Albert Bourla - Pfizer CEO

The global COVID19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc. The world has lost so many people, with economies running to meltdowns. The pharmaceutical sector becomes one of the greatest assets that the world has to develop a vaccine for the deadly virus. The world most talked about pharmaceutical company today is Pfizer, for their discovery of a 95% effective COVID19 vaccine (Monica, 2020). The discovery of the COVID19 vaccine shows the company's dominance in profitability and effective leadership that has seen it grow to be one of the world's largest pharmaceutical industry. As of October 2020, Pfizer was the second-largest pharmaceutical company with a revenue of $51.75 billion. As of November 11, 2020, when it was announced that Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech found a 90% effective coronavirus vaccine, the company shares jumped up by 15% (Monica, 2020). The company C.E.O and chair, Albert Bourla, sold $5.6 million worth of stock at an average of $41.94 per share (Monica, 2020). Pfizer's current position in the pharmaceutical sector shows that leadership is the impetus in sustaining growth, innovation, and competition among companies. 

Pfizer came to existence in 1849 by German-USA immigrants Charles Pfizer and Charles Erhart (Pfizer, 2020). The company was initially set up as a chemical business in Brooklyn, with its first product being an anti-parasitic drug made of toffee. Pfizer, a trained chemist, and Erhart, a confectioner, combined their skills and set the company on a successful path to its future developments. The death of Erhart in 1891 and Pfizer in 1906 left the company with at least 200 employees under the leadership of Emil Pfizer, who became the last family member to be involved in the management of the company (Pfizer, 2020). Emil Pfizer is credited to have greatly improved scientific production methods. Notably, in 1919, Pfizer was the first company to have engineered mold fermentation production of the citric acid from molasses, thus helping them abandon citric business from Europe citrus supplies that had been affected by the First World War. Their fortune and expertise in the large-scale pharmaceutical production and fermentation grew in 1941 when the US government appealed to the pharmaceutical industry to support large-scale penicillin production for the war (Pfizer, 2020). This allowed Pfizer to collaborate with the government and work with renowned researchers such as Frederick Banting and other talented and experienced scientists. This enhanced their efficiency in drug production. Fast forward, in 2020, Pfizer is the second most valued company in the world by revenue under the leadership of Albert Bourla (Pfizer, 2020). 

Albert Bourla 

As the C.E.O and chair, Albert's leadership purposes to help Pfizer make breakthroughs that change patients' lives, emphasizing driving scientific and commercial innovations that are key to transforming and influencing human health. With over 25 years of stay at Pfizer, Albert has created a dynamic and successful career by holding some of the company's key positions and a range of global markets (Pfizer, 2020). Before becoming the company C.E.O, in 2019, Albert was Pfizer's Chief Operating Officer, tasked with overseeing the company's manufacturing and commercial strategies and the global product developments and functions. Serving as Group President of Pfizer Innovative Health between 2016 and 2017, Albert helps create the Patient and Health Impact Group dedicated to developing a solution for increasing patient and access and demonstration of Pfizer medicine for ensuring safer and broader innovation models (Pfizer, 2020). 

Albert Bourla is a trained Veterinary Medicine that has a Ph.D. in Biotechnology of reproduction from Aristotle University. In 2020, he was positioned as America's top C.E.O in the institutional investor magazine's pharmaceutical sector. He sits on several boards, key among them Pfizer, Inc., the Pfizer Foundation, Catalyst, PhRMA, among others. He began his Pfizer career in 1993 as the Greece Technical Director in the Animal Health Division (Pfizer, 2020). He has held positions of increased responsibility within the Animal Health Division in Europe before joining the New York Global Headquarters in 2001. He has managed to assume key leadership positions within the Animal Health Division, the largest being US Group Marketing Director between 2001 and 2004, Vice President of Business Development and New Product Marketing between 2004 and 2006. In addition, the area President of Animal Health in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe between 2006 and 2009 (Pfizer, 2020). 

