A633.7.3.RB - Leader Follower Relationship

Complete the exercise at the beginning of Chapter 10 and use the scoring table at the end to assess your responses. Reflect on what this assessment means in terms of you as a leader and your relationship to your followers. • Has your thinking changed over the course of the past six weeks, if so; why, and, if not; why? • What is the significance of this in the context of your future leadership goals and objectives? I completed the assessment exercise "A Quick Test To Open Your Mind - Where Are You On The Map" at the beginning of Chapter 10 (Obolensky). It is based off my Industrial Engineering team at Boeing on 737 Program. There are several recurrent themes of emphasis and include: change, new systems, challenging targets, highly skilled team and performance. I will provide a self-reflection on this blended integrated with theory. For example, the 737 Program has seen huge changes over the last three years. We have increased monthly build rate schedule from 35, to 38 and are at 42/month and will hit 47 next year. On top of this, the new 737 MAX will be introduced early 2015 on the assembly line. The MAX has new and improved engines, wings, cockpit and interiors and will dominate the single-aisle market for the next ten years although Airbus is a huge competitor. Wow. Talk about change. Maybe radical change too. This has required a totally new approach to business including systems, skills and teaming. Other programs including the 777X and 787 Dreamliner are experiencing and explosion in growth too. And this is a huge opportunity too as far as business and career growth development. The days of the Lone Ranger and John Wayne "The Duke" are over. The single hero has been replaced the team approach. Why? None of us is as smart as all of us. Synergy, And business results. The "situational leadership" model developed by Hersey and Blanchard is a good teaming and leadership model integrating leadership style, skills, attitude and follower readiness. And a leader Boeing uses a similar process known as "situational leadership" model originally developed by Hersey and Blanchard. Situational leadership is leadership based on the specific situation at hand. Their research also indicates that the followers readiness level needs to be adaptable and flexible too. A leader wants to develop and nurture the passion and commitment of their team so they will be self-directed and high-performance instead of being dependent on others for direction, coaching and input. Situational leadership applied with "Bruce Tuckman's four stages of team development" forming, storming, norming, and performing can produce great results. (Hersey, Blanchard & Johnson, 2013) In summary, the philosophy and application of "Working Together" along with guiding operating principles and performing as "One Boeing" is an enabler for: change, new systems, challenging targets, highly skilled team and performance. This is one of the best industry business and teaming models I have had the opportunity to work with and apply. And the best thing is that it has worked in the past and will in the future based on the teaming culture. (Boeing, 2014) References Boeing (2014). [On-Line] Available http://www.boeing.com/boeing/ Hersey, Paul H., Blanchard, Kenneth H. and Johnson, Dewey E. (2013). Management of Organizational Behavior: Leading Human Resources (10th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc. Obolensky, Nick (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership: Embracing Paradox and Uncertainty. Farnham (Surrey), England: Gower Publishing Limited.