Leadership Effectiveness In The Business World Commerce Essay

Leadership Effectiveness In The Business World Commerce Essay There exist different leaders with disparities in disposition, conceptualization as well as leadership styles. Leaders are meant to provide guiding vision in professional as well as personal matters. A competent leader should exude integrity which encompasses maturity, self knowledge or even candor. Being daring allows a leader take risks of experimenting with new things thereby getting new insights and ideas from the errors incurred. A leader of moral reasoning and futuristic destiny drives institutional growth to greater heights (Davis and Shrander 2007, 96). This document discusses the different leadership strategies as portrayed from Ray Davis leadership in an attempt steer Umpqua bank to higher profitability levels. Ray Davis leadership style can best be described as authentic, focused and transformational. He took over the leadership of South Umpqua bank and utilized creative philosophies as well as unique leadership disciplines in expanding South Umpqua bank operations, thus making the bank profitable, agile as well as customers satisfaction oriented. For him leadership has translated to growth. His leadership style is a clear demonstration that creating a competitive advantage will lead to exceptional growth to any institution. Being an authentic leader, Davis genuine desire to empower other people has been demonstrated. Chapter II: Findings and Discussion Transformational leadership Ray Davis has indeed provided positive change in the management of Umpqua bank making the bank amongst the most profitable institution of the times. Through the radical changes introduced in the banking industry, the institution has transformed into a multibillionaire entity with more than 120 branches spread throughout the state. Ray Davis has largely focused in transforming the lives of people through the establishment of accountability forums where the employees are encouraged to look at the interests of each other while contributing to the general well being of the entire institution. For instance, when Ray Davis took over the management of the bank in the fiscal 1994, the number of employees was about 60 people in Oregon which is an economically depressed region. This scenario has since been transformed with a record 1800 employees spread across the over 120 branches of the bank in Oregon, northern California as well as in Washington. Over the past twelve years relentless growth has been exhibited in this once little known financial institution having been transformed into a highly traded public company (Woodward 2003, 2). The transformational leadership strategy utilized by Ray Davis has propelled the growth which has seen the bank feature in prominent financial matters publications like Fast Company, CNBC as well as in the Business week. Through the personality aspects and traits of Ray Davis, he has managed to create change through the vision and goals he set out to achieve. The influence that Ray Davis has had on his followers is massive due to the charisma, individual consideration as well as the intellectual arousal he exudes. A key pointer to the transformational leadership strategies demonstrated by Ray Davis, lie in his ability to identify and implement new opportunities in the banking industry. For example, when he took the helm of the bank he made it a rule for the tellers to reckon the slogan World Greatest bank whenever they answered their clients phones. This move was frowned over by the competitors in the banking industry but massive benefits have been exhibited and indeed South Umpqua bank is amongst the best banks in the world. Ray Davis is listed amongst the top influential people who have made massive strides in the financial industry. Getting out of the status quo of the banking industry led to alte r the environment with a growth of about 30 times being exhibited at the bank. Ray Davis has offered individualized considerations to his followers through acting as a mentor to the employees and close associates to his business. Through giving support and empathy and support, other people have had a chance to emulate him as they are given an opportunity for self improvement and development (Sperry 2002, 86). Ray Davis appreciates any individual contribution made by the juniors thus enabling an intrinsic motivation of ones tasks to develop. There are times when the executives had to change direction in the implementation procedures on the institutions strategic plans. Ray Davis says that in such instances, he does not admonish their decisions but rather encourage them as they take their time to research on the implications of starting such an initiative at the time. The executives were able to question the assumptions which might have been overlooked and they thereby managed to have a deeper understanding of the strategic implications of such decisions. Through transformational leadership, Ray Davis has been able to break away from traditional rivals in the industry thus giving value to the shareholders, employees as well as to customers. Ray Davis has intellectually stimulated his executive team by encouraging creativity in their thinking. For instance, some branch managers have dog bowls at the entrances to cater for clients with pets. They even