Z20000051 Leading Change

Answer:
Introduction:

Carolyn McCall, is one of the most leading and powerful female boss of Britain. She is considered as the most admirable personality. She is well known for her down to earth and warm behaviour towards her working, which reflects her calm nature. She is the chief- executive of Easy jets, which she joins in 2010. She has always incorporated her leadership femininity and gave support to other women in their professions. She states that some of the inbuilt traits like, emotional intelligence, honesty, trust which is very much important for leadership (Fries, 2018). She also highlighted that by the low cost model, every colleague of an organisation should be cared of, as she believes in putting people at front, which is always reflects in her working style (Ruddick, and Osborne, 2010).

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Her working style in actual terms is different. In order to know more as reviews, she gets close to its staff and customers likewise; she visits the cockpit to talk with pilots and without any embracement, she picks up rubbish from customers on flight just to have chat as an excuse. She is quite particular in observing happenings in surroundings and obsessive about the customers’ experience by listening them more and focusing on the loopholes, which they are facing while experiencing. She also believed in resilience, which served her very well. In initial time it was very difficult for her to handle the travel industry, as she have not worked earlier in this sector but later she became an inspiration for every women who is in working sector (Cox, 2017).

Whether McCall is a manager, a leader or both….

Being a manager and a leader is two different things, according to the literature review, leaders are those who guide people and managers are those who manage all things within the organisation. Moreover, leaders are those who bring changes to the organisation by guiding their subordinates towards workings whereas, managers are those who keep records for day-to-day organisational activities.

Basis

Leadership

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Management

Meaning

Leadership is the skill of leading other.

Management is an art of systematically organising and coordinating thing in efficient way.

Basis

Trust

Control

Emphasis

Inspiring people

Managing activities

Focus

Encouraging change

Bring stability

Strategy

Proactive

Reactive

Formulation

Principles and guidelines

Policies and procedures

Perspective

Leadership requires good sightedness

Management has short perspective

Power

Influence

Rule

Similarly, McCall believes in maintaining both, guiding their employees and handling customer grievances by interacting with them. So, according to analysis McCall is both leader and manger because she uses leadership quality like talent, integrity and resilience which inspires her as a business leader to operate organisation successfully and as a manger by keeping everyday records for meetings, day to day operation leads to the successful management (Roderick, 2016).

She played that role which, boosted employee confidence, along with that she too focuses on customer. Through this, she earned reputation for business and improved her personal skills. She states that a better communication with their customers gave them much information, which was a better step towards correcting those issues, which was generating hindrance in their success. Alterations were made like management conferences were held twice a year, discussions on issues and problems were made to remove them from system (Economy, 2018).

She also states that, to build strong team one has to be dedicated towards their role and inspire other for the same. So, one of the leadership techniques she adopted was to attract the right skills and qualities for the organisation, which helped her out for making innovations in business. According to integrity, she states that it is the most crucial to leadership, as a leader has to be honest towards his/ her workings (Daskal, 2018). As leadership points towards openness, clear vision and more of confidence to face the difficult decisions for the organisation Similarly, McCall always goes with trust and honesty in order to avoid any complications further. Last but not the least, she majorly emphasis on resilience which is very much important for an leader to keep on going forward and believing that whatever you are performing is for the betterment of the organisation along with the personal enhancement (Zillman, 2015).

All the above qualities of the leadership inspire the leader while working and helping them to face challenges and help them to handle a sizeable workforce. Not only this, she also acted as a manager who manages the entire team with the courage, confidence that is must for an organisations success.  At the end, she also states that it is much harder and tougher for being leader. Because leading in a variable environment means absorbing a lot of uncertainty. In addition, handling variations, she has to be honest enough for what to say and what not to because decisions are made accordingly and actions are taken because of those decisions. This gives the clarity of direction. Hence, she plays both leadership role and as a manager which ultimately benefits the organisation as a whole (Appeleton, 2017).   

