Leadership Crisis
... The current leadership structure has been identified to be the most disruptive. As a result, we have proposed several solutions to address this problem in leadership. ... However because of the significant differences between the industries, Nolan’s task-oriented leadership style that was successful in the Avionics Division may not apply at Abbott. ... Nolan is unable to adjust to a new leadership style that best fits the situation at Abbot. Nolan’s inability to change leadership styles has caused trust, communication, and political problems within Abbot. Trust Issues with Leadership Integrity, competence, consistency, and loyalty are key dimensions that underlie the concept of trust, and Nolan fails to meet any of these dimensions (Robbins 336). ... An extremely important aspect of good leadership is building trust with your employees, but Nolan failed to do so. As a result, he had many problems with his employees, which was magnified by his lack of communication skills Communication Problems with Leadership Edward Nolan’s communication skills are another factor that has caused Abbot Business Supply Co. ... Political Problems with Leadership The Leader-Member Exchange Theory states that “because of time pressures, leaders establish a special relationship with a small group of their followers. ... Sell Abbot The lack of leadership within the company is causing much conflict, but this problem can be solved in a variety of ways. ... This solution will definitely solve the leadership problem within Abbott because there is no company to be led. ... Forcing Nolan to stay in San Francisco and undergo leadership training may help solve the leadership problem, but there are many cons if he stays. ... Overall, forcing Nolan to stay in San Francisco might not be the best solution for the leadership problem. It is obvious that he prefers to work in Houston over San Francisco, he lacks experience in the paper industry, and his leadership techniques may not change. Appoint a New President of Abbot There is no perfect solution to solve Nolan’s leadership problem, but another possible solution is to keep Nolan in Houston and have Abbot elect a new, more knowledgeable leader. ... If Houston Electronics elects a president who knows the paper industry and has great leadership skills, Abbot has the potential of succeeding. ... Overall, even though there are many potential solutions to solve the leadership problem, it is difficult to determine the one that will solve all the problems at once. ... Final Recommendation The solution that we identified that fully addresses the problem hand with little cost or conflict, requires restructuring of the leadership of Abbott. ... Nolan has already identified two possible replacements that are already employed by Abbot, Frank Mason and Jeff Steele; both are seen to be equally capable in excelling in this leadership position. ... Once the pressure of performance it lifted from Nolan, the new leader could step in and acclimate themselves, and the rest of the company to a new style of leadership. ... It is important to allow the new president enough time and freedom to allow the employees to become accustomed to their new style of leadership. ... Asking for feedback from the employees on the leadership, as well as providing evaluations of those employees can create communication within the company. ... Only a restructuring of the current leadership would fully address and solve the problems caused by inadequate leadership.