go way-out to open lobbies for community events. Managerial Capacity Ray Davis has demonstrated managerial aspects in his leadership as the output of the bank has been maximized owing to his administrative implementation procedures. Managerial tasks like organization, planning, controlling as well as staffing which Ray Davis has undertaken with the assistance of the executive team of the bank have steered the bank into profitability. As a manager he has done things right through following the stipulated procedures and company policies. Ray Davis says he is not predictable and he possesses a rare sense of urgency. Through open communication, tasks get done quickly. He does not communicate through emails and memos rather he prefers to get in touch with concerned parties via phone calls (Engen, 2009). As a manager who embraces delegation, Davis makes himself accessible to even the lowest ranking employees of the institution hence the reason why he does not follow the stipulated chain of command. For example, Ray handles people directly whether its the frontline associate, store manager situated in California or even senior VP heading operations at the headquarters. His staff joke that all the priorities of Ray Davis come at first position especially if they cause even the slightest difference. Executives of the company have experiences of how Ray Davis was relentless about their failure to address a clients problem. Through record keeping, Ray Davis is able to keep track of the customers queries and determine whether they have been addressed by the concerned parties. These managerial concepts help in building customer loyalty thus translating to added financial gains to the institution. Implicit Capacity Ray Davis has openly demonstrated to the employees, shareholders and other stakeholders of the bank that indeed he is a leader and a force to reckon with in the banking industry. He acts as a fully responsible person by being autonomous as well as highly independent during task completion. He is not press0urized to act in accordance to the laid down stipulations of requirements of a CEO of a financial institution. For instance, managers need be stable so as not to distract the functioning of the employees but Ray Davis is so unpredictable. He lets people see him even in social environment. During company picnics, he is never detached from other staff in fact he demonstrates this by cooking hamburgers. He loves having fun and demonstrates that even CEOs enjoy having good time as well.. For instance, when the young executives were designing the Portlands District store, he was filled with feelings of gratitude and massive appreciation such that he didnt want to distract them. He does n ot bottle-up feelings, but rather remain assertive enough thus he is not inscrutable. A very controversial creation of Davis Ray is referred to as Universal Associate program whereby every employee of the bank is trained in all banking operations. Thus instances of employees claiming to be incompetent are not evidenced (Hesselbein and Shrander 2008, 126). For example, a teller can make a mortgage application on behalf of the client. Ray Davis Competencies The competency of Ray Davis is evident as the profitability of the bank has increased as leading to the achievement of an envisioned future to the financial institution. Through his wisdom, he pioneered massive changes in the banking industry by making the Umpqua bank turn to a dynamic and innovative institution. The quality of management and the type of services and products developed by the bank demonstrate high levels of competency. During the 2010 Portland business luncheon, Umpqua Bank was among the most recognized companies in Oregon. It is also ranked amongst the best companies to work with. Throughout the tenure of Ray Davis at Umpqua bank, he has been a source of inspirational leadership to his followers and even to various customers. The kind of culture which Ray Davis has managed to create is geared towards serving the customers adequately (Sperry 2002, 174). When the customers are satisfied then this ultimately translates into added profits. Through consistently communica ting optimism regarding future goals, Ray Davis has managed to provide immerse energy to drive the bank forward. He says he largely concentrated on making the bank significant to the lives of the all the stakeholders. In his tenure, Umpqua Bank has become a financially stable and trustworthy enterprise which will continue to grow even as new leaders are given the mandate to head it. Chapter IV: Recommendation and Conclusion Ray Davis leadership discipline and creativity has not been pegged on selfish gains but there an endeavored move to impact the institutions prosperity. He has created a competitive advantage in the bank by installing projects and service delivery mechanisms which foster customer loyalty. Through building a pool of committed employees who are given the mandate to undertake tasks which are deemed productive to the institution, vital growth is guaranteed. Through transformational leadership, Ray Davis has fought the syndromes which make people to fall back into ancient business routines which are not productive. If Ray decides to go global in future, then there id dire need to strategically plan for the unbecoming effects associated with cords-cultures.