Transformational Leadership Theory:

Transformational leadership theory is relatively a new approach to leadership that focuses on how leaders can create valuable and positive change in their followers. In basic terms, transformational leaders focus on transforming other to support each other and organisations as a whole. Followers of the transformational leader are more relied on trust, admiration, loyalty and respect for a leader and are more willing to work harder than originally expected. This theory of leadership demonstrates certain factors like inspirational motivation and idealized influence over the employees in order to generate success within an organisation and increment in the personal development of the individuals.

Transformational leadership is correlates itself with the positive performance outcomes. Because if an organisational applies transformational leadership, though leaders one can be motivated , can be inspired, having a major influence of them over employees leads success in dual aspect, one the overall success of the organisation and other is the personal development. Hence, transformational leadership theory is valuable and widely used approach for studying and teaching leadership (Zellman, 2018).

Key features of Transformational leadership exhibited by McCall…

Transformational style of leadership is used by McCall to work with her followers and workers to achieve common goal. She motivates, and gives directions to perform better, which helps them to maximize the potential. However, certain flaws are there in transformational style, which will, surely affect the working style in future. McCall was a natural motivator, which motivate her staff to believe and to fulfil the goal together as one. This was very much effective in achieving goals. However, it do have negative impact if a leader in future becomes immoral and self-serving (Ho, 2017).

By the use of authority and confidence, leader can influence the already made decisions, which and can result to something negative. In future there can be some of the harsh decisions out of emotions can be made and can have negative implication over the success of the organisation. In context of employees, transformational leader motivates them to share their dreams and to work together, they also make them feel the part of their team but in future, it can be disadvantageous to them as at the end they are tired and dissatisfied because they feel they are taken advantage of. Hence, for future, it is quite risky and not always effective and leads to the bad decisions and the failure.

The other side of the transformational leadership style it creates vision and mission for the tasks, Inspires, motivates generates enthusiasm, passion for work and are based on truth and reality not only this they also seeks for the talent, rely on resilience and integrity for performing and generating successful results. However, more of this kind of leadership used in a future leads in degrading the values of the company. Likewise, transformational leader got a bad habit of making their follower to make them agree on every decision, which in future makes follower rebel against the leader if they feel that they are led in an immoral direction. Favouritism is the biggest problem due to the transformational leadership as in this leader often focuses on individual needs (Shetty, 2011).         

Similarly, in context of McCall, transformational leadership had a major effect over the success of the organisation. She was so inspiring that she became from boss to role model. Her major job was to keep their employees focus on what they do and one of interview she also states that she never allow herself to be distracted. But in future transactional leadership affects the employees of the organisation as they will be tired of listening and following what the leader says and thinks that organisation is taking advantage of them. As it is not compulsory that whatever the decisions did McCall took will generate success hence, it will lead to an ineffective result and led down the company’s success massively.

Transactional Leadership Theory

Transactional leadership refers to someone who values order and structure. This kind of leadership is not fit for that organisation where innovation and creative ideas are valued. Transactional leadership depends on self-motivated employees who work well in an structured and directed environment whereas transformational leadership seeks to motivate, inspire and influence their employees to work. In transactional leadership, leaders have formal authority and responsibility in an organisation. Leaders work best with their employees by motivating them by reward and penalty.

In this, leaders majorly emphasis on managing the performance of the individual and determines that how he/ she performs in the particular structured environment.

Difference between Transactional and Transformational Leadership

Basis

Transactional Leadership

Transformational Leadership

Meaning

This leadership employs rewards and punishment for motivating employees

In this leadership leader employs enthusiasm and charisma to inspire employees

Concept

Leaders rely on relations with employees

Leader emphasis on values and morals of the employees

Nature

Leader has reactive nature

Leaders have proactive nature

Works for

Leaders work for developing existing organizational culture

Leaders work here for changing the existing organizational culture

Style

Bureaucratic style of leadership

Charismatic style of leadership

Focus

Leaders focus on planning and execution

Leaders here focus on innovation

Theory X and Y by Douglas McGregor

Theory X and Y  in which two aspect of human behaviour at work are highlights in other way, it highlights the two different views of the individual, one is negative which is termed as X and another is positive which is denoted by Y. This theory shows that how managers lead their subordinates and respectively how subordinates behave. X characteristics highlights that that employees motivation is based on external stimuli like through punishments and rewards, employees avoids responsibility and their work is handled and controlled. Whereas, In Y theory, employees works with responsibility and actively seeks it. Employees with their creative and innovative approach like to challenge the organisation for its success (Akrani, 2010).

