Leadership Assignment Case Study

Leadership
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3

TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
1 Understanding of Darwin Smith and brief discussion about his qualities as a Leader.......3
2. Justification of Leaders are born / leaders are made..........................................................4
3. The nature of leadership style which is exhibited by Darwin Smith..................................4
4. Types of skills that will be required of a person to be a leader..........................................5
5. Possibility in today’s context to have leadership qualities possessed by Darwin E. Smith5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
1. Understanding of nature and personality of Yvon Chouinard............................................6
2. Possibility of becoming leader in confronted with situation and skills required to become a
leader......................................................................................................................................6
3. The situations that are to be taken into account if one were to exhibit the leadership quality
exhibited by Yvon Chouinard................................................................................................7
4. Possibility of applying globalized competitive world to follow leadership practices that are
followed by Yvon...................................................................................................................7
5. Advantages and disadvantages of following Yvon’s leadership approaches.....................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Leadership is an activity in which a person is leading with group of peoples. The leader is
a person whom having qualities with respect to establish clear vision, providing information and
coordinate for balancing conflicts. Their duties and responsibility is continued with passion and
innovation which are leading success (Tannenbaum and Schmidt, 2017). Leader used to motivate
and inspire their subordinates by engaging in their performances for achieving goals. The report
is based on case study which examine qualities of leader in prospect to analyse them with
individual personality. Leadership qualities are prescribed in this report in today's context.
Second case study in this report is leading with personality of leader which is confronted in
different situations in order to their required skills. Situations and factors are exhibiting qualities
which are prepared by leaders. In last, a leader globally running practices which are applied in
competitive world are described.
TASK 1
1 Understanding of Darwin Smith and brief discussion about his qualities as a Leader
Darwin Smith is a chief executive of Kimberly-Clark stodgy old paper company who is
leading with general market in over 20 years. As per director, Smith do not have specific
qualification in respect to its position. Apart from that, Smith has transformed their stunning
performance build company in leading with paper products in world. According to this, Darwin
Smith is an effective leader who has generated cumulative stock with greater general market.
This company has elevated good from best by maintaining their image and status in market
trends. He is a person who has examined persistently with leadership groups. The responsibility
they are having with respect to a leader which are meeting specifications and promoting with
context to determine facilities (Yukl, 2013). The brief qualities of a leader are defined below.
Creativity and Innovation: Darwin Smith having this quality which separates its quality from
their followers. They are making constant innovation in respect from other companies. Smith is
leading with unique ideas and goals into reality.
Delegation and empowerment: Smith is leading with focus on their key responsibility with
delegating tasks performances which in need to achieve objectives in bearing chance. Person is
improving technological use for financial strength. From this, they lead return about 19.6%. The
success of employees, managers and their customers made by Mr. Smith qualities.

Accountability: By making effective accountability by Smith is helpful for them in generating
4.1 times greater in general market. They are leading with success taking by company which is
truly great and having extreme personal humility and as well as professional.
2. Justification of Leaders are born / leaders are made
According to the case study it has been analyzed that leaders are born as Darwin Smith
was a born leader who supports the team. It is not possible to make a leader because all the skills
come from birth. As Darwin Smith was a born leader who lead a team and established a good
business in market (Spillane, 2012). When Darwin Smith has been appointed as chief executive
of Kimberly Clark the company was facing with huge losses and the stock has been fallen by
36%. Darwin bring out the company from all the consequences and spent 20 successful year of
leadership. The company has transformed under the leadership of Darwin Smith and a huge
success has also been recorded in those 20 years. Mr Smith has also been recognized for the
accomplishment of the goal to bring out from the crisis that are faced by Kimberly Clark. Darwin
Smith have not taken any training for leadership all the efforts are made by himself that helped to
attain success. The transformation in Kimberly Clark was made with the effective decisions
making skills of Darwin Smith as he has good leadership skills. It proves that leadership is born
not made.
3. The nature of leadership style which is exhibited by Darwin Smith
Darwin Smith has followed democratic leadership style in which all the problems are going to be
resolved with the help of employees. All the credit of organization’s success was provided by
him to the employees as they work for the organization and also liable to operate business
effectively. Darwin Smith was very serious about the job and job responsibilities which has
resulted in transformation of the organization. This type of leadership help to interact and
cooperate with employees so that they get motivated and their work quality can be enhanced in
order to increase profitability of organization (Shamir and Eilam-Shamir, 2018).
Darwin Smith was a Democratic leader who take advice of his subordinates so that
appropriate strategies can be formulate to overcome all the critical situations that are faced by the
company. For Darwin Smith it was very important to deal with all the workers of Kimberly
Clark effectively because when the post of chief executive was acquired by him the company’s