As an influential figure both in the US and global pharmaceutical industry and for his steering role in developing a 90% effective COVID19 vaccine, Albert Bourla is today one of the world's most researched and sought after C.E.O (Monica 2020, par 5). It thus makes him a prime candidate for the leadership interview. Above all, understanding Albert's leadership skills and his general views on leadership can be key to inspiring a generation of aspiring pharmacists and leaders around the globe. 

As aforementioned, Albert is currently one of the world's sought men. Securing this interview was a painstaking exercise but worth all the effort that I put through to have it done. After more than six months of trials, Albert finally agreed to offer me this interview at the company headquarters in New York. I am so grateful to his assistant, who kept on encouraging me to keep trying and not give up on securing this interview. The interview was somehow informal and formal, which allowed me to capture most of the issues guided by the task and as reported herein. 

Leadership Interview 

Do you think leadership develops with experience? 

Albert Bourla believes that experience is everything in developing leadership. His 25 years of experience, working in various capacities in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the USA is the main reason that may have propelled him to be the C.E.O and chair of Pfizer in 2018. He believes that experience is important in helping organizations such as Pfizer identify key success events. It further helps reduce developmental gaps by maximizing chances for growth. He is a firm believer that experience is amassed by reviewing some of the key requirements that organizations need to meet their strategic objectives and goals. Above all, through experience, leaders can analyze the evolution of their roles and marketing dynamic, as they are always demanded to give marketing projections and positions spanning over 10 years. Through experience, leadership helps in the assessment of how technology and environmental changes disrupt their roles (Komives, 2006). To Albert, experience helps significantly in reviewing talents and organizing for succession planning. It allows you to identify talents that have a better understanding of organizational expectations and market responsiveness. Above all, he believes that leadership experience helps in individual development planning in which leaders can find meaning in their experiences and prompt application of the lessons learned. 

Are there one or two experiences you look back on as having been especially valuable in helping develop your leadership? 

With over 25 years working in one of the globe's leading pharmaceutical, Albert avers that every day is a great experience that has helped develop him as a person and leader. The ongoing COVID19 pandemic is that which influences the position of any leader in the pharmaceutical sector. He notes that he has been devastated and sometimes motivated by the greatest challenge in humans' history in the 21st century. With more than one million global deaths, shut international and national movements, economies in recession, his biggest responsibility is coming up with a vaccine that will return the world to normalcy. He affirms that Pfizer's conduct, dedication, and development of the vaccine is perhaps his greatest experience as a leader. With 90% effectiveness, he believes that they have a greater responsibility for helping the world by developing an innovative solution that would help normalize the world. 

Secondly, he sees the opportunity to serve as the Area President of Animal Health for Pfizer, covering Europe, Africa, and Asia, as a great opportunity to learn every bit and tits of international business and the politics that comes with it. He grew to understand the specific problems that each continent faced and was particularly able to come up with a consumer-focused solution. He avers that from the two experiences, he is now more positioned to see the world and the future of pharmacy from a more informed perspective. 

What made these experiences so valuable? 

According to Albert, people will always celebrate the results of any event. Though he concurs that the ultimate price is worth every celebratory effort, he feels that the faces behind the success, though often forgotten, are the most important beings that deserve every mention. In the case of the 90% COVID vaccine discovery, he believes that there were people who took time off their family and comfort to work tirelessly to bring a glimpse of hope to the world. He is motivated by the team's ability that he manages at Pfizer to come up with solutions to several health challenges that the world faces. The dedication and sacrifice show the company's true team spirit and their ability to live for and by the company logo, which is to find purpose in innovative medical solutions. 

Area President of Animal Health in Africa, Asia, and Europe shows Pfizer's confidence in his abilities. Above all, he was able to identify some of the key undertakings that they needed to grow Pfizer to one of the largest global companies. He affirms that the position in many ways will build on his quest and desire to grow Pfizer as the company C.E.O and Chairman. 

Have your views of leadership changed over time? 

