Review CASE ONE on pages 100-103 in Chapter 5. Answer the 9 questions listed and create a one-page executive summary . SEE ATTACHMENT to review case one. 1. What are the most challenging aspects of a

Case One

The first case in our study was conducted at a mid-size printing company located in the Midwestern United States. The leadership position under study was that of Sales Director. The “leader” took this position after a oneyear job search prompted by an unexpected termination with his previous employer. The “full circle” team consisted of 10 direct reports, his boss, and three peers. There was no formal transition plan. The following themes emerged from an analysis of the interview data.

Leader’s Perception

The leader’s separation from his previous employer had been difficult. When combined with a lengthy job search, the leader found his confidence shaken. Moreover, others in the full circle expressed concern to him about his ability to add value due to his lack of experience in the printing industry. These comments led the leader to question his ability to be successful in the new role. Expectations from the executive team and the leader’s team were unclear. The leader felt pressure to perform in light of not having a budget or defined goals. As he explained, “there was an instant expectation that I bring value to justify my salary.” Moreover, the leader felt that although there was a strong message to produce immediately, there was an unstated message that he also needed to “slow down, watch, listen, and learn” before taking action. The leader found it difficult to build relationships with key stakeholders. The leader understood that he quickly needed to build relationships with team members and his peers to be successful. However, given the revolving door of leaders in the position (six leaders in four years), the team and others were skeptical of the new leader and hesitant to trust.

The leader’s assumptions about the industry and business were also challenged. The new leader expressed that you go into a new position knowing only what you know, you believe what you believe, and you do your best to improvise within the letter of the law and the rules of engagement within that organization . . . and they were hard to figure-out.

Boss’s Perspective

The leader’s boss noted that they tried hard to build new relationships. The new leader was seen as sharing information openly, providing direction and asking for honest feedback from direct reports, peers, and leaders. Although his boss felt that the leader worked hard to develop relationships, “He needed to recognize that his style can wear on team members.” The leader’s passion and enthusiasm for action, and his need to “talk things out” was viewed as a relationship barrier.” According to his boss, the leader needed to question his assumptions and learn to adapt to the new culture. He also needed to learn how to interact with a new group of executives.

Peer’s Perspective

The new leader did not have credibility in the eyes of his peers. The leader’s years of sales and sales management were not seen as adding much value because the experience was not in the “printing industry.” The leader’s assumptions were also perceived as a barrier. Some peers noticed the leader labeled things as “good, bad, right, or wrong” depending on the similarity to the leader’s previous experience. They saw the leader as a “numbers guy,” which caused him to focus on the wrong information, both in his learning and his expectations of others. Peers noticed the leader’s strong desire to act quickly. As one of these individuals noted, “He needed to just sit and watch instead of trying to do so much so soon even though upper management was pushing for quick results.” In general, his peers felt that there was more talking than listening on the leader’s part, and that was a barrier to his transition.

The peer group also believed that the organization could have done more to support the leader in his transition, pointing out that the organization did very little, formally, to assist the leader. Furthermore, they felt that, “We could have done a better job of helping him fit here by having a roadmap or strategy for where the company is going.” The peer group felt that the leader did work to build relationships. He tried to increase the amount of communication, in addition to being more open with the type of information shared. He held one-on-ones and regularly scheduled team meetings. The leader was seen as working hard to create allies at all levels of the organization and learn the “political layout.” Dealing with strong-willed direct reports presented a challenge for any leader. As one of his peers stated, “I don’t think he was certain how to react when his team members pushed back. They wanted support—he wanted control.”

Direct Reports

The leader’s lack of experience in the printing industry translated to a lack of credibility for many of his direct reports. Several team members stated that the revolving door of sales directors had influenced their willingness to build a relationship with the new leader. Similar to the perception of his peers, the leader was seen by most as working hard to build relationships. He was viewed as genuinely showing interest in projects and seeking ways to help team members. They saw him as someone who sought and valued their opinions. The direct reports also felt that the leader’s assumptions got in the way. Coming from organizations with formal structures and processes made it difficult for the leader to navigate this informal culture. One direct report noted, “He tried to push the things he thought we needed, but he was actually the one who needed it.” His former culture was forthright about information sharing (sales calls, sales numbers), so as he pushed team members to share, they tried to hold on to what they viewed as “theirs.” The new leader was perceived as willing to learn. They saw him on sales calls, in meetings with the functional leads, on the print floor, and asking questions to increase his understanding. While the organization did little formally to help this leader learn, the team saw him learn quickly. The team felt he spent time with the right people—he went to the source or the lead in most cases to learn how a part of the process worked and always asked why. Some aspects of his leadership style were identified as barriers:

“He has to temper his lecturing points versus having one’s opinions heard out.”

• “He is overemphasizing his abilities.”

• “His two sentence answer can be two paragraphs.”

There appeared to be battles over control; when direct reports tried to keep control, the leader pushed harder to take it back.