PLEASE USE THE REFERENCES LISTED ON THE COMPETENCY TABLE AND SUCCESSION PLANNING REPORT. Background: You have completed your role on the Succession Plan Committee. You and your Group identified leade

Succession Planning for Life Science Nutraceuticals, Inc – Part 2

Ms. Marvel,

As Life Science Nutraceuticals, Inc gets ready to embark an exciting adventure to expand the organization, the future of LSN and its advancement heavily relies on making sure that the right candidates fill the vacant positions. The following report analysis the five open positions that will be forthcoming to LSN: the position as the new Sales Director in the Middle East, Director of Research and Development at Miami Headquarters, Vice President of Headquarters Operations in Miami, Executive Director for the North American Division in Chicago, and the Director of Finance at the Headquarters office in Miami.

Succession planning allows for organizations to develop a plan to maintain a competitive advantage while a future generation of leaders take charge (UMGC, 2021). As leadership roles change, an opportunity is created for knowledgeable internal candidates to take over, as well as opportunity for new hires who have been groomed for the position. Change can occur quickly, therefore locating and developing qualified, strong leaders is imperative to avoid knowledge gaps within the organization (Trapp, 2014). LSNs desired objectives for leadership include cultural intelligence, respect for diversity, strong communication, resiliency, and the ability to develop teams. Within the report, the Succession Plan Committee has provided recommendations of the best candidate for each open position and justifications to why the committee believes each candidate is best for the given position.

Recommendations:

Sales Director, Middle East.

As LSN is making plans to expand the business into Riyadh, Saudi Arabia located in Western Asia; LSN will need to take action on hiring a competent individual to fill the Sales Director position. The Sales Director in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will have the responsibilities to hire, train and lead a team of employees while taking into consideration the Middle Eastern culture to effectively gain business relationships in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is highly gender segregated, and new labor laws are allowing women into the business environment (Kwintessential, n.d.). Additionally, the candidate will be culturally intelligent, and the Sales Director will consistently interact with Arabian businesses and will need to possess abilities to dive and motivate, effectively strategize, show common knowledge about the local culture, and display skills to be an effective leader in a culturally diverse community (Verghese, 2013).

The recommended candidate for the Sales Director in the Middle East is Marge Simpson. Ms. Simpson has intensive knowledge about LSNs mission and vision as she has been a part of the company for four years and is currently the Sales Director at the Chicago location. Ms. Simpson instills many cultural intelligence competencies. During the interview, she elaborated her upbringing with the Arab culture giving emphasis on her shared interest in the culture of family. Ms. Simpson is known by her superiors as being a creative problem solver. Ms. Simpson is a leader who encourages both situational and transformational leadership theories. Her leadership traits go beyond customer centricity by valuing the organizations environment and people enough to encourage diverse involvement among all employees (The Relational Leadership Model, 2006). She refers to herself as risk-averse, rewarding well thought out risks rather than taking large risks that are poorly planned. Innovation is an important leadership competency for any position; however, particularly for the Sales Director position. Ms. Simpson has shared her many creative innovative ideas for LSN that will lead the organization to future success.

Director of Research and Development

Research and development have been at the heart of its succession at LSN and will continue to succeed into the future. The Director of Research and Development position, located at LSN’s headquarters in Miami, Florida, will require a leader that is innovative and knowledgeable to lead a team of scientists and innovators. While having a full understanding of LSN’s vision, the Director of R&D must utilize and encourage creativity when solving problems and making decisions to achieve the organizations goals (Leadership Competencies, 2008). As the Director of Research and Development, collaboration between other departments and divisions is essential to the position and requires effective communication. Additionally, the position requires the management of effective teams, encouraging learning through trial and error (Leadership Competencies, 2008).

The recommended candidate for the Director of Research and Development position is Mohammad Dervish. Mr. Dervish has currently managed Sales for the Homeopathic Division at corporate headquarters and instills many effective leadership competencies that fit the position. During the interview, Mr. Dervish expressed his passion about LSNs collaborative culture with emphasis on his cultural interest in the Asia Division. He also elaborated on his dive to satisfy LSNs customers by going the extra mile. These leadership competencies prove that Mr. Dervish has the abilities to collaborate with other LSN locations. Mr. Dervish is a leader who encourages the Contingency Leadership Theory because he believes there are many variables to consider when determining a style of leadership based on a situational approach (Malos, n.d.). He refers to himself as a flexible leader that encourages employee progression through resiliency. Honesty and integrity are important leadership competencies for this position and Mr. Dervish expressed the importance of these characteristics for effective leadership within the organization.

VP of Headquarter Operations

The internal candidate recommended for this position is Rafael Mendez who is fluent in Portuguese and is open to travel. Rafael currently collaborates with other departments including purchasing, IT, R&D, and HR. (Comstock, 2014). In addition to working well with other departments, he also has received positive reviews from multiple generations of employees because of his strong communication and adaptability. (Indeed Editorial Team, 2021). Rafael Mendez is aware to be successful; he will need cultural training and to possibly learn another language. This is an example of Rafael’s viewpoint on valuing diversity, in addition to his overall global cultural intelligence. (Canwell, Stockton, Dongrie & Neveras, 2014).