Ethics of Hydraulic Fracturing Essay

Large gas companies have been wreaking havoc on Midwestern United States. These companies’ practices of hydraulic fracturing have been very detrimental to the local populace. Hydraulic fracturing has been known to damage the environment through earthquakes and gas spills. In addition, it has been said that these companies have certain law exemptions that only they enjoy. These unsafe practices have contaminated local’s water supplies. There have even been cases where people have been able to light the water from their faucets on fire. Stricter government regulation should be enforced on these gas companies. Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, has recently (in the last ten years) been used extensively by gas companies (â€Å"The Facts About Fracking†). Fracking involves drilling down below shale formations (over a thousand feet) in the ground and pumping water, sand, and chemicals until the rock fractures. When the rock fractures it releases natural gas that can be collected at very inexpensive cost. The problem is that this can contaminate local water supplies, including lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, and ground water. The documentary Gasland stirred up interest in the American population to the effects of fracking. After being offered one hundred thousand dollars for his land from a gas company, the director Josh Fox traveled around America investigating the effects of fracking on the local rural populace. Josh Fox did an excellent job at exposing the gas industry for what it really is. The film won an Oscar nomination and has been praised by environmentalists nation-wide. One of the environmentally damaging effects of hydraulic fracturing is that it has been known to cause earthquakes. Reports of minor tremors of no greater than 2. 8 on the Richter scale were reported on June 2, 2009 in Cleburne, Texas, the first in the town’s 140-year history† (Fox). On the other side of the argument, they claim â€Å"Given the ubiquity of fracking without seismic impact, the risks would seem to be remote† (â€Å"The Facts About Fracking†). This is irrelevant considering that earthquakes are happening where they otherwise would not have occurred. In addition to earthquakes, they also damage the environment by causing environmentally damaging oil spills. In the past two years alone, a series of surface spills, including two blowouts at wells operated by Chesapeake Energy and EOG Resources and a spill of 8000 gallons of fracking fluid at a site in Dimock, Pa. , have contaminated groundwater in the Marcellus Shale region. The amount of water required to drill all 2916 of the Marcellus wells permitted in Pennsylvania in the first 11 months of 2010 would equal the amount of drinking water used by just one city, Pittsburgh, during the same period, says environmental engineering professor Jeanne VanBriesen (qtd. n McGraw). Spills like these cause water contamination for the locals. In this case, a large portion of the spilled fracking fluid flowed into a nearby stream (McGraw). The level of contamination is still being investigated. These irresponsible and selfish practices must be regulated before irreversible collateral and environmental damage occurs. Gas companies have even been able to exploit certain loopholes in the law. An employee from the Environmental Protection Agency stated that the fracking industry enjoy certain legal exemptions from the Clean Water Act – courtesy of Dick Cheney (qtd. in Fox). The federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 contained a provision that has come to be known as the â€Å"Halliburton Loophole,† an exemption for gas drilling and extraction from requirements in the underground injection control (UIC) program of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Other exemptions are also present in the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act (Fox). This is an injustice to the local people whose water has been contaminated by these companies. If the government will not regulate these large companies, what will stop these large companies? Furthermore, chemicals contaminating the locals’ water supply have been shown to be a serious health risk. It is reported that â€Å"Last year the EPA found that some chemicals known to be used in fracturing were among the contaminants detected in 11 residential drinking water wells†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lustgarten). These chemicals have even been known to be carcinogenic (Lustgarten). Contaminated groundwater becomes a problem for locals when their cattle have to drink the contaminated water. There are even cases of sick animals where all their hair falls out (Fox). Many farmers worry about the welfare of their cattle’s health which is sometimes their only source of income (Fox). Landowners in shale gas drilling areas have reported foul smells in tap water, and toxic chemicals, such as benzene, have been detected in water from wells near drilling sites (Fox). In addition, there are cases of air pollution from the machinery from the drill sites (Fox). Many claim that the air pollution is the cause of a lot of cancer in the locals (Fox). In Dish, Texas, Mayor Calvin Tillman claimed that the fracking industry created carcinogenic pollution in his town (â€Å"The Facts About Fracking†). He then quit his job and left his hometown to protect his sons from this pollution (â€Å"The Facts About Fracking†). These unsafe practices can be very harmful to the local rural populace, and must be regulated. Scientific studies have shown that the drilling has caused local drinking water to be contaminated with methane. In fact, it has been shown that locals can light their water on fire. â€Å"â€Å"Our results show evidence for methane contamination of shallow drinking water systems in at least three areas of the region and suggest important environmental risks accompanying shale gas exploration worldwide. A scientific study has linked natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing with a pattern of drinking water contamination so severe that some faucets can be lit on fire. While most of the wells had some methane, the water samples taken closest to the gas wells had on average 17 times the levels detected in wells further from active drilling† (Lustgarten). This shows that their gas drilling in fact causes this contamination. The contamination can get so bad that it directly affects the local’s safety. There is a case that is being investigated where a large portion of a river is highly contaminated from seeping methane gas; it is so highly contaminated that all wildlife has died along a large portion of the river (Fox). Along the banks of the river are dead bodies of birds, squirrels, and other wildlife (Fox). One local even claims that her father died from drinking the water many years earlier (Fox). In Josh Fox’s documentary, it shows a clip of someone lighting seeping gas coming out of the ground on fire (Fox). â€Å"In several cases, homes blew up after gas seeped into their basements or water supplies. In Pennsylvania, a 2004 accident killed three people, including a baby† (Lustgarten). This irresponsible, disregard for basic human rights must be stopped. Large corporations that run free and unregulated will do whatever it takes for their own gain. The local rural populace has been very badly affected by the practices of hydraulic fracturing. It is clearly shown that these locals are not being heard and little is being done for compensation for the locals (Fox). These gas companies have too much freedom to operate and must be put to stricter government regulation. The question is not whether we should frack or not, but rather how do we regulate these practices to minimize the collateral and environmental damage.