Leadership is one of the most dynamic undertakings, which surely changes overtime. I grew up in a time when dictatorship and oppression were the way of the world. For instance, in the United States, there were situations of black segregation and struggle for human freedom. In Africa at the time, Colonialists from other European nations were against any aspect of self-governance of the Africans. At the time, families, homes, and institutions were run through a dictatorship. However, over time, I learned that effective leadership is about giving people the freedom to freely express their views (Rath & Canthie, 2008).Leadership is about bringing people with various ideas and goals together and working with them to realize the common goal. By giving them the chance to express themselves, you not only build their confidence but also give them the belief that they are a valued component of the company. Nonetheless, leadership still demands that someone must be accountable and take responsibility for their actions. It makes it very easy to audit the performance of the organization over time. 

Do you think leadership in your arena is much different from or involves different pressures than leadership in other areas? 

Leadership is leadership, no matter the field that one venture. The demands and deliverables may be different, but their pressure remains the same. To Albert, leadership is organizing, coordinating, and assembling a team and working towards bringing the best out for them both to the benefit of the organization and their professional growth and development. It calls for a greater understanding of the business environments, both internal and external, Laws and policies, client, stakeholders, and the nation's economic position where the business is to be undertaken. There is a general agreement that leadership is a delicate balancing act that requires consideration of the interest of all the possible and major stakeholders of one to sustain the business growth. 

Do you ever reflect after the fact about how effective your behavior was in a particular situation? Is this ever a source of new or different insights? 

Albert is a very easy and participative person. He is much loved for his participative and approachable behavioral style. He affirmed that while heading the Animal Health Department in Greece, sometime in 1993, some animal clinic ordered products that took time to arrive due to shipment and logistical challenges (Pfizer, 2020). When those shipments arrived, he took the personal responsibility of delivering them to the client, apologized for the delay and the inconvenience that the shipment delay may have caused. This kind gesture was very important in assuring the Greek clients that the company valued their support and choice of Pfizer as their suppliers. The consumers were so elated by the gesture and continued to work with the company for the longest time. 

Is there any advice you would give people early in their careers about leadership? 

Leadership is not about showing directions but also understanding the emotions of the people that you are leading (Caruso & Solvey, 2004). You are highly likely to bring the best out of people who are not only emotionally understood. They feel safe and capable of working to the best of their capabilities. Above all, in leadership, one must understand that power shifts as such, you are required to work and act in the best interest of all the people under your custody. Leadership positions are temporary privileges that must be exercised with an abundance of caution. Young persons in leadership should not let power corrupt their thoughts and actions. Above all, use leadership to elevate people and businesses because someday, you will be in pain to defend some of the actions you took. 

Assessment of Personal Leadership 

Assess your orientation toward power, including your tendencies relative to the five sources of power. (Refer to your bases of power inventory completed during Class Two). 

I believe that power in every aspect is an amalgamation of authority, responsibility, and skills. With over 10 years of experience in various pharmaceutical industry positions, I posit that my source of power is expert power. This is the kind of power that a person has due to their experience and knowledge in a particular field. For instance, I am well versed in pharmacy. Since my graduation, I have held various positions among pharmaceutical industries in Car and I am privileged to sit on the various boards. Within my works and leadership around the COVID19 reduction and management at household levels positions to a greater understanding of community service and crisis management. I am an avid reader who is always out to source for new information that can better my professional growth and address issues affecting our community. I have experience and specialization due to the expansive research and business leadership and research. At the end of it, I will be in a better position to manage multicultural people towards the attainment of specific goals and objectives. 

Assess your leader's motives. 

Leaders must be purpose-driven since it makes it possible to convince people to buy in and believe in some of the ideas you have. The two components that motive my leadership. Creating and sustaining a relationship is key to his leadership motivation. In most instances, I feel satisfied when I can address some of the common challenges that consumers face (Fullan, 2011). This is so much such that during his tenure as the medical representative for the various firms in California, I have sought to come up with strategies that are dedicated to the development of a solution for increasing patient, access, and demonstration that our medicines are for ensuring safer and broader innovation models. Above all, I am more driven by the result, thus always aim to make sure that I can attain his objectives in a way that aligns with the demands and the needs of the consumer bases. My volunteerism during the COVID19 pandemic does show that I am motivated by a good course and the feeling of making significant contributions towards better healthcare service delivery. In the course of my life, most people have often averred that I am compassionate and will not stop at anything but address some of the pressing challenges that people around me go through. 

