took on the responsibility to save the Ford Motor Company name as well increase revenue. He also managed to bring back the Ford Taurus after Ford has made the decision to replace it with the Ford Five Hundred. The new Ford Taurus has made a drastic come-back with raving reviews; which has also kept Ford motor company from borrowing from the government as many other dealerships have done thus far. Mulually obviously had done his homework on the Ford Taurus’s previous...
Words: 900 - Pages: 4
...Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company Dr. Lu Leadership and Organizational behavior- BUS520 November 7, 2011 Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company Discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance In order for any company to succeed, there needs to be an effective leader to lead the organization in the right direction. The leader must be someone who not only knows about the company and where it needs to go but also how to take its resources (its employees, its equipment) and put it together to come up with a winning formula. The role of leadership is very important and the goals that a company wants to meet will not be attainable without an effective leader. A leader needs to be able to motivate and influence its employees. This is especially true in today’s down economy and highly competitive environment. The organization must look upon its employees to assess the playing field, formulate strategies, and unite organizational managers to work towards the common goals of staying in business, making a profit, and continuously improve market share. In essence, the primary role of a leader in an organization is to draw the road map for the organization to execute – often, this may involve some changes to the way it ran its business in the past. Therefore, the leader is the critical actor in drama of organization change to achieve the goals (Schneider, 1994). To initiate change, an effective leader, manager, director will need...
Words: 2888 - Pages: 12
...Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company Dr. Daniel C. Frost Leadership and Organizational Behavior- BUS 520 November 16, 2011 Strayer University-Allentown Campus Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company 1. Discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance. Answer: Leadership is the process of developing ideas and visions, living by values that support those ideas and that vision, influencing others to embrace them in their own behaviors, and making hard decisions about human and other resources (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011, p. 290). Whereas according to Richard et al. (2009), organizational performance comprises the actual output or results of an organization as measured against its intended goals and objectives. Effective leadership is a personal role that requires the blending of motivational, strategic and management skills to align focus, energy and drive while creating a culture that encourages individual thinking and attainment. For a leadership to impact organizational performance positively, said leadership has to posses the four leadership traits of intelligence-successful leaders tend to have somewhat higher intelligence than their subordinates; maturity and breadth-successful leaders tend to be emotionally mature and have a broad range of interests; achievement drive-successful leaders are result oriented; when they achieve one goal, they seek another and integrity-successful leaders, over the long term, usually...
Words: 1835 - Pages: 8
...1. Discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance. The role of leadership is vital to an organization’s performance. The way a leader runs an organization is the determining factor of whether or not it succeeds. Many companies have failed due to poor leadership. Leadership is more them management. Effective leadership is a personal role that requires the blending of motivational, strategic and management skills to align focus, energy and drive while creating a culture that encourages individual thinking and attainment. Everyone does not possess the abilities to be a successful leader. The role leadership can have a significant impact on an organization’s performance. The role of leadership sets the tone for the organization and has a trickle-down effect. For example, the organization I work for has been through its share of leaders. Every time the leader changes, it is immediately noticed in the actions of the management team. The management team typically adjusts their management style to that of the new leader. As a result, the entire organization is affected. 2. Discuss Mulally’s leadership style at Ford Motor Company and provide examples of how his actions fit this style. Mulally’s leadership style at the Ford Motor Company is participative. He encourages the employees to participate, but retain the final say over the decision-making process. Employees feel engaged in the process and are more motivated and creative...
Words: 1299 - Pages: 6
...Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company By Susiver Syracuse Flandez Professor Kevin B.William Leadership and Organizational Behavior – BUS 520 August 14, 2010 Strayer University – Cobb Campus Section I - Introduction: Alan Roger Mulally, CEO of Ford Motor Company, is a dynamic leader as evidence by his broad range of education and experience. Mr. Mulally began his management style by earning an aeronautical engineering degree from the University of Kansas, and a master’s in management from MIT’s Alfred P. Sloan School of Business in 1992. Mr. Mulally accepted a position as a senior vice president of Airplane Development for Boeing Commercial Airplanes group in 1994. Two years later, he became president of Boeing’s Commercial Airplanes and served as Chief Executive Officer until hand picked by former Ford Motor Company CEO, William Clay Ford, Jr. as the next chief of the struggling auto giant (http://media.ford.com, 2010). Throughout the course of this document, we will discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance; explore Mr. Mulally’s leadership style as exemplified by his actions; survey how goal setting helped Ford improved its performance; assess Mulally on each element of communication openness such as message transmission, trust, agendas, and goals; finally, we will evaluate effectiveness of his leadership style and recommend whether he should continue with this style. Section II – Role and Impact of Leadership in the Organization...