While searching for candidates for this position, Jackie Johnson was initially considered for several reasons. Jackie is self-motivated to research the four geographic locations in addition to speaking with employees. This shows she can enhance her knowledge and is motivated for an increased capacity to learn. (SHRM, 2008). Furthermore, Jackie Johnson exhibited good communication skills and provided examples of letting others win through her good teaming efforts. (Morgan, 2016). Another candidate, Marge Simpson was also considered for this position. Marge Simpson is a creative problem solver and has a value for diversity (SHRM, 2008), however Rafael has a stronger global cultural intelligence. (Canwell, Stockton, Dongrie & Neveras, 2014). Ultimately, it was determined that Rafael Mendez is a better fit.

Executive Director, North American Division

The internal candidate that would best fit the Executive Director of the North American division is Jackie Johnson. Jackie currently works as the Director of Purchasing and is a graduate of UMGC’s business administration program. To serve as the Executive Director, the candidate must be comfortable with different leadership styles as well as being able to cultivate teams. They will be the head of the largest and most profitable division of LSN and need to comfortable leading different kinds of change (SHRM, 2008). A director that is capable of managing change effectively allows the company to stay competitive in their respective market.

Jackie showed up to the interview with a firm handshake and good eye contact. She has created a subculture within her department and went around talking to different employees prior to the interview. This shows that Jackie was committed to doing well in the interview and coincides with her character trait of enhancing her knowledge and ability to increase her capacity to learn. She has also exhibited the ability to cultivate teams and that is crucial to this position. Jackie is a strategic thinker that believes in good leadership being built on good relationships with her followers. Jackie exhibits all the traits we are looking for in the Executive Director position and believe she can really help LSN to grow.

Director of Finance

All the internal candidates who were considered for this role were evaluated. However, no candidates were recommended for the strategic goal of Biotech. One of the biggest factors for this leadership role is integrity and discipline which are desired in the finance department considering demonstration of ethics and integrity as an integral part of Global Executive Competencies ("Leadership Competencies," 2018).

Ideally a Finance Director should have fundamental skills that can be utilized in the finance department. The organization needs to ensure that the perfect candidate can adjust their skills depending on the specific leadership level in the organization (SHRM, 2008). For example, the ability to work with a budget, save cost while still meeting the internal customers' demand in the process of procurement. As for individuals involved in senior leadership positions, knowing the leadership style is not enough, but should also have experience in executing it before they can influence other to practice a particular style of leadership (Lumen, 2006). Considering these factors, the succession committee's recommendation is to look for external candidates to fill in the position of Direct of Finance.

Summary

The suggestions from this panel are important for Biotech to select the right candidate to be recruited in areas where leadership styles vary. Ultimately, every position needs skilled personnel with direct expertise to fix any issues that may arise in the course of action. Customers are a valuable asset to Biotech's survival and therefore the recommendation from the group gives understanding to the nature of the open positions and the knowledge required to handle the positions effectively. Therefore, the candidates selected for each position must create a strong customer experience and show their potential.

References

Canwell, A., Dongrie, V., Neveras, N., & Stockton, H. (2014). Developing 21st-Century Leadership Skills. MWorld, 13(3), 38–43. Retrieved from: https://eds-a-ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umgc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=5067185f-5f8a-49e9-b89fa8be0a970969%40sessionmgr4007

Comstock, N. W. (2021). Critical Skills: Leadership. Salem Press Encyclopedia

Indeed Editorial Team. (2021). 10 Traits of Highly Effective Leaders (and How To Develop Them). Retrieved from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/top-leadership-traits

Kwintessential. (n.d.). Saudi Arabia Facts and Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/guide-saudi-arabia-etiquette-customs-culture-business

Malos, R. (n.d.). The Most Important Leadership Theories. Retrieved from https://learn.umgc.edu/content/enforced/347722-001034-01-2192-OL1-6381/The%20Most%20Important%20Leadership%20Theories.pdf

Morgan, J. (2015). The 5 Types Of Organizational Structures: Part 2 – Flatter Organization. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2015/07/08/the-5-types-of-organizational-structures-part-2-flatter-organizations

SHRM. (2008). Leadership Competencies. Retrieved from https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/leadership-and-navigation/Pages/leadershipcompetencies.aspx

Trapp, R. (2014). Successful Organizations Need Leaders At All Levels. Forbes. Retrieved from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogertrapp/2014/03/23/organizations-need-leaders-at-all-levels/?sh=5bd3d43e3ab1

University of Maryland Global Campus. (2006). The Relational Leadership Model. Retrieved from The Relational Leadership Model.pdf (umgc.edu)

University of Maryland Global Campus. (2021). Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals. Retrieved from: https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/scor/uncurated/tlp/2211-tlp610/learning-topic-list/mission-vision-values-and-goals.html

Verghese, T. (2013). What is Cultural Intelligence [Video]. Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdjecUD_6Ck