Assess your typical (or default) influence tactics. 

In exploring my influence tact, I tend to use both rational appeal and non-verbal cues. These tactics have been effective in a change of attitude, creation of beliefs, and values. Non-verbal cues in this instance are important in helping my position known and if things are being done out of place. I always aim to help people understand my position, supported either by correcting some of the mistakes that I could make along the way. Largely, the rational appeal has been key in helping me cement my influence at work. I tend to work closely with other players in the field during challenging moments, as noted during the COVID19 situation. Through the rational appeal, I can address some of our company's situations from time to time. The rational appeal allows logical arguments to convince my subject to see certain positions I take as the best alternative. 

Given your orientation toward power, your leader motives, and your typical influence tactics, discuss three specific ways Jesus would approach your leadership responsibilities differently than you approach them. 

On reflecting on the approach Jesus would give to my power tactics, I tend to believe that it would apply referent power. Jesus' words and teachings cover the significance of relationships and community. Book of Mark 12:30-31 states, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Above all, the book of Luke 7:36-50 on leadership tactic shows that Jesus had more focus on building relations through interactions as seen in my participative and persuasive approach. In this scripture, Jesus impressed on people who looked down upon the sinful woman for pouring down perfume on his head. Under this position, leadership allows people to use whatever skills they have to give the best for their respective roles, thus leading to the organization's collective success. Leadership, as taught by Jesus, is the ultimate service to humanity. It brings the greater understanding that we are temporary honors of the throne and power, and at some point, we shall in a position where we have to be led. In doing the right thing, we must strive to be fair in our judgment, considerate in our actions so that we do not hurt people along the way in the course of exercising some of the bestowed responsibilities. 

Assess your creativity and how creativity affects your leadership and Assess your personality, including where you fall on the "Big Five" personality dimensions. 

I tend to have varied creativity levels because, in most instances, I tend to be more open to listening to other people’s positions and preferences. This allows me to pull all aspects of creativity from my close associates, families, faith, and documentaries. Diversity in an organization is often elevated and embedded in the ability to look outside for more sources of creativity (Cherry, 2017). As such, the walls of the organization do not confine collaborations. Creativity is much more profound when and if we can balance with other people’s minds. It further allows me to balance my mind and a diverse pool of persons around me. Furthermore, I believe that inspiration, influence, and contribution from others can help me be a dynamic and creative person. Based on the fiver personality test, I believe that I am an  extrovert  since I was the year. I have demonstrated over the years that I am likely to be involved in the leadership position in most situations. There is a strong relationship between leadership, risk-taking, and decision-making. I am more likely to make a swift decision in case of difficult situations. Above all, I am more likely to get along with people on various components of life. 

Assess your personality type as defined by the Myers-Briggs instrument, and examine the leadership implications of what you have learned. 

Myers Briggs that I took has always provided the same results. The results showed that my personality is ESTJ, meaning, Extroversion, Sensing, Thinking, and Judgment. I came to these conclusions. 

On extroversion, I agree that I have an outgoing personality. It is always very easy for me to socialize and get along with people in given situations. My sporadic social abilities make it easier for me to create a conversation with people (Chiang et al., 2015). As such, I have a great liking and value for social interactions. Extroversion allows me the freedom to speak my mind freely without the feeling of being misquoted. As such, in most cases and in sharing my views, people always have the chance to scrutinize, thus making me be in a position to make better judgments. 

On sense, I have every aspect of logical decision-making. I tend to look for facts and details on the situation that helps inform my position on an array of issues. As such, the sensing aspect of my life has always made me make a practical decision backed by data other than assumptions. Logical decision-making is key because it gives me the freedom to weigh the pros and cons of some of my actions at any given point in time. Therefore, I stand better guided by my conscience and that of the prevailing situation. 