Characteristics and skills that enabled McCall to drive the company
Trait Theory

The trait model of leadership highlights the characteristics of both successful and unsuccessful leader. This helps in defining the leadership effectiveness. The results list is compared and through that, potential leaders are assessed later. The trait approach attempts to identify personality, which is defined through confidence, intelligence, achievement, emotional control and honesty.

Leadership contributes significantly in the success of easy jet. Certain leadership style, motivation and employee performance therefore, such skills helped McCall to drive company forward. Transformational leadership attributes such as empowerment, clear vision are seen as important elements for employee satisfaction and their commitment, consequently, McCall applied them in order to grow, compete and win (Zellman, 2018).

Limitations of Trait Theory
  • Trait theory is complex in nature.
  • It shows a simplistic view of personality.
  • It fails to appreciate that individual do changes.
  • This theory fails to recognize specific effects of different environmental situations.

In a literature review, it was concluded that women could be a better leader as compared to men because it is proven that women are the better listener, they are more likely to collaborate to resolve issues, other than this, they are more accessible and easy to talk too. Same as McCall adopts such skills to raise herself and for her team too. She is the natural motivator who motivates her team to perform well for the organisation. She used some practical tips for being an effective leader likewise; she has vision to inspire confidence and beliefs in others, which creates dedication of employees towards an uncertain future goal (Hollinger, 2014).

She believed in success by being flexible because the environment is constantly changing therefore, she thinks for a good leader she needs to adapt certain changing organisational strategies, structure and approaches. As she earlier mentioned leadership is not easy, with the change in time weather it is favourable or unfavourable a good leader will always tends to maintain motivation and drive towards the mission. In communication context, she was very much clear about seeing things from the customers’ point of view because she focused on listening their feedback and problems, which they were facing.  A lifelong learner skill made McCall to know more about the company, made her to stay ahead of the trends, and ensured her for sustaining a competitive advantage over the others (Rickards, 2016).

Based on qualities of a great leader McCall skills worked as miracle for the company and boosted their revenue over the past three- four years because of being approachable, she did that, which nobody did earlier in that company. She approached customers to take feedback like the one she picks up rubbish from customers on flight just to have chat as an excuse. Other than this, being a generous soul she always gives credit to its team members (Katz, 2017).

Over others, she was one of the responsible leaders in an organisation; she worked upon her team and looked for the better practices for the future. She used influencing skills to influence her team to work for the strategic decisions, which are best suited for their business. A broaden vision for future is must which she used as skills for organisation (Fobes Coaches Council, 2017).

For every changing environment and improving Culture, company do require focus, accountability and consistency. In addition, McCall also adopted these skills in order to develop and generate more and more success in comparative to their competitors (Eleftheriou-smith, 2012). By using the transformational style of leadership, she allows her employees to use innovative approach for generating more achievements in less time by being more focused to vision and mission of the company (Marston, 2017).

Consequences of McCall to taking her leadership style too far
Blake Mouton’s leadership Model

This leadership style talks about the two behavioural dimensions in which:

Concern for people: In this, leaders are more concern about their team member’s needs, interest, areas and about their personal development while thinking of how to accomplish the assigned tasks.

Concern for results: In this, leaders are more concern and give more emphasis on the concrete objectives, organisational efficiency and high productivity while thinking of how to accomplish assigned task.

                                                                   

This grid highlights the five outcomes which are improvised management in which concern and results both are low hence it majorly effects the organisational outcomes. Another one is produced and perishes management in which, results are high but low concern towards employees. In this Autocratic style of leadership is followed and employees have to work with rules, procedure etc. Middle road management have balanced concern with balanced results. Another one is country club management in which, High people concern with low results. In this, leaders are more concern for their team members, they are motivated but organisations productivity is affected because of lack of direction and control (Clayton, 2017).

