1. INTRODUCTION
The following is a case study on the life and character for Lord Michael Ashcroft. It involves a study of his leadership qualities and characteristics, and in depth personal SWOT analysis of his life and character, in addition to an examination of theoretical concepts.
2.1 Background of Lord Michael Ashcroft
Lord Michael Ashcroft was born on March 4th, 1946 and currently resides in the United Kingdom (U.K.) however he is also holds nationalities of Belize and Great Britain. Lord Ashcroft is versed in many fields and this is evident in his undertakings as an international businessman, philanthropist and politician. Apart from these endeavours, Lord Ashcroft is also involved in various charities, is a member of the House of Lords, is highly educated and in 2009 was ranked one of the wealthiest people in the U.K. – his net worth is currently £1.1 billion. He is currently number #1342 on Forbes list of billionaires and is ranked in the 36th position among the U.K.’s wealthiest, as of March 2013.
2. RELEVANT KEY LEADERSHIP ISSUES
The following is an examination of key leadership issues and characteristics involved in such. It gives an outline of the qualities necessary for an effective leadership.
3.2 Clear Vision and Mission
It is seen that Lord Ashcroft has understood the importance of adopting/developing a clear vision and mission through his ability to influence persons under his direction. His ability to develop such is evident in his business ventures, for example, his investments into failing businesses and turning them into profitable organizations. This is an indication of his ability to envision and develop foresight into what he would like to achieve and determine how such is to be achieved.
Defining a clear vision and mission is an indicator of his ability to utilize his knowledge, experience and connections to seize opportunities in gaining wealth – for example in his business ventures. It is also seen...