shares were decreasing in the market. The conditions have been overcome with the help of good
skills od Darwin Smith.
4. Types of skills that will be required of a person to be a leader
There are various skills that are required to be a leader like Darwin Smith. These skills
may help to deal with critical situations that may affect organization’s ability to operate business.
All the skills are described below:
Decision making skills: The leaders should be able to make effective decisions in critical
situations so that all the problems can be dealt effectively (Hargreaves and Fink, 2012). As
Darwin Smith was a good leader and have effective decisions making skills that lead him
throughout the way of success. These skills help to take appropriate decisions that can help to
achieve organizational as well as personal goals.
Problem solving skills: These skills are required for all the leaders as they may help to
resolve all the problems effectively. As Darwin Smith is having good problem solving skills that
are very beneficial at the time of issues that are faced on individual or organizational level. If the
leader is not having such type of skills than it will lead the organization toward failure and also
decrease the efficiency of performing operations and executing business.
Motivational skills: The leader should have motivational skills so that all the employees
get motivated and work effectually. Leaders can motivate their subordinates than they will put
their full efforts to perform their duties that are allotted to them. If leaders cannot motivate the
employees than this will result negative for the company and also decrease work quality of
workers.
Influencing skills: The leader of the companies should have influencing skills so that all
the employees get influenced and work suitably.
If a person is willing to be a leader like Darwin Smith than all the above mentioned skills are
required as they may help to work effectively. These skills also guide the leader to perform all
their duties properly (Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee, 2013).
5. Possibility in today’s context to have leadership qualities possessed by Darwin E. Smith
In today’s context it is possible to have good qualities like Darwin Smith. It is possible with the
help of appropriate traits and skills that may guide throughout the way of success. Leaders are
required to have decision making, problem solving, influencing and motivational skills as all of
them can help to enhance work quality of employees by motivating them. Leaders in current ear

are becoming more attentive and aware to about their responsibilities. All the tasks that are
assigned to leaders can be performed appropriately with the help of latest technology which is
continuously launching in the market. As Darwin Smith was a great personality and a leader who
have transformed Kimberly Clark and achieve success for the company and bring it to the top of
industry (Daft, 2014).
TASK 2
1. Understanding of nature and personality of Yvon Chouinard
Yvon Chouinard is an ambitious person who was an accomplished mountain climber in
year 1960. He has established his successful business in the market whose name was Patagonia
where a great organizational culture was constructed by him. Employees of the company are
becoming more productive as Yvon Chouinard supports them in effective manner. It was not
possible without the proper skills, traits and characteristics to establish a huge business like
Patagonia. As the first business of him have faced dissatisfaction he has learnt various things
form this failure and never look behind in his life. To overcome all the critical situations, he
started to sale climbing equipment and this business have resulted positively for him. He was a
great personality who holds the teams together and take them with him so that all the long term
goals can be achieved.
2. Possibility of becoming leader in confronted with situation and skills required to become a
leader
It is possible to become leader when confronted in situations as they help to enhance the
leadership skills. It can help to be more aware of all the market conditions that may take place.
These situations help to uncover all the hidden skills of the individual and build a leader who is
able to formulate appropriate decisions that may help to enhance operational capability. Various
skills are required to become a leader all such types of skills are as follows:
Positivity: It is very important for a leader to be positive in all types of situations so that all the
employees can follows him and work effectively. A positive minded leader can help to build a
good team. As Yvon Chouinard always think positive and establish such strategies that may help
to increase positivity in the minds of his team’s members (Collinson, 2014).
Delegating: Delegation toward work is very important as it help to increase the
concentration or focus in achievement of all the organizational goals. Yvon Chouinard is very

