Lessons in Leadership

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Lessons in Leadership
Applying Leadership Principals has been a quest to discover what the nature of being a leader really is. Leadership can come in all shapes and at many different levels within an organization. “Naturally born leaders are rare. It takes hard work to learn how to lead effectively (Amter, 2012).” More often what is encountered is poor leadership and examples of what not to do in a leadership role within organizations. These failures can be devastating on people and organizations. “The quality of your leadership today will not only determine current success, it will greatly impact future productivity, employee retention, and growth (Chambers, 2002).” In hindsight, one can take these bad experiences and see past the failure to the opportunities that were there to make the situation successful and that will provide future growth for all those that recognize them.
It was story that has become altogether too frequent in typical business America. Company spins off from parent company for financial gain. Company goes public on the stock exchange. In an effort to stay competitive in the market and show growth for their investors, company reorganizes their corporate structure. For a year rumors circulate, and finally three months before the new year whole divisions of the company including the Finance, Sales and Human Resources get put on the chopping block . The new version of the company is supposed to be lean not necessarily mean. As company outsources and right sizes, the amount of work flowing downward continues. At the site level Human Resource Managers are offered severance packages. A single Human Resource Director replaces ten Human Resource Managers and Directors that were forme...

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...nagement Executive,
9(4), 23-33. doi:10.5465/AME.1995.9512032188

Schade, J. (2008). Restructuring is tough, but it can be managed. Advertising Age, 79(29), 28.

Chambers, H. (2002). Decisive leaders. Executive Excellence, 19(11), 5. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204600053?accountid=38569 Earle, V. (1996). Motivational leadership. Executive Excellence, 13(11), 16. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204627543?accountid=38569 Perkins, B. (2013). Will your restructuring be savvy or silly? Computerworld, 47(3), 12.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1322944049?accountid=38569

Amter, R. F. (2012). Mastering leadership. Leadership Excellence, 29(12), 6-7. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1261432540?accountid=38569 Templin, P. (2012). Ode to the American worker. Industrial Engineer: IE, 44(8), 26.

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