Thinking: I am a positive thinker who always sees the best outcome in a situation. I have since learned that thinking leaders are analytical and critical, which helps them make objective decisions in most situations ((Pheifer, 2019). This trait does augment the sensing trait in helping address any instance of bias that may arise from some of the decisions I make. Positive thinking has always enabled me to see my world from an advantaged position other than a negative. In so doing, I tend to be more favored in finding a solution without giving a thought to the challenges that I may face along the way. 

Judgmental traits help me settle for methodological, organized, critically analyzed, and well-informed decisions. In my professional and private life, I am not molded to take positions that are not informed with the utmost thought process and judgment. I am forever hesitant in the decision-making process because so many things must come to play before I can settle. 

Assess your key values and their implications. 

Being raised in a Christian family set up, I guided by their ideas and teaching. I am very conscious of the biblical teachings and application of the same in professional and personal life. I have the utmost value for discipline, honesty, and diligence. These values are very important in the medical profession because so many lives depend on some of the actions that we take. 

Diligence is particularly important in ensuring that I take my works very seriously and working towards ensuring that I serve to the best of my capabilities. Diligence further allows me to exercise empathy and stewardship in serving people (Taft & Ellis, 2020). Discipline at work allows me to understand that I am responsible for my actions and spell out my expectations professionally and individually. On some occasions have been faced with a dilemma on either to choose to go for holidays or finishing work. Discipline is one of my main guiding principles in most decisions that I make out of the situations I could be facing. Furthermore, people around me have learned to respect some of the positions that I take on situations, thus making my work and relationship easier. Above all, honesty, to me, is being able to do the right thing when no one sees you. That gives me the fulfillment that I am leading a purposeful life. It further kills all aspects of guilt that may come from carelessness or commissioned errors. 

Assess your top strengths as determined by the Strengths Finder assessment. 

The strength finder tests showed that I have a top score on the various results that have been taken over time. Among the key ones are my high rating on Achiever, Command, and Strategy. Commands do show so much bearing on the personality traits. I feel comfortable sharing my views because I tend to lead. Command thus becomes my strongest gain as it allows me to influence others. In achievers, I am driven by the prospects for success; thus, I always aim to accomplish all my undertakings. My passion and drive for personal accomplishment better positions me as an achiever. Being strategic embeds my ability to find suitable solutions out of situations. In many cases, I can juggle through various workflows that may be seen as confusing. The strategy further allows me to choose my wars within the professional scope. I tend to be more agile in situations that I feel better positioned to dominate, giving me the added advantage over my competition. Above all, my drive is bound to find rational solutions. As such, I have noted that both Strengthfinder and Myers Briggs have pretty much similar results and my strength, and they complement each other. 

Leadership Application 

Discuss a time when you lost trust in a leader, and describe the impact that experience had on your relationship. 

After my undergraduate, I got an exciting opportunity with my local pharmaceutical industry as a sales assistant. I was directly involved in working with the area territorial manager to promote a new drug product and general sales. I had very defined objectives and deliverables that I was required to meet every month. After working for a while, I realized that my sales and networks were not growing, which affected my performance and belief in myself. Most of the time, my boss would get at me even in open office meetings as not being up to the task and competent enough to get sales. This would affect my performance; my colleagues started to see me as a liability. During these trying times, I also learned that I would easily get irritable and get physical with my colleagues in some cases. Every time some would make a joke of a situation neutral and all pun intended, I would always feel that they were targeting me. I got so depressed that I stopped developing interest in my work; I equally started avoiding people at work and would stay alone most of the time. This did not turn out so well. With lost belief, I also started seeing myself as not so qualified for the job. After months of frustration, I finally decided to quit that employment. It is one of the most difficult moments that I have had to face during my young professional life. 

What is most likely to occur when leaders try to drive change at the organizational level without first addressing the issue of their credibility at the personal, one-on-one, and team leadership levels? 

