Essay: Leadership: Integrity, communication skills and managerial competence

For centuries people have tirelessly worked to discover the authentic characteristics of a truly great leader. What aspects of leading define the essence thoroughly? The textbook defines leadership as “the process of influencing the activities of an individual or a group toward the achievement of a goal” (Bierman, 2015). According to forbes.com, one of the leading business informational websites on the planet, a great leader can be broken to eight major qualities and goals. Leadership is demonstrated through sincere enthusiasm, integrity, great communication skills, loyalty, decisiveness, managerial competence, empowerment, and charisma. Instead of going in-depth to break down each individual facet, it would be more effective to choose three that really stand out as some of the more genuine components of a leader. Integrity, great communication skills, and managerial competence. Integrity involves assigning credit where it is due, putting others safety first both physically and financially, owning up to personal mistakes that could harm an individual or the company as a whole, and being forthcoming and transparent in all aspects of business. For an authoritative figure it means making the right choice and maintaining honesty even if it makes them look bad. Great communication skills are crucial for someone in a leadership position. The ability to consistently motivate, guide, and drive their employees allows them to feel validated and collectively work towards a common goal. Not to mention that if great communication is established at the top, then it becomes a model for workers at the bottom. Lastly, a good leader must have the fundamentals of management ingrained in their leadership style. “Too many organizations try to create leaders from people who are simply good at their jobs” (Fries, 2018), yet most possess key characteristics that are the driving force behind their quick promotions. Along with a rapid work ethic, they have a clear comprehension on company vision, their role in the workplace, they have a knack for increasing efficiency, and they have a complete grasp on what product that’s being marketed or the service that’s being sold. All of these qualities once belonged and continue to belong to some of the great domestic, international and socially conscious business leaders of our era.
Within the United States, we have great examples of business leaders who use their managerial roles to inspire their employees, and rally them behind a centralized vision. One of which being Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks. Personally, I have never been a big fan of Starbucks coffee. With a shop on what seems like every street corner, and coffee that tastes like sugar water, I truly have never been overly attracted to their shops. I feel like some of the authenticity and quality in drink gets lost in mega-chains like Starbucks or Pete’s. Despite my feelings on the issue, I have much respect for the way they do business and the company as a whole. Schultz had a vision for a coffee company that would be “the third most common place to go after home and work” (Bierman, 2015). Through this vision, he conquered the market by creating an atmosphere that was “customer-centered” (Bierman, 2015).  and sought to make people “feel special through customized drinks and a comfortable environment” (Bierman, 2015). From my standpoint, he accomplished just that. Every single time I step inside of a Starbucks, I immediately feel a sense of belonging. Whether it’s the dimmed lighting, comfy chairs or the soothing background music, it lets me know that this is a place I can relax, talk with others, get work done, or enjoy a quiet evening. Going further than atmosphere, Schultz has dominated efficiency in his shops. Drinks seem to be made instantly, in spite of the never ending lines that seem to constantly wrap around outside the door. It’s no wonder how Starbucks consistently wipes the floor with their competition.
International businesses take this concept to a bigger scale. For instance, take a look at the Toyota car company. Kiichiro Toyoda created the Toyota Motor Corporation in 1933. At the beginning of production of their first released Model AA sedan, business started slow. Their facilities had suffered because of a lack of efficiency and the incapacity to keep production on a consistent track. It wasn’t until the mid 1950’s that Toyoda met with Ford motors in the U.S. and discovered some of the simplistic implementations that could bring their company to the top of the market. Tactics like the assembly line, and greater communications between management and entry level employees, were essential missing aspects that the company needed. Within a few short years, after utilizing these ideas Toyota released earlier models of some of the most popular cars that we see today, like the Corolla and Land Cruiser. In 1957 Toyota Motors, USA, Inc. “began exporting large numbers of automobiles to foreign markets” (Britannica, 2018). Soon enough, Toyota became the largest motor company in Japan and nearly the US. Reputation spread as a “low-cost, fuel-efficient, and reliable vehicle manufacturer” (Britannica, 2018). They began buying out numerous other motor companies, including Lexus, and their company never stopped expansion. To this day, Toyota is recognized as the top motor company in the world and the sky remains the limit.
A part from big business, some corporations remain socially conscious. They value conservation over commission. However, certain companies have found that both can go hand-in-hand. The TOMS shoe company rose the bar for socially conscious businesses with their One-for-One business model. For each pair of TOMS that gets sold, they donate one pair of shoes to a child in need somewhere around the world. The founder Blake Mycoskie, took this “simple idea into a global movement” (TOMS, 2018). Mycoskie was touched when he took a trip in 2006 to rural Argentina, and witnessed numerous children in poverty without shoes. It was here that his genius idea of “a for-profit business that was sustainable and not reliant on donations” (TOMS, 2018), took flight. Since 2006, TOMS has provided sixty million pairs of shoes for children in need, 400,000 pairs of glasses for people with vision problems, and has continually supported poverty-stricken, rural communities across the globe with fresh water. Mycoskie is the perfect evidence in that humility, integrity and compassion can still result in a profitable corporation. Not only does it inspire people to want to buy their trendy shoes, but it gives his employees a vision to rally behind, because after all, it benefits more than just their company.
Leadership in business comes in all different capacities. Whether it’s domestic, international, or socially aware, certain foundations of business leadership remain universal, and all types of companies can thrive if they learn to implement them effectively.