Lastly, Team management in which there is high production with high people concern. In this team, members and managers both are committed towards the organisation’s mission and goals. Employees work hard to deliver the great results and at the same time leaders tries to inspire and motivate their teams. Even leaders are committed, empowered for achieving their goals. Leaders in this style of leadership give priority to both, the organisations production needs as well as employees’ needs. The entire environment is based on trust and respect which leaders to the high satisfaction, motivation and excellent results (Clayton, 2017).

According to the McCall, She lies in team management where the outcomes and concern both are high because, McCall is that leader which is dedicated towards the organisations goals and missions as well as  through motivation and inspiration they make employees to work even harder to deliver the excellent results. This proves that McCall is the most responsible leader who gives priority to both, the organisation production as well as works over the fulfilment of employee’s needs. Though trust, honest, motivation, dedication, and inspiration, the entire work is performed in order to generate success on both the levels, on personal as well as organisational.

Positive consequences:

McCall with such a leadership quality definitely generates positive outcomes to an organisation as well as employees. Because though motivation it not only helps, employees to work with dedication but also inspire other to work like them. Moreover, this grid system helps leaders to analyses their leadership style through training. With this, she has to know about the goal, which has to be reached the team management status.

Negative consequences

Major negative implication about this model is that it ignores internal and external factors. Similarly, McCall, if pressurize employees about the success of organisation, this may affects the motivation and inspiration of employees towards the work. They will feel more burdened while performing the task assigned to them. Hence affects the overall performance of the employees as well as organisation.

Evaluation weather McCall is the right person for the company

McCall will be the right person for easy jet because she is confident enough and know how to handle different situation and the different behaviours. By using the transformational style of leadership, she spends her most of the time with her employees and interact with them. She is the regular learner and she said, she has learnt a lot from the frontline than the meetings. She always focuses on learning and development of the staff. Right from the beginning of Easy jet, she focuses on maintaining and building up a high- energy learning culture which is best for the employees to grow. By doing so, employees within the organisation appreciated her for animating the value learning culture. According to the today’s culture, she also focuses on female pilots. She also has certain targets for 2020, as she wants to increase 20% of the female proportion in an organisation. McCall also focuses on creating the excellent role models to attract more and more female employees to choose aviation as a career options.

During a time ahead, McCall will be the most inspiring role model, because her role with people within the organisation is to motivate, effectively communicate, focusing on the customers , Attracting more of talents, With truth, honesty, Integrity, strategic thinking, punctuality and resilience helps in  achieving the targets. McCall declared in one of her interviews that, she is a future of easy jet and her ambition is to help easy jet so that their strength to strength moves on to the preceding years. In addition, she also focuses on reaching the milestones which results in successful delivery of the company strategy and working more for its growth (Gwyther, 2016).

Not only this, she builds up those strategies, which turns easy jet into serious competitors and in last year’s easy jet performed so well that Ryan air and easy jet locked in a battle for supremacy. Hence this proves that how effectively and effectively McCall worked at easy jet . The company, which was nothing before McCall and now with such a leader, the company is touching skies by earning more profits than usually (Young, 2016).

Evaluation: weather the firms needs more of managers than a leader

 In critical analysis, as McCall uses transformational style of leadership which helps the employees for increasing their morale. Creating positive energy is the first and the foremost goal in a transformational leadership; because of this, employees get the high degree of energy and charisma for doing their tasks. Other than this, effective leader always have vision for the future. A forward-looking vision and a better communication with employees demonstrate confidence and excitement. Such positive attitude within an organisation leads to the positive outcomes. Hence, McCall is the right person for easy jet. As company is growing on the faster pace, so accordingly, It somewhat needs more managers to manage different departments but as a leader McCall is self- sufficient for an entire company. Since New York Times article has launched 2015, after that McCall has three biggest achievements, which were, increment in the performances, she inspires everyone within the organisation so she became role model from boss (Kakar, 2017).