Organizations are mainly built on trust, and success is hugely dependent on the manager-employee relationships. Lack of trust between the two entities is likely to result in functional inefficiency. Trust is the most important entity when people are to work together. Leaders that fuel their self-interest in using people to work for them towards a common goal are likely to fail in the long term because employees may feel unwanted. Proper leadership is key in providing positive and strategic direction and ensuring that the attained goals are selflessly motivating (Blanchard et al., 2007). However, the biblical story of Jesus shows that Jesus uses the servant leadership approach as opposed to the organizational leader. They say failing to plan is planning to fail. It is very pertinent for leaders to be organized in their undertaking. This allows me to identify some of the weaknesses and gaps in my strategies and promptly develop viable solutions to address the situation. He dwelled on the truth and morality as a way of motivating and positively influencing change. Leadership calls for a transformation aspect in which leaders view themselves are people who can work together by bringing every divergent opinion on board. The outcome is the creation of a trustworthy and contented clique of people (Blanchard et al., 2007). 

According to the Lead like Jesus book, the core of leading like Jesus is love. In which of your relationships do you find it is a challenge to lead and love like Jesus? 

I found the relationship I developed in my first employment brought me the most challenges as aforementioned. I always tend to value professional relationships above personal, such that I have limited time and demand to show empathy. I have so much emotional attachment to things and people that I love and value. However, for fear of getting disappointed, I tend to try to close up. This was key to not being able to close most business during my time in the local pharmaceutical industry. I lacked the drive and motivation to work towards increasing my sales volume. In leading like Jesus, the biggest impediment is putting self-interest above self-drives (Hill, 2008). I have much value for my interest above the concept of servant leadership. I always aim for the prospects of better pay and self-interest above every other thing. I tend to be honest with my emotions and desire. In Leading Like Jesus, the pertinent question to ask is who we are and the values we pit in our lives. In my opinion and case, my desire is money, a good house, and being able to afford all my heart may desire. Therefore, in essence, my effort is on money and not leading life the Christ way. 

Describe a time when emotions overpowered reason and you acted according to your fears rather than your good intentions. What was the result? What should you have done differently? 

The position I currently hold has not only been demanding but also very stressful on budgeting and being able to manage the team. There is very little room for renegotiation, and that I must be able to effectively use the resources at my disposal. After several appeals to increase my vote head, it has proven very difficult, with most of my suggestions to improve efficiency in the department being rejected. I feel so frustrated and demotivated. Recently, I realized that I am dealing with emotional anxiety. I noted that my quest to push for more vote head might have been anchored on pride and the fear of failure. Such blinded me on the account that I could not perform better within that budget. I failed to understand that the organization itself was equally struggling and needed to balance finances in all departments. Fear of failure after my first employees is one of my most challenging times. The most appropriate solution to the mentioned problem would have been to listen to some of the organization's views through a concerted dialogue (Hill, 2008). I would not have clouded my judgment, thinking that the management was out to sabotage me through underfunding. Positivity, in this case, would have allowed me to see the situation as that which I can handle. Above all, I would have adopted a more persuasive approach in trying to make management understand how difficult it was to assure quality delivery with the same number of staff. 

For each of the five “being habits” presented in the Lead Like Jesus book, discuss the steps you need to take to make positive progress. Think about how well you serve those around you. What do you do to help those you lead life according to the organization’s vision? 

Heart of Servant leader: Under this framework, I must be motivated to overcome the barriers of self-interest. If working with a team, there is a need to put personal interest aside and work for the greater good of the team. There is a need to involve people in all the major decisions that are made on behalf of the team. Heart of servant leadership further allows me to accord emotional intelligence in the way I deal with and handle my subject ( Blanchard et.al, 2007) . People feel safer when they have someone who understands their emotions because they tend to believe that you can address some of their intrinsic needs. 

The Head of a Servant Leader : Visionary and implementation and responsibility is a key application. In managing a team, I must make it clear that they can understand the vision that we aim to achieve and some of the implementation strategies that we need to attain the desired goals. Jesus as a visionary leader laid bare some of His priorities, he commanded us to love one another, and walk in the light. Similar applications can equally help guide my leadership. 

