Leadership Styles in VUCA Environment

This article discusses the different leadership styles in a VUCA environment and the challenges associated with them. It explores the concept of servant leadership and its limitations in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments. The article also critically evaluates Kevin Johnson's leadership style at Starbucks, focusing on the company's improved financial performance, ethical challenges, and the views expressed by current and former employees.

Leading Business
Organisations

Table of Contents
A Reflective Statement....................................................................................................................1
1. (a) The two fundamental questions that leaders need to ask themselves...........................1
(b) The two key aspects of leadership....................................................................................1
(c) The leadership theory........................................................................................................1
(d) Two different leadership styles in VUCA environment...................................................1
(e) The aspiring leaders need an in-depth understanding of a range of leadership styles......1
2. (a) The organisational mission and vision..........................................................................1
(d) What contribution do stakeholders make in executing the mission and vision................2
(e) The aspiring leaders need to be able to evaluate the contributions of the above..............2
3. (a) Leadership strategy.......................................................................................................2
(b) Change leadership.............................................................................................................2
(c) Organisational potential....................................................................................................2
(d) Business context...............................................................................................................2
(e) Leadership strategies that can be applied in in a variety of different business contexts...2
4. (a) Motivation theory..........................................................................................................3
(b) Two categories of motivational theories...........................................................................3
(c) Contemporary team for employee motivation..................................................................3
(d) Appreciative inquiry technique.........................................................................................3
(e) Range of motivational theories ........................................................................................3
5 Covered in PPT....................................................................................................................4
A Power Point Presentation.............................................................................................................4
A Management management report.................................................................................................9
Introduction......................................................................................................................................9
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................9
‘Servant’ leadership style and the challenges associated with practising it in the volatile,
uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment....................................................9
A critical evaluation of Kevin Johnson’s leadership style focusing on Starbucks improved
financial performance, its ethical challenges and the views being expressed by some of its
current and former employees?............................................................................................10
Johnson have such a strong personal brand as an effective global leader............................13

Two recommendations as to what you believe Johnson could do to build on his current
success and maintain Starbuck’s sustainability and competitive advantage........................15
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................15
References......................................................................................................................................17

A Reflective Statement
1. (a) The two fundamental questions that leaders need to ask themselves.
Basically the two fundamental question are below.
 What kind of things motivates me to lead
 Which type of leader I am?
(b) The two key aspects of leadership.
For having a successful leader, the two key aspects of a leadership are below.
 Task assign ability:- The leaders should have a particular vision so that they can prefer
to the work by themselves in order to reach the vision.
 Excellent communication:- The leader must be well expressed in communication
 (Doppelt, 2017).
(c) The leadership theory
The leadership theory basically focuses on the leaders what they do and the style
approach focuses on the behaviours and attribute of leaders. It consist situational, system and
contingency leadership theories.
(d) Two different leadership styles in VUCA environment.
 The leader must be equipped mentally and emotionally for risk via using democratic
leadership style.
 The leader must ready for challenging environment by using strategic leadership styles.
(e) The aspiring leaders need an in-depth understanding of a range of leadership styles.
The aspiring leaders are need to understand because it provides the direction to the lead
and to motivate people.
2. (a) The organisational mission and vision.
The mission state the approaches and objectives to reach the aim. The vision state the
desired position of the company for future.
(b) What contribution do individuals typically make in executing the mission and vision?
The individuals should set the objective and goal then are execute and evaluate the
performance to reach the aim.
(c) What contribution do leaders typically make in executing the mission and vision?
1