Contingency Leadership Theory

Contingency style of leadership states that leader’s effectiveness, which rely on how his/ her leadership style matches to situation. A leader sees compatibility of a leadership style with the given situation. Also designs a list of questions to find out which employee is best suited to work with. These are weather, people oriented or task oriented. Task oriented leaders are most effective and their positional power is too high as well their task structure. Whereas in people oriented, leaders perform their best in task as well as keep best relationship levels with their followers, with the motive of achieving the greatest results.

They also focus on best situation for the leaders and this is known as situational favourableness. Situations may be leader- member relationship; this highlights that how leaders interact with its employees. Another one is task leader, in which how leader and how they are assigned to their employees while set up task. Lastly, looking up for positional power, in which how much amount of power leaders have over followers(Bisk, 2018).

Conclusion:

The above given paragraphs conclude that McCall in easy jet company works as a great leader along with the traits of manager to manage the entire organisation. The characteristics, which helped her to drive the company forward, were the talents inside the organisations, her dedication, and inspiration for employees, Integrity, resilience, patience and discipline towards work. Her main motive towards the employee was to motivate them, build trust within them, generating that vision which helps organisation and individual both for their success. Moreover, focusing on their corporate learning, modelling the positive behaviour within them and making them aware about holding the higher performance, this was earlier expected in initial stage.

However, McCall leadership style will become a bit complicated in near future, as consequences related to transformational leadership will affect employees more. This can cause a serious detail challenge for the executives, experts and employees to work for an organisation. Depending more on passion tends to affect the reality and truth. And even employees they think that at particular point of time organisation might be taking an undue advantage of. Overall McCall as a leader proved to be the best for easy jet. Moreover, it will be more benefited not only for the organisation success but also for those employees who are working under her working style.

Recommendations:
  • Firstly, regarding the case, McCall is perfect leader, which motivates and inspire her employees towards working but more of motivation and inspiration generates pressure over the employees to perform well and ultimately, by more of pressure affects personal as well as organisational outcomes.
  • Secondly, Adoption of such leadership models creates the rigid organisational structures and thus leads to the non- achievements of organisational goals.
  • Lastly, massive interferences of leaders create disturbance in workings of the employees and thus, leads to the situation of dissatisfaction and discouragement among employees of an organisation.       
References:

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Appeleton, M. (2017) Maintaining orange spirit in challenging times [Online] Available from: https://www.changeboard.com/article-details/15849/maintaining-orange-spirit-in-challenging-times-dame-carolyn-mccall/ [Accessed 28/11/2018]

Bisk. (2018) leadership and contingency theory [Online] Available from: https://www.villanovau.com/resources/leadership/leadership-and-contingency-theory/#.XAJS-GgzbIU [Accessed 01/12/2018]

Clayton, M. (2017) Robert Blake & Jane Mouton: Managerial Grid [Online] Available from: https://www.pocketbook.co.uk/blog/2017/05/16/robert-blake-jane-mouton-managerial-grid/ [Accessed 01/12/2018]

Cox, J. (2017) Easy jet head Carolyn McCall joins ITV as chief executive officer [Online] Available from: https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/queen-skies-easyjet-ceo-carolyn-mccall-piloting-ftse100/article/1179006 [Accessed 28/11/2018]

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Ruddick, G., and Osborne, A. (2010) Easy jet to hand Guardian chief Carolyn McCall the controls [Online] Available from:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/7507752/easyJet-to-hand-Guardian-chief-Carolyn-McCall-the-controls.html [Accessed 28/11/2018]

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Young, S. (2016) CEO McCall says committed to easy jet and battle with Ryan air [Online] Available from:https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-easyjet-mccall-idUKKCN0VA2RL [Accessed 28/11/2018]

Zellman, M. (2018) the advantages of transformational leadership style [Online] Available from: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-transformational-leadership-style-18809.html [Accessed 28/11/18]

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