Impact Of Globalization On The United States - 1454 Words

Globalization is an extremely relevant concept in regards to the current shape of the world. Through globalization, ideas are shared across cultures leading to innovations in several departments. I would like to give an overall view and perspective of the impact of globalization on the United States from a macro look at how globalization is now shaping America. Likewise, I will discuss in more detail how globalization has impacted the United States as it relates to technology, trade, transportation, and environmental pollution. Lastly, I will explain the impact of globalization on the United States as to how it relates to these forces on domestic companies, workers, indigenous cultures, and other demographic groups within the country. Most†¦show more content†¦Although globalization provides for lower priced goods in the United States, the drawback is that many Americans have lost jobs to lower paid workers outside the United States, who work in poor conditions. This occurs through the process of offshoring, which is defined as â€Å"the process by which companies undertake some activities at offshore locations† rather than within their â€Å"country of origin† (pg. 8). With American workers now competing with foreign workers in companies, many of them are being replaced. Globalization has also created a major trade deficit, which negatively impacts the ability of the United States to retain its power in the world. From a more micro view of the impact of globalization on the United States, the impact of globalization on the United States is many-fold. The first impact is on jobs. Good jobs have drained from the US economy and have reached China, South East Asia, and other countries where the workers get lower salaries. The reduction in wages for workers strongly influence companies because it leads to an increase in profits. With globalization, outsourcing and offshoring has increased. When a company contracts out its HRM functions, book-keeping, and software making, it is outsourcing. Outsourcing can result in specialized services, lower costs, and no need for capital investment. In offshoring, instead of availing itself from domestic service

Impact of the Recession on Construction Contractors

THE IMPACT OF THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS ON THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY JANUARY 2009 INTRODUCTION The current crisis in the world’s financial system has left the construction industry facing its toughest challenges for a generation. Salaries are falling; job cuts are predicted to reach 400,000 in England alone; and the impacts look set to get much worse before they get better. No country is immune from the impact of this and the UK, and much of the rest of the world, is already in, or about to enter a recession. Even buoyant construction markets such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are starting to feel the effect, with construction growth rate expected to slow from 20% to 15% in 2009 (Al Mal Capital). The United Nations (UN)†¦show more content†¦The fiscal mitigation measures that were recently announced by the Chancellor (Pre-budget statement, November 2008) were not sufficient to address the underlying loss of confidence facing all UK businesses (and people). More innovative ways could be investigated by Government to help the industry survive, such as providing credit insurance; relaxing bonding requirements on public projects; setting up project bank accounts; and providing tax breaks/concessions for sustainable construction RD. At present, the latter has effectively ground to a halt largely as a result of the deeply entrenched uncertainty that abound. Jobs Loss of Skills Almost 400,000 jobs in the construction sector in England could be lost over the next two years (assuming GDP shrinks by 2.2% in 2009 and rises by 0.75% in 2010). It is predicted that the worst affected area will be London, where 23% of workers are expected to be made redundant (Public and Corporate Economic Consultants for the Local Government Association). On the other hand, Eastern Europeans are responding to the downturn in the market by returning home, and this has eased the severity of the job situation in many instances. 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