Abstract: This paper explores 2 different leadership styles in 2 different cultures, the applicability of the Hersey and Blanchard’s model to different cultures.
David – Manager in the UK
David was my manager while I worked in the United Kingdom. We were associated for more than two years. David was the project leader for the Wing Digital Mock up team. The main objective of the team was to implement the concept of Digital Mock Up (DMU) for the first time and to resolve the clashes between aircraft components which were being worked upon by separate teams in an early stage of the design life cycle. The team under David and was divided based on various structural modules.
As a leader, David came across as a supportive and charismatic person. He was very hard working and highly motivated. He was casual and friendly in his general approach and was well versed in his area of work.
He discussed problems and understood the opinion of the team before taking a decision. He was able to convince people by selling the ideas and the potential benefits. He was a patient listener and was very considerate to the views of others.
Type of situations and various leadership styles
Looking at the entire duration of the DMU implementation project, the following phases can be identified
Team formation – developing the experts & gaining acceptance
During the first phase of the project, the DMU team was built up by David. In this period, David was involved deeply in all technical issues of the work, personally coaching every team member. This was required as the area of work, the concepts and the objectives were all new. There were lots of valuable ideas which also came up from the team members during weekly drumbeat meetings. During this period, David was more of a knowledgeable team member than a leader.
The team members were eager to do the work. By the end of this phase, the expertise of the team was brought to a level where they could perform tasks independently.
During...