The contribution in the mission is set the objective and execute it. The contribution in
vision is to set goals and evaluate the performance.
(d) What contribution do stakeholders make in executing the mission and vision
The stakeholders includes the shareholders and they contribute by investing in the
company and suppliers contribute by supplying good quality of products.
(e) The aspiring leaders need to be able to evaluate the contributions of the above
The aspiring leaders should evaluate the contribution of stakeholders and suppliers by
communicating efficiently and tell them the positive and profit effect of company.
3. (a) Leadership strategy
It mention to a potential of a manager is to implies a strategic sight for the company, or a
component part of the administration or to persuade and motivate some others people to get that
imagination (Moxen and Strachan, 2017).
(b) Change leadership
It focuses on large standard modification within the organisation. This is the capability to
excite and determinant in others through personal support, actuation, vision or to evaluate the
informant to build a solid platform for alteration.
(c) Organisational potential
It is define as the efficiency which an organization is capable to fitting it objectives. It
enclosed group, organisation as well as institution just their goals. How efficient its processes
tumble nether potency of administration and set quota of products.
(d) Business context
It is a specialized vocabulary is employed, may be a person company, particular project, a
larger business community.
(e) Leadership strategies that can be applied in in a variety of different business contexts
Aspirant leaders demand to realize because its all about the discourse of their own world,
surroundings, challenges, stability, sustainability, people of the company. They develop leaders
based on what unfolds in realms in various business organisation.
2

4. (a) Motivation theory
It is determine as the forces on or within a person that cause arousal, persistence, goal
directed. This is obsessed with the procedure that explicate how and why human behaviour is
activated.
(b) Two categories of motivational theories
Primary is intrinsic, in which a person is being actuated by internal wishes and desires.
Extrinsic is second one, it is type of condition in which people is stated motivated by
external diaries.
(c) Contemporary team for employee motivation
It is the structure of working level workers, reduce centralized control and holds all
organisational responsibilities from their own decisions. The motivation of employee is the level
of energy, sincerity, creativity which motivate by team.
(d) Appreciative inquiry technique
It is a strength based positive approach to leadership development and structural change.
Discovery, design, team, deliver, destiny are components of this inquiry.
(e) Range of motivational theories
It is essential within a particular company by ambitious leader is they attempt to
recognise internal factors which motivate employee behaviour based on the their needs.
5 Covered in PPT
A Power Point Presentation

A Management management report
Introduction
Management is the attainment of organizational goals in enough and effective manner by
staffing, organizing, planning, controlling or directing administration-al resources. It include
human beings, machines, materials and money. Starbucks is the premier roaster, retailer,
marketer of speciality coffee in all over the world (Apajalahti, Temmes and Lempiälä, 2018).
This organisation has become one of the world well known and best lovable. They offer Italian-
style espresso beverages, cold blended beverages, delicious food etc. In context of this report, it
will discuss about the leadership style. It will also include positive and negative elements leading
variety. Moreover, it will centred on Starbucks key stakeholders and their positive and negative
qualities in leadership.
Main Body
‘Servant’ leadership style and the challenges associated with practising it in the volatile,
uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment
Servant leadership is leadership philosophy under which main objective of leader is to
serve. It is varied from the traditional leadership where focus of leader is thriving of an
organisation. This is leadership philosophy that developed on belief that many leaders strive to
be serve other than accrue power. Service leadership is fundamentally a timeless term and
ideology where a business leader's main role is to help. This style of leadership is varied from the
other forms of leadership, as here, the leaders do not think in judgement over workers, but they
do strive to represent their company properly (Greenwood, 2016). In this, servant leader shares
the power, put requirements of staff members and also assist people to create and perform
effectively. It seeks to move the management as well as personnel interaction away from the
controlling activities and also towards synergistic relationship between parties.
For an example- At the waste connections, servant leadership is person that is necessary
to support around them or serving to help them to make successful. In servant leadership,
McDonald restaurant encourage the other firms to join ups-killing efforts in providing the Career
Online High School to staff members. This company believes that this exercise in the servant
leadership will pay more dividends for staff members now and in future. McDonald is main part
of Servant leaders program of company that aimed is to supporting staff members.

Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) is concept that originated after
Cold War. It is gaining the new relevance to be characterize current environment and leadership
that needed to be navigate this in successful manner. Under this, Volatile means dynamics and
nature of the change. Under this challenge is unexpected and many be unknown duration but this
is not complex to be understand. Uncertainty is related to lack of the predictability, awareness
sense, understanding issues and also prospects for the surprise (Küpers, 2016). Complexity is
multiplex of the forces, confusion that surrounds company and confounding of problems.
Ambiguities is related to lack of complexities and clarity in acknowledging the prevailing
situations. These all the aspects can minimize productivity of an organisation. There are some of
the challenges with servant leadership style in relation to VUCA working environment mention
below:
 Situations and concepts are the lack of clarity in the business environment of VUCA. In
context to servant leadership, a leader's objective is to provide better services to
customers as well as staff members as priority that leads to confusion if the business is
employee-oriented than customer-oriented.
 VUCA's business environment has various types of challenges and difficulties, it needs
an robust leadership style such as autocratic leadership so that all staff members can
follow one path and also conduct business activities without any kind of uncertainties.
Servant leadership is passive leadership type that can not handle complexities because it
is not possible to use it in the VUCA business environment.
A critical evaluation of Kevin Johnson’s leadership style focusing on Starbucks improved
financial performance, its ethical challenges and the views being expressed by some of its
current and former employees?
Johnson's leadership style
A leadership style of Kevin Johnson's to make their various strategy for the increment of
profits and benefits of Starbucks by several strategy to enhance their business in gainful manner.
The administration esteem in the industry is attributed to Schultz leadership style.
According to the leadership theory there are two leaders, transactional and transformational.
In transformational, where a leader work with team to identify needed modification. On
the other hand transactional it consist on the role of supervision and group performance.

The CEO of Starbucks highlighted several unique core strategy of organisation that is
increasing digital engagement, Kevin Johnson is not afraid to make big changes, prioritizes
employees, Sees technology as a crucial part of business.
Not afraid to Big changes- This strategy consider that how they would invest their own
time and the main individual and also needed t connect with the leadership team, workers,
employees, partners, inverters, board and the customers.
Prioritizes Employees- They boost up their staff members to become part of the growth
of the company. Where any faculty could submit an application for funds to develop their own
project. Then Starbucks CEO is open minded approach encourages professionals to be
collaborative and innovative.
You need to identify Starbucks’ key stakeholders and comment on why some groups are likely to
view his leadership style positively and others negatively.
Sees technology as a important part of business- Their leadership roles in sales and
marketing involved working closely with tech focused teams, this is showed to own that how
crucial technology is to business growth for Starbucks.
Ethical challenges of Starbucks consist to fulfil various ethical considerations in proper
manner to establish goodwill in market and satisfy customers. It includes the criterion of
supporting clients to prepare informed and improved nutritional choices. It is a challenge for
company to make appropriate strategies to fulfil this ethical principles (Wellin, 2016). However,
another challenges is deal with responses to racial discrimination incident while conducting
operations and providing services to people.
Positive elements of Johnson’s leadership style
The positive elements of Johnson's leadership style is increasing the productivity of
Starbucks. These positive elements are describe below.
 The leadership style of the Johnson is to considered the customer satisfaction after the
drink of coffee. They make sure the quality and taste of coffee should make the person to
remind the taste. So that the person can come again.
 They also take feedbacks from people so that they can improve their nutritional choices.
By this, they can increase the business goal world wide.

 They considered the healthy choices of people such as reducing the sugar level in coffee,
by adding simplifying nutrients so that it can't cause adversely effect on people health.
 The leadership styles includes communication with customers to know their choices and
implement in their work process.
 It also includes to give full knowledge about the work process of company to customers
to all employees whether the employee is full time or part time of company.
 They consider all employee as a partner by sharing ideas, vision & benefits so that they
can built the morale of employees and influence in the production of coffee (Millar,
Lockett and Mahon, 2016).
 Their leadership style also includes the sharing of financial success through an annual
stock.
Negative elements of Johnson’s leadership style
There are some negative elements which are continuously reducing the productivity in
the company. And these negative elements are described below.
 The promises which are fulfil by the managers to the employees are not fulfilling
appropriately. The managers just follow a guide to connect the employees to the
workplace in such way that the employees feel valued about the workplace.
 The company have not much high pay scale according to the work and this build
demotivated among to the employees. The employees start feeling unimportant to the
company which result to step out from the job.
 Due to the increase of demotivation in employees, they step-out from the job which
results the one employee on one floor. The one employee handle all the chaos such as
taking orders, running bar and paying people out. This will make the employee not fast
enough and get screamed by many customers (Breuer and Lüdeke-Freund, 2017).
 The negative element is also that due to the decrease in number of employees, the
difficulties in maintaining hygiene or cleaned occurs.
Key stakeholders of Starbucks
Starbucks organisation stakeholder management approaches are based on different
programmes . It proceed to modify its firm social responsibility practices to address the concerns
of various their units. There are several type of Stakeholder in company business:

Employees- They typically demand for better working conditions, higher wages, job
security.
Governments- They including the global presence of the company, criticized for tax
evasion in county.
The views of leadership in a positive manner are-
 The style of leadership consider as communication with customers to know about their
choices and implement in the process of their work .
 Regarding this all workers as a partner by sharing their own views to each others, vision
and profits so that they could built the morale of faculty and influence in the coffee
production (Amran and et. al., 2016).
The thoughts of leadership in a negative manner are-
 The negative constituent is also due to the decrement in number of workers, to maintain
the difficulties for hygiene or cleaning.
 The administration has not high pay scale accordant to the work and they made
demotivated to the employees and staff member. They feel like unimportant to the
company which result to step out form the job.
Johnson have such a strong personal brand as an effective global leader
Kevin Johnson is president and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Starbucks.
Passionate servant leader that he carries proudly on human connection Stacks legacy, driving
core strategies of an organisation for development and also being of the service to more than
33,000 partners which wear green apron around world. Kevin Johnson is responsible for leading
global operating business and core support functions like technology, marketing, digital
platforms, human resources etc. He is working to make improvement in customer service
pushing an organisation to create innovate beverages and also expanding its research in China
country. Under this, Kevin Johnson has the strong brand and famous leader because he is good
negotiator, well spoken, have the cultural diversity qualities and many others. In context to
conducting the business across national and regional boundaries, then it requires to have the
strong negotiating skill. At international level, good negotiator quality is helpful to gain the

competitive benefit and also gain positive outcomes for the future development. This skill or
quality of Johnson helps in enhanced sales as well as profit level of business.
Approach of Johnson is showing progress sign. Now Starbucks posted the progress in
each operating metric this tracks consisting sales. Under this, investors appear to bullish
retarding the strategy of Johnson and Starbucks value shares nearly 15% in year 2018. In context
to developing string financial performance for Starbucks, Kevin Johnson has been admired for
ethical approach to a leadership. This indicates the support for the consumers to make improved
and informed nutritional choices. The Starbucks company is committed to help the consumers
for making the informed nutritional choices as part of foundational change to global business.
This company is transparent with its consumers on nutritional value of its drink and food
offerings. Calorie content and nutritional of food items and drinks on website, display cases and
menu boards. Johnson response to Racial Discrimination Incident. As per the case study, Rashon
Nelson and Donte Robinson were waiting for friend sat Starbucks. Employees became
suspicious and called police because they did not order anything. Video related to atterst went
viral and g #boycottstarbucks began trending on the Twitter and also protests again firm strung
up. In this case, Johnson was quick to be response and issued apology immediately on Twitter.
After this, Kevin Johnson instructions firm to wok n extensive plan in order to deliver the
implicit bias training.
Kevin Johnson gave his recent interview made through his critics. Johnson is taking
measures approach to roll out of Roastery and Reserve store. In hie recent interview said that
“One thousand was an aspiration. Starbucks will test six to ten Reserve stores which can meet
returns required before developing more. In Schultz’s leadership, Starbucks company has to
established long term and the earning s per share growth of 15% to 20%. recently having hired
new finance chide Johnson has set new target of 10%. As per case scenario of arrest was one in
the series of incident related to implicit bias Johnson said that Closing stores for the racial boas
training is one step in journey that needs dedication from each level of an organisation in local
communities. According to them, company believes that pursuit of the profit is not conflict with
conducting some of the social good.

Two recommendations as to what you believe Johnson could do to build on his current success
and maintain Starbuck’s sustainability and competitive advantage
Starbucks is a large coffee chain and serves up bring the high quality brew that assists
them to power throughout a day. Reliability of Starbucks company experience is key to winning
over the loyalty and taste of consumers. This permits organisation management to develop
strategies to achieve competitive benefit at marketplace. In context to this, strategies would be
develop in such a manner that will direct affect over capacity of company to increase market
share as well as customer base. Some recommendations which needs to adopt through Kevin
Johnson mention below:
Offer new goods in similar industry at reasonable cost- This kind of option is helpful in
give better opportunities to Starbucks company in context to target consumers which belongs to
middle class and the higher class people. It will make improvement