Words: 1402 - Pages: 6
...Running Head: Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company BUS 520 August 08, 2011 1. Discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance. The role of leadership is the process of developing ideas and a vision, along with living by values that support those ideas and vision, and influencing others to embrace them in their own behaviors and making hard decisions about human and other resources” (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2010, p.25). Leadership is also accomplishing something through others that would have never happen if a leader was not involved. In order for leadership to impact an organization there would have to be ideas and values established that will energize others to follow ones lead. It is most essential that employees within organization are able to confine with the vision, ideas, and values of an organization’s leadership. Therefore, if the employees are not firm believers in an organization’s leadership, they will not follow the vision and values of the leadership within that organization, which will ultimately lead its failure. In order for organization to remain or become successful, their employees should not only believe in its vision, they should believe in its leadership well as. There are several ways that leadership can impact organizational performance, one would have to say that the most important element is when an organization can adopt a corporate...
Words: 1533 - Pages: 7
...Ford Motor Company Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company Leadership and Organizational Behavior November10, 2010 by Walid Mediouni Dr. Yohannes Abate Fall 2010 Washington DC campus Strayer University 1) Discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance. The role of leadership in an organization is like the role of a general in the army; they both plan and lead a group of people to accomplish a goal. The leader of an organization can make it a successful business because of their leadership style or they can cause an organization to fail. A good leader can be compassionate to the employees needs, listen to their complaints and communicate with their employees. In the case it is stated, “Alan Mulally’s leadership has resulted in Ford making some strategic moves.” (Hellriegel et al., 2011) His skills and style helped Ford to move ahead in the industry during an economic recession. 2) Discuss Mulally’s leadership style at Ford Motor Company and provide examples of how his actions fit this style. According to Lewis Booth, chief financial officer at Ford,”Alan’s style is pretty relentless.” He says,” If this is the reality, what are we going to do about it?” (Hellriegel, 2011). Mulally is a typical example of a learning leader. (Journelism.org, 2010) What’s most impressive is Mulally’s “results oriented” leadership style. (American Power, 2010). Mulally’s leadership style is relationship behavior. Hellriegel defines this...
Words: 998 - Pages: 4
...Discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance Leadership is commonly defined as “establishing a clear vision, communicating the vision with others and resolving the conflicts between various individuals who are responsible for completing the company’s vision” (Kelly, 2009). The most effective leaders are those who can competently organize the cooperation and assistance of all members of the company to accomplish goals and objectives. The constantly changing wants and needs of the consumer have made it necessary for leaders to create strong organizational cultures so that companies can continue to expand into the future. According to Hellriegel & Slocum (2011), Alan Mulally’s leadership has resulted in Ford making some strategic moves. His skills and style has helped Ford to move ahead in the industry during the economic recession. Ferrell, Hirt & Ferrell (2009) argue that an effective leader is one that is task-relevant and most successful when they adapt their leadership style to the individual or group they are attempting to lead or influence. By understanding the ins and outs of how things should be run within the company, a leader can quickly and efficiently adapt their leadership styles to the individual or group situation that requires attention. According to Ferrell, Hirt & Ferrell (2009), it is widely believed that leadership creates the vital link between organizational effectiveness and people’s performance at an organizational...
Words: 1391 - Pages: 6
...Allan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company Laverne Oliver Professor Thomas Swinney BUS 520 November 13, 2011 Alan Mulally, CEO, Ford Motor Company Leadership and learning are essential to each other. Some believe that leaders and born and others believe that leader are made. An individual natural gift such as talents and traits, aids in understanding one’s potential role of leadership. However, personal traits are not the only tools needed to become an effective leader. Experience, mentoring, and training are also important factors in the role of leadership, and are learned and developed through the lifetime of an individual. Discuss the role of leadership and how it can impact organizational performance Leaders who receive the acceptance of its employees will greatly influence the organization’s performance. To have great organizational performance, leaders should develop specific and clear goals; have professional reviews and offer feedback, and link actions to rewards. “Leadership is the process of developing ideas and a vision, living by values that support those ideas and that vision, influencing others to embrace them in their own behaviors, and making hard decisions about human and other resources” ( Hellriegel & Slocum, 2011, p. 290). Effective leaders realize that mistakes will happen, and often use the mistakes as learning experiences. Starting a new project or turning a trouble organization around is often instrumental...
Words: 1367 - Pages: 6