The Hands of a Servant Leader: This calls for fairness in handling work-related issues. Positive progress is likely to be attained in situations where there is a better understanding among people at work. This comes with the realization that people are uniquely endowed and thus they must be supported through the learning process at work. In the mentorship process, there is a need to be cognizant of the fact that people are provided with free space to adapt and learn because we all have different comprehension levels. 

The Habits of a Servant Leader: Leadership habits are most nurtured through experiences. Some of the habits driven by Jesus were seen as consistent with His desires, in leading like Jesus, there must be a classic set of habits that must be practiced daily to live like him. Solitude and prayers are important in the adoption of such habits. The habits might be very difficult to adopt at the workplace however, there are standard principles that can be used to guide human behavior at work. 

Compassionate leadership Jesus demands deep understanding of emotions and being in a position to show mercy in difficult times. In bringing people together, a leader must show that he is able to understand his servants in good and bad times. This way, people are able to go out of their ways to work for the greater good of the organization. 

Describe a time when you were learning something new and needed someone to push you beyond a failure or an easy early success so that you could get to a higher level of performance. Describe a time when you quit because nobody was around to help you step up to the next level. What are you doing as a leader to determine who among those you lead needs to be helped or pushed? What signs of being ready to quit do you watch for? 

I am a passionate pharmacist who is motivated by the desire to succeed. I have been tasked with leading a small group of interns in my organization. With their inexperience, I have had quite a challenge organizing them. I feel that some of them fear me and are not willing to openly share some of the challenges they are facing at work. Others had shown no interest in improving, and this affected my relationship with them. I managed to listen through to some of them and engaged a lot in reading managerial books. Today, I am privileged to mention that I have developed better leadership skills. I can identify some of the problems faced by the students and find prompt solutions. Today, I see a lack of motivation among my team, and I am the first to identify and address. I want to be approachable and being able to address minimal emotional challenges that may be present among my team members. I love people who share their thoughts, worries freely and in good time. In some doing, we can address some of the challenges at the onset in a way that may not hurt our team in the long-term. Thus, I am always affirmative of the fact that the problem shared is always half solved. 

When your current season of influence ends, what do you want your legacy to be (e.g., improved service to your customers, enhanced development of the talents and gifts of the people under your influence, made a significant impact on the world around you)? Why? What two specific action steps can you take in the next 30 days to move you closer to your goal? 

The most challenging problem has faced this time is the restriction on the number of staff that I must engage. I felt sad because I have always wanted to lead and mentor as many people as possible. According to Blanchard’s change dynamics, I have noted that there could be awkwardness in letting some people go; there should have been better communication from my end on why we were laying them off (Blanchard et al., 2007). Secondly, the most focus is always on what one is to give up. Some of the laid-off focused on why they have let off the team. I noted that people tend to feel alone, even when they are not. This was the case of the people who remained on the team. I took the role of explaining the new responsibilities to the team members who had taken back. Above all, there is a limitation to the change that someone can take. People handle change differently. Moreover, people tend to be more concerned when they do not have enough resources. There is the overriding feeling that through laying people off, the quality is severely dented. Nonetheless, I ought to have taken up the issue with the top management. 

Rath and Conchie (2008) set forth four basic needs of followers: trust, compassion, stability, and hope. Discuss how your top five strengths can be used to help meet these needs for the followers in your organizational unit. 

Key strengths are command, strategy, woo, maximizer, and achiever. As analyzed by my skills, Conchie and Rath’s four basic needs show how these strengths can transform into leadership. I always believe that trust is the key to building a workable relationship. It helps in increasing efficiency at work. Through the building of trust, the strength and maximizer do allow me to elevate my efficiency in the management styles and personal understanding of the employees under my watch. Leaders are often demanded to show compassion as a key to creating workable relationships with their subjects. Achievers, as aforementioned, are highly motivated by their values. Likewise, stability is often realized when leaders can give their team members support to assure security, peace, and strength (Conchie & Rath, 2008). I am equally strategy and woo, in a way that helps to assist my team members in building their confidence. 

Identify, describe, and discuss the changes that would have to be made for "covenantal management" to be implemented in your company. 

