Gary Erickson's Clif Bar Inc.

Gary Erickson, founder of Clif Bar Inc., has an open and innovative style of leadership that fits very distinctly with one of the generations of workers defined by Zemke in the text. While the “Veterans” and “Baby Boomers” are much too prone to tradition and routine and the “Nexters” are far too young and undeveloped as a group, the qualities of a “Gen-Xer” fall directly in line with Erickson’s leadership style. In the text, Zemke describes Gen Xers as “entrepreneurial” and being “more committed to their vocation than to any specific organization” (155). Gen Xers are also said to seek balance between life and work, and they do not define leadership in terms of meetings and vision statements. They would rather leaders make work environments

He showed great entrepreneurial vision in the creation of Clif Bar, having started the company simply because he thought he could make a better energy bar alternative for cyclists and other athletes (183). He built his business from the ground up, only having his family’s bakery as an aid (183). How he chooses to lead Clif Bar shows an understanding and appreciation for the work-life balance and other things Gen-Xers desire from their leaders and work environments. His 2,080 program, named for the number of hours a full-time employee will work in a single year, was launched in order to allow employees to get paid for their volunteer work. Erickson also supports employees who want to travel to Third World countries by paying them to do so and covering travel expenses (184). He attempts to give employees opportunities to experience things greater than just sitting at a desk while still on company time. He also makes sure his employees are comfortable and constantly rewarded in their working environment by supplying them with bikes, a gym, personal trainers, hair salons, and an auditorium for movies and parties all within the company’s site

Obviously, one goal of every company is to make a profit. Without a profit, Erickson and his employees would not be able to make as large of a positive social and environmental impact. It is very clear, though, that this company values much more than just profit, which was made apparent when Erickson denied selling the company for $100 million because he wanted to retain the vision and values that he held for the company (183). Erickson’s “ethics and values-based approaches to leadership,” shown through his mixture of authentic and servant leadership, allows Clif Bar Inc. to have a very ethical climate. “Authentic leaders exhibit a consistency between their values, their beliefs, and their actions,” and they also take actions that concentrate on relationships, social responsibilities and performance standards (169). Erickson also practices servant leadership by emphasizing the importance of building community and giving his employees opportunities to grow (171). Erickson has successfully integrated his values with his leadership and his organization, allowing Clif Bar Inc. to have an ethical climate “in which ethical standards and norms have been consistently, clearly, and pervasively communicated throughout the organization and embraced and enforced by organizational leaders