Leadership in McDonald's

This document analyzes the strategic direction of McDonald's and the skills required of its leaders. It also discusses opportunities for leadership development and provides a personal development plan. The impact of achieving objectives on strategic ambitions is evaluated. Additionally, the document evaluates the impact of corporate commitment to staff welfare on organizational objectives and discusses how a staff welfare environment can affect achievement of objectives.

Running head: LEADERSHIP IN MCDONALD’S
LEADERSHIP IN MCDONALD’S
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Task 1.
A.C. 1.1 - Analyse the strategic direction of the organisation
McDonald’s is one of the most successful fast food chains in the world that has been
performing effectively for more than seventy years. Situated in Oak Brook of Illinios, the
company has followed some most important strategies to capture the markets of the world
initially and coping up with the highly effective competition in the fast food chains gradually.
The strategic direction of McDonald’s is very specific. It has the motto of pay to win. The
idea is to be the best fast food chains rather than becoming the biggest fast food restaurant
chain in the world. The vision of this company is to provide the best quick service restaurant
experience. In this regard the company mainly focuses on the application of five Ps properly
which include place, products, people, price and promotion. By creating the scope of
providing outstanding service, quality, value and cleanliness so that the service of the
restaurants of the company make the customers and other stakeholders happy. Along with
this, the company also incorporates geographic strategic plans.
In different markets of the world, the company has implemented different strategic
plans. For example, in the market of the United States, the company’s strategic plan
continues to be focussed on the tats of the people in this market that include preference for
chicken, beverages and breakfast in the fast food chains and conveniences. Along with
serving bigger market of the US, the northern part of the country, there is the preference of
chicken sandwich for both dinner and lunch. On the other had there is preference for chicken
biscuit in the southern part of the country which the company provides according to the needs
of the customers. Thus product diversification is being utilised for strategic growth of the
company. The beverage business, the company has grabbed the market through hot speciality
of coffee on market by market basis. Similarly in the European market the company has

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applied the strategy of tiered menu approach that is based mainly on the affordability of the
people. Here the promotion process has also been applied properly. In the Asia pacific and
the African market, the company has applied the strategy of convenience, menu extensions
and incorporation of local food materials that enhances value of the offerings.
A.C. 1.2 - Evaluate the strategic skills required of the leader to achieve the strategic
ambitions
In order to achieve the strategic aim of McDonald’s, the leaders need to have some
very effective skills which meed to needs of higher workplace satisfaction and finding
different ways to gain competitive advantage.
The leaders need to be effective in aligning the needs of the organization with the
capabilities of the employees and availability of the resources. The leaders are expected to be
far sighted in terms of getting production at higher level. The savvy leaders realise that they
frequently need the help from the management to achieve the long term goals which
mandates them to find out common ground aligning the abilities of the other managers and
programs which the company has strategized to capture the market.
Teamwork is another factor that the leaders of the company need to focus on because
without the proper formation of the teams they cannot set the goals for increasing their
productivity. The strategic leaders must know the methods of guiding the team members
properly to make decisions for their good. The strategies need to be effective for increasing
team unity and trust so that the members feel satisfied with their jobs and contribute more in
the organisational development process.
The leaders of McDonald’s have the capabilities to anticipate challenges before they
actually occur. This is the reason why the company is capable to operate in the international
market for such a long time. They are capable to look for the opportunities as well as the

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threats in the business. The leaders of this company are proactive rather than reactive.
However, in this regard, the main focus is put on the talking and listening to the customers
that enable the company to understand the demand of the customers and trend of preference
for healthy and organic food. The leaders need to strategize the process of analysing the
market research methods applied by the competitors of McDonald’s. They must look at the
clients they have lost in order to determine the reason.
The need for ability to communicate and interpret the information is necessary for the
survival of the company in this highly competitive business scenario. Hence process of
receiving and filtering information to the lower level employees to make them more
resourceful has become necessity in the corporation.
A.C. 1.3 – Relationship between existing, required and future skills:
In understanding the relation among the existing, required and future skills of the
leaders to achieve the strategic ambitions, it can be stated that there are issues in the company
that create barrier for developing an expanding skill which will enable the employees
continue their ability to see new challenges by utilising their past achievements as well as
trainings. In this regard proper utilisation of the technological implications is necessary.
Despite the fact that there are effective and frequent use of automation process in the
company but there are gaps in the rudiments of the skills and the supply. The company needs
to be remaining relevant with the new trends and demands of the market and the strategic
leaders solidify places on executive radar as the most resourceful persons for the critical
responsibilities.
The existing, required and future skills have gaps in terms of interpreting ambiguous
data that make sense to the complicated information. This requires shifting through the
conflicting view points and recognition of the patterns which help the leaders to be able to

