Question

e look at leadership from the manager’s perspective and explore the differences looking at leadership from a leader’s perspective.  Managers focus on process, procedure, and implementation of the organization’s purpose.  A manager's perspective is about getting the job done and keeping stability.  
In a recent virtual management meeting the Heads of the various marketing departments of Biotech met to discuss the recent decline in sales of food supplements since Nestle and General Mills entered the market.  In a meeting to get direction on how to fix the drop in sales, the question came up about who should handle the matter - the marketing managers or the owners.  One manager said, “A problem like this should have a solution from the top.”  Another manager responded, “I do not agree. We have dips in sales all the time and we go out and fix them using our own ideas and talent.”  “I agree, managers are leaders too” another voice said.  Maximillian Barney sat back in the Yonkers conference room away from the camera noting that the Americans wanted to move on their own, the Europeans held back but signaled agreement with the Americans.  The rest were quiet.  

Question.  Maximillian pondered, “How do I see my managers - are they leaders too?”
Looking back at week one theorists and our readings this week, how should Maximillian answer this question?
 
Learning Activity #2 - Theme 2
The manager must be able to solve problems, communicate, and lead teams toward the completion of a task.  
You are the manager of the HR department in New Mexico.  Headquarters has just sent you the new employee turnover figures for the various departments. For some reason the Quality Control Department is losing way more than the average number of lab techs.  Training new employees is costly to the company and the high turnover is costing money that could be better spent elsewhere.
Research uncovered the problem. Skilled lab techs were leaving to go to a company not far away that was paying more.  One employee, who has been with the company for five years, said she stayed with Biotech despite being approached by the company down the street because, “Although the new company paid more, Biotech offered better health care benefits.”  She had a sick son.  She indicates that she wished she could receive more flexible hours or work from home.  

Question. Using employee’s feedback or facts from the case scenario, and the weekly readings, what ideas should you consider offering to the Quality Control Manager to keep people from leaving and why?  Be sure to include in the explanation what motivates people and how your ideas are reflective of motivational theory.

Answer 1

Learning activity #1- "How do I see my Managers- Are they leaders too?"

This is a question Maxmillan asks himself. The managers work on certain procedures and policies to achive the goals they have determined. But managers will lack a very essential quality in them to get the work done successfully if they do not have the leadership qualities in themselves. Leading the team towards a goal by analyzing, guiding, motivating and directing them to the way the task should be completed is the work of an efficient leader. All these activities are important to be done to execute the work successfully by the manager. Hence every manager should have all the qualities of a good leader. Without the leadershipp qualities the manager will know what is the goal to be achieved but not how to achive it. And being the leader to the team he is alloting the work to if does not know the ways to execute the work efficiently and get the desirable outcomes then the whole team will remain misguided with ambiguous set of actions. Manager's post is one under which a number of subordinates work. Possesing the qualities of a good leader to guide and support the team under them is an essential element of achieving the goal. Hence looking out for a leadership quality in the managers is an essential element for successful business and continous growth.