Consumer Technology is a rapidly evolving field. If requires a strong leadership team with an intuitive, focused and dynamic leader. This kind of job is hard to fill as it requires careful consideration and tact. The job becomes harder to fill when the outgoing president has been sitting in the position for a record 25 years. Certain consideration will have to be adhered to , in order to find a formidable replacement. The president or the consumer technology company needs to be a democratic leader because the company requires flexibility to thrive.
A leader is a person who sets direction for the people around him. He is the leading light who displays the future through a vision. (Azad et al. (2017) explains that a leader ought to communicate the vision to the followers then begins to ensure that they believe in it. This belief will be the foundation for a cohesive and productive work relationship. The new company president will need these traits so that they can effectively fulfill his duties. The president of the consumer technology company will need to have some technological knowledge. This is not to say that the leader must be a computer scientist with a PhD or a coding guru. However, the individual will need to understand the basic science behind the organization. A technical background will provide them with the understanding necessary to relate with the leadership team.
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The potential president will need to be up to date with the latest technological advances. This means that one will need to be well versed with technological research. This is a vital requirement in this position because his input will be required for major decision making processes. The future president will need to be well versed with the industry trends because they will guide the vision for the future. This will also help in planning for the future because it will keep the company ahead of the competition. The president will further need to be fully dedicated to their work. Technological companies require a massive investment of time to lead to their successful functioning. The ideal leader will appreciate the structure that the company has put in place. They will then promote the adherence observed by addressing the timelines that don't work while enhancing those that do. A structured leader will function adequately within structure.
The company needs a democratic leader to take up the role of presidency. This is because technology is a dynamic field that will require unique perspectives and adaptation of unique business practices. This leadership style is ideal for the role of president because it requires active participation. The technological teams will frequently bring their ideas and proposals to the president. The president will then have to weigh the merits and demerits of each. Decision making will be guide by a combination of technical experience, innovation and merit. The ideal leader will need to apply democracy to appease those whose ideas have not been taken into consideration. This will also require a firm approach in order to enforce the chosen programs without complaints and discord. The leader will therefore need to be both democratic with an authoritarian style when applicable. The authoritarian style will be necessary when dealing with unruly workers and saboteurs.
The incoming president will need to use one’s skills of delegation to ensure that the company stays functional even in the remote stations. This will require effective monitoring systems as well as enforcement of deadlines, targets and company policy. The democratic leadership style will take a back seat at this point because the authoritarian style will be more effective. An example of a company that succeeded in applying democratic or participative leadership with a streak of authoritative leadership is Apple. Steve Jobs almost lost the company he had built because he chose the wrong leadership style. Steve failed to apply democracy to a changing dynamic and as a result, his work team resisted his leadership. With time, he saw the error of his ways and he adapted his style. When he began applying the democratic with slight authoritarian, the company gradually returned to success. This is proof that this style of leadership is necessarily for a consumer technology company. Despite this, the president will need to be quick in decision making because sometimes one will be required to provide guidance within a short period of time (Olson, 2016).
The democratic with authoritative leadership style is ideal because the company is already past its formative stage. The previous president used this style intermittently during the last year of his tenure. The aim was to revolutionize the industry and keep the company ahead of its competitors. The new company president can attempt the same kind of success by adopting this style. The style is particularly effective in dealing with development teams and their proposals. Another application of the authoritarian style will be in the management of distribution and retailing fronts. This will be essential in order to keep the company's logistics team flowing smoothly. The ideal candidate will then need to possess traits such as being open minded, team oriented and a consensus builder.
The new president will need to display the ability to attend to tasks and relationships. This is an important consideration because it will determine the nature of relationships that the president cultivates. The incoming president will need to be disciplined in order to fulfill his tasks within his chosen leadership style. This will need a strong character so that the president can resist carrying his own personal interests into the business. The individual tastes and preferences must then be channeled away from the business interests. The president will also need to strike an elaborate balance between relationships and tasks. Moreover, one will need to be task oriented for tasks that are mechanical and repetitive. This includes delivery options and distribution channels. The president will need to demonstrate his track history in dealing with channels of this nature on a global magnitude. Their experience will help to streamline this field and bring them into control (Ozbag, 2016).
On the relationship front, the manager will need to exert his influence rather than his power. This will be vital especially when dealing with the team leaders. They will be able to develop a comfortable platform for engagement. This is ideal as it helps the team leaders to approach the president with confidence. The team leaders are the president’s main connection to the grassroots because he cannot interact directly with everyone. The new president must be able to assert his authority through laid down policies. However, he must build relationships through patient interactions. This is vital when engaging his immediate juniors as they are his link to the rest of the company. The president should also attempt to connect with the team leaders through finding meaning from their work. Before dismissing an idea, it will be important to delve deeper into the reason or logic behind its creation. Providing positive and negative feedback will also let the team know why each idea was implemented or rejected.
The vision of the candidates will be an important criterion to determine his suitability. This incoming candidate must have a vision that reflects the current status of the company. This is necessarily to avoid multiplication of agendas. The leader must have the characteristics of a visionary. He must be able to create a visual image of what his vision entails. This realistic and holistic approach will be the key to motivating the team into buying into the vision. Once they understand what the vision is about, the president can demonstrate what role each person has to play in the bigger picture. Once in awhile, the president must remind the team of the vision. This will keep them focused and ensure continuity and sustainability of the vision. The leader is the person in the best position to execute the vision and keep, it alive (Heathfield, 2018).
A leader must ensure that he has well out member skills. After a president has attended to his tasks and formed relationships, it may become easy to favor in members. The ideal president must apply discipline and positive reinforcement fairly to avoid disgruntlement. The president must possess ethical skills such as flexibility, fairness, purpose and general moral authority. He must not be tainted with corruption scandals as technology companies thrive on reputation. The consumers remember names and faces that are associated with graft and they negatively impact social perception. Additionally, the candidate must display his adherence to the rule of law and the company’s code of conduct (Siem et al., 2014)
The company needs a democratic leader who also has a touch of authoritative leadership style. This leader will be best placed to replace the long serving president. Such a leader will be selected to foster relationships while executing tasks. He will also rally the team together through the implementation of a valid vision. A democratic leader will include that entire are in board and they won't feel left out. Finally, a democratic leader will possess the skills and ethical support needed to treat everyone with fairness. This kind of leader is the best choice for president.
References
Azad, N., Anderson Jr, H. G., Brooks, A., Garza, O., O’Neil, C., Stutz, M. M., & Sobotka, J. L. (2017). Leadership and Management Are One and the Same. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 81(6), 102. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5607712/
Heathfield S,M. (2018) Leadership Vision. The Balance Careers. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/leadership-vision-1918616
Siem, B., Lotz Schmitt, K., & Stürmer, S. (2014). To help or not to help an outgroup member: The role of the targets individual attributes in resolving potential helpersmotivational conflict. European Journal of Social Psychology, 44(4), 297-312.
Olson, K. (2016). Candidate Accountability and Performances of Democratic Leadership.
Özbağ, G. K. (2016). The role of personality in leadership: Five factor personality traits and ethical leadership. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 235, 235-242.