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find new answers of the difficult situations and mitigate ambiguous positions. The need for
developing ability to see big picture of future and elimination of unimportant elements can
help the leaders to bridge the existing and future skills.
Task 2.
A.C. 2.1 - Opportunities to support leadership development
There are number of ways with which the leaders can be supported and develop their
skills within the organisation so that they can contribute their already existing and newly
acquired challenge for the growth of the organisation. It is crucial that the organisations must
support and encourage the leadership development at every stages. Starting from the lakes
experience to workers to the most experienced leader it is a journey of a person which
encourage them to you spend all their hard works for the organisational growth. Regardless
of seniority level and title all types of leaders must be given the scope for personal and
professional development.
Firstly the organisation must invest in developing interpersonal skills because good
managers are the key to engagement as well as retention of the ground staff. The company
needs to focus on providing proper development for the managers irrespective of their
position and departmental responsibilities. Investment in the interpersonal skills like giving
proper feedback, delegation and performance management.
Secondly the leadership must gain support through huge investment in trainings,
reading journals, books, case studies and attend classes on the factors they lack knowledge.
The company needs to make available this resources and work on the training that costs
money.
Thirdly the company can offers strategy projects because visibility as well as
exposure are the keys to success the leader so this process can introduce themselves to the

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key strategic initiatives. Through this process the Indian organisation can get to know them
and they on the other hand will be able to interact with the already existing leaders as well as
learn from them. This exposure and visibility then drive these leaders for the for improving
and make a notable difference for this company.
Fourthly the company can make leadership as key performance indicator for making
the leadership development to be pervasive in different levels of organisation. In this process
clear accountability as well as of objectives are set around the development process where the
organisation will make it key performance indicator for every manager with clear outcomes
and metrics.
Fifthly the company must invest on the micro development of the leaders as today’s
followers will pay dividends for producing the leaders of tomorrow stuck in such cases the
company must consider micro development process like special projects, committee positions
and organisational events to understand how the employees can work for their leadership
development experiences. Thus they will grow their skills and start to get involved in the
mentorship programs arranged by the organisation to let the leaders determine their path and
get aligned with the need of the company.
Task 3.
A.C. 2.2 - Construct a personal development plan to direct leadership development
Aims Actions Resources Time
Increase
communication
transparency
with the
stakeholders
 Arranging staff meeting
weekly
 Analysing employee
feedback
 Arranging meetings with
the suppliers
 Finding scopes to allow
Meeting rooms,
digitalised process of
communication in
every branches of
McDonald’s
Three
months

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stakeholders in the
decision making process
 Apply new norms only
after discussing with the
stakeholders
Increasing
marketing
knowledge and
operations of
the industry
 Reading case studies and
real life incidents of the
company
 Reading articles and
advertisements of the
competitors.
 Understanding the
weaknesses of the
company in serving the
customers
 Developing contacts
within this industry.
 Reading
materials,
videos, news of
operations of
the other
company in the
same industry,
contact
numbers of the
suppliers who
serve
McDonald’s
and other
competitors.
Six
months
Becoming
more
motivated and
motivating
subordinates to
work with the
company
 Becoming more attached
with the opetattiosn of the
company
 Finding oyt the CSR
activities whioch create
postotive impact on the
employees and customers.
 Research on the product
diversification and service
capabilities to maintain
standard.
Reading documents on
the operatiosn of the
compny, news abpunt
the chnqaging needs of
the custiomers
One year
A.C. 2.3 - Implementation process for the development plan
The plans are made for proper execution so that the effect of the goals can be easily
achieved. For ti reason there are some steps which the leaders need to follow. These are
consideration of the business goals, taking to the employees, recognising potential and
readiness, considering wall types of training and development process and bring changes in
the plan wherever necessary.

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Considering business goals is needed as the short term and long term goals keep on
changing according to the needs of the organization. This is also essential because theough
this, the need for the skills of the subordinate employees can be understood. Impelnetation of
te strategic plans cannot get success if it does not get full support from the employees. This is
the reason why the transparency in communication as well as decision making process must
be detailed to the employees. Otherwise the comoany may lead to have customer and
employee grievnaces. The leaders also need tp condider the potential of the team mmebers
and motrivate them effectively otherwise implementation of the plans will not properly reach
the stakeholders. Accepting the capabilities of the employees can help the leaders to keep
them motivated. In addition to this, for implementing plan in the company the leaders needs
to empower the human workforce through proper trainings and development processes.
Finally the implementatiom process must be flexible so that any thype of changes in the plan
can be possible.
A.C. 3.1 - Assess the achievement of outcomes of the plan against original objectives
It is essential that an alive organisation like McDonald’s to praise the effectiveness of
the leadership development in the company. The original objectives of the company
McDonald’s is to become the best fast food chains rather than becoming the biggest fast food
restaurant chain in the world. The vision of this company is to provide the best quick service
restaurant experience. Now the problems of the company’s inner environment need to be
solved. This is the reason why the leaders need to develop themselves which is detailed in the
plan.
A.C. 3.3 - Review the leadership development plan
A.C. 3.4 – Update the leadership development plan
Task 4. 350 words

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A.C. 3.2 - Evaluate the impact of the achievement of objectives on strategic ambitions
Task 5. 1,050 words
A.C. 4.1 - Evaluate the impact of corporate commitment to staff welfare on organisational
objectives
A.C. 4.2 - Discuss how a staff welfare environment can affect achievement of organisational
objectives
A.C. 4.3 - Consider the influence of a corporate commitment to staff welfare on the
development of organisational values