delegated toward his work which has resulted positively for him and helped to establish his
successful business.
Responsible: For a leader it is very important to be responsible as it is very important for
him to fulfil all the responsibilities. If the leader is not responsible than all the team members
will not perform their tasks effectively and their work quality will also be reduced.
Trustworthy: The leader should be trust worthy who may keep secrets of all the
subordinates and help them to share their issues with him. as Yvon Chouinard was very
trustworthy and he has reached to all his goals with full dedication.
All the above mentioned skills are required by a leader who is willing to increase
competitiveness of the business and organization.
3. The situations that are to be taken into account if one were to exhibit the leadership quality
exhibited by Yvon Chouinard
If a person is going to exhibit the leadership quality of Yvon Chouinard than it is very important
or the person to deal with all the challenges that are faced by organization (Leadership qualities,
2012). If the company is dealing with different types of issues form a long period than leader will
have to formulate effective strategies that can help to overcome all the problems that are
currently faced by their company. If one person is using qualities of Yvon Chouinard than it will
be very easy for that person to deal with all the problems as he has such impressive skills that are
very beneficial while finding solution for the problems.
For all the individuals it is very important to use effective skills to respond all the
problems that are affecting business’s capability to deal with all the possible challenges. The
qualities that are used by Yvon Chouinard are charisma, decisiveness, empowerment etc.
4. Possibility of applying globalized competitive world to follow leadership practices that are
followed by Yvon
Yvon Chouinard have used different types of leadership practices that are learnt by him while
trying to establishing his business in market. He has faced by various challenges in his life and
have dealt them effectively. It is possible to use all his leadership practices in globalized
competitive world as all of them can help to be more competitive in the market. For all the
person it is very important to use the practices excellently so that it may help to find the solutions
for all the problems (Bolman and Deal, 2017). Yvon Chouinard has leant things form his failures
that are faced by him in his life and he has also set examples for all the other persons who are

willing to establish their business in the market. For such individuals or leaders who work for the
betterment of an organization can use the management practices of Yvon Chouinard to attain
competitive advantage in market this will help to achieve long term sustainability for the
business.
5. Advantages and disadvantages of following Yvon’s leadership approaches
There are various different types of leadership approaches like democratic leadership that
are used by Yvon Chouinard while establishing the business. Various problems have been faced
by him in his life and it has helped him to be more capable to establish a successful business.
Advantages and disadvantages of the approaches are as follows:
Advantages: It can help to gather different types of opinion and also help to motivate
employees. Democratic leadership can help to enhance work quality of the staff members as their
opinion is considered din decision making process by making them a part of decisions making
process. Yvon Chouinard’s leadership approaches can guide a leader to be more attractive
personality and being motivational for all the subordinates o the organization (Antonakis and
Day, 2017).
Disadvantages: This type of leadership cannot assure that all the results are going to be
positive they may result negatively as well because employees do not have experience in
organizational process and it is not possible for them to pass right judgement on organizational
aspects.
CONCLUSION
From the above project report, it has been concluded that effective leadership skills are
required to deal with all the problems that are faced by an organization. If the leader is not
having attractive qualities than it can create problems for the company as leader will not be able
to motivate the subordinates. Appropriate and good traits of a leader help to formulate effective
decisions that may result positively for the organization and also help to deal with critical
situation. While finding ways to overcome from issues the leader can help to form strategies that
are required to operate business.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Antonakis, J. and Day, D. V. eds., 2017. The nature of leadership. Sage publications.
Bolman, L. G. and Deal, T. E., 2017. Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership.
John Wiley & Sons.
Collinson, D., 2014. Dichotomies, dialectics and dilemmas: New directions for critical leadership
studies?. Leadership. 10(1). pp.36-55.
Daft, R L., 2014. The leadership experience. Cengage Learning.
Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. E. and McKee, A., 2013. Primal leadership: Unleashing the power of
emotional intelligence. Harvard Business Press.
Hargreaves, A. and Fink, D., 2012. Sustainable leadership(Vol. 6). John Wiley & Sons.
Shamir, B. and Eilam-Shamir, G., 2018. “What’s your story?” A life-stories approach to
authentic leadership development. In Leadership Now: Reflections on the Legacy of
Boas Shamir(pp. 51-76). Emerald Publishing Limited.
Spillane, J. P., 2012. Distributed leadership (Vol. 4). John Wiley & Sons.
Tannenbaum, R. and Schmidt, W.H., 2017. How to choose a leadership pattern. In Leadership
Perspectives (pp. 75-84). Routledge.
Yukl, G. A., 2013. Leadership in organizations. Pearson Education India.
Online
Leadership qualities. 2012. [Online]. Available through:
< https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimberlyfries/2018/02/08/8-essential-qualities-that-
define-great-leadership/#2ad22f653b63 >