I have worked at the California Medicaid for almost a decade. One of the key challenges of an active employee is weak communication that speaks our strategies to the potential client. This has significantly affected our decision-making processes over time. Lack of continual training and resource among the staff is another notable challenge that hinders efficient service delivery within the department. The key solution is to come up with a working communication. The strategy that will ease the decision-making processes within the organization. The company must aim to create an environment in which all employees are regularly empowered through training and helping them feel like they are a valued component of the organization. 

Reflections 

Using your leadership journal and experiences as inputs while taking this class reflect upon the things that you have learned about leadership while you have been taking this class. 

I am privileged to have learned a great deal about business ethics. In particular, leadership has helped me create a better understanding of how best someone can be effective leaders by being able to rally support and amass respect for your subject. The reading materials gave me a better insight into how managers are demanded to engage with their subjects. Above all, these lessons' application will be key to building my confidence levels in real professional work. I am further aware that at all times, I should be guided by Christian ethics in defining and coming up with solutions that are marred by ethical dilemmas. Leading as Jesus reminded me that at all times, I must yearn to adopt servant leadership of selflessness, a component that is largely missing in my current scope and view of leadership. Leadership has more to do with understanding and respecting the emotions of your subjects. They feel so valued and safer around you, making it easier for them to perform and deliver better for the company. This was one of the greatest insights that I managed to obtain from the learning processes . 

Provide an assessment of which activities, exercises, or projects have contributed to your understanding of leadership, and how that contribution came about. 

The class presentations were an excellent chance to learn about the various topics we have taken. Through my persona research works, I have learned many real and relevant examples that will guide my future professional engagements. I have further enjoyed reading about leaders such as Albert Bourla, who have given so much to the pharmaceutical industry. Albert Bourla, to me, is a leader of season and reason. He continues to lead Pfizer to be one of the global leading pharmaceutical brands. Some of the tests, such as Myer Briggs and Strengthfinder, have created a better understanding of my personality and how well I can work around to improve myself. I was so surprised that the outcomes of the two separate tests were somehow the same, thus giving me confidence in the findings' credibility. 

References 

Blanchard, K., Hodges, P., & Hendry, P. (2007). Lead like Jesus revisited: Lessons from the greatest leadership role model of all time. Nashville, TN: W Publishing/Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-0- 7180-7225-9. 

Caruso, D. R., & Salovey, P. (2004).  The emotionally intelligent manager: How to develop and use the four key emotional skills of leadership . John Wiley & Sons. 

Cherry, K. (2017). What Are the Big 5 Personality Traits? Retrieved from https://www.verywell.com 

Chiang, Y. H., Hsu, C. C., & Shih, H. A. (2015). Experienced high performance work system, extroversion personality, and creativity performance.  Asia Pacific Journal of Management ,  32 (2), 531-549. 

Fullan, M. (2011).  Change leader: Learning to do what matters most . John Wiley & Sons. 

Hill, A. (2008). Just business: Christian ethics for the marketplace (rev. ed.). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Press. ISBN 978-0- 8308-2676- 6 

Komives, S. R., Owen, J. E., Longerbeam, S. D., Mainella, F. C., & Osteen, L. (2005). Developing a leadership identity: A grounded theory.  Journal of College Student Development ,  46 (6), 593-611. 

Monica., P. R (November 11, 2020). Pfizer's CEO sold $5.6 million in stock the day he announced promising vaccine news. CNN. Retrieved from: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/11/investing/pfizer-ceo-albert-bourla-stock-sale-vaccine/index.html 

NIV thinline reference Bible: New International Version . (2005). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 

Pfizer (2020). Our People/ The Journey. Pfizer. Retrieved from: https://www.pfizer.com/people/history 

Pheifer, T. (2019). Business Ethics The Search For An Eluzive Idea. Cognella inc. USA. 

Rath, T., & Conchie, B. (2008). Strengths-based leadership: Great leaders, teams, and why people follow. New York, NY: Gallup. ISBN 978-1- 59562-025- 5. 

Taft, J. G., & Ellis, C. D. (2012).  Stewardship: Lessons learned from the lost culture of Wall Street . John Wiley & Sons.