Alan Mulally: Inspiring Other Through Humanity

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In a career, that has spanned over forty years, inspiring and respected leader Alan Mulally’s rise to the top of the business world would seem inevitable. An in-depth examination of biographical information, interviews and leadership text, revealed that three factors are to be credited to Alan’s rise. These factors are his leadership development, which began with his parent. Mulally’s personality traits that were honed through the years and translate to leadership attributes. The last factor credited to Alan’s rise is his leadership behavior, which gained the respect and admiration of his followers. Alan Mulally: Inspiring Other Through Humanity In a professional career, that has spanned more than 40 years. Many different people have described Alan Mullaly many different times, but always in the same manner. In the article, Three Outsiders, Three Styles (2013) featured in The Economist (2013) Mr. Mulally is described as a man who “gives hugs, and means it, he is a sort of “demanding cheerleader”, a boss you want to do your best to please, no blame-thrower but no soft touch either”. Jim Jamieson, executive vice president of airplane programs at Boing and a onetime top lieutenant of Mulally stated, “He is extraordinarily charismatic. He really believes in working together, and has a way of making people feel good about themselves” (qtd. in Song, 2010). An exploration of Alan Mulally reveals that his rise as a leader in the business world is credited to his personal development, his attributes as a leader, and his behavior. Development as a Leader Alan Mulally’s development as a leader began at childhood and continued late into his career at Boeing. In an interview with scholars Prasada Kaipa and Mark Kriger (2010), Mr. Mulally attr... ... middle of paper ... ...//www.mckinsey.com/insights/strategy/leading_in_the_21st_century_an_interview_with_fords_alan_mulally Reed, T. (2012, April 3). 6 Leadership Tips From Ford CEO Alan Mulally. The Street. Retrieved From http://www.thestreet.com/story/11480044/1/6-leadership-tips-from-ford-ceo-alan-mulally.html Song, K. (2001, April 8). Boeing's Mr. Nice Guy: Alan Mulally Steps Into the Limelight. The Seattle Times. Retrieved from http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20010408&slug=mulally08 Three outsiders, Three Styles. (2013, January 19). The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/news/business/21569721-dan-akerson-gm-doesnt-do-hugs-bad-three-outsiders-three-styles Zimmerman, A. (2014). Asking Brave Questions to Build Trust. [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://drzimmerman.com/tuesdaytip/communication-builds-relationships-teamwork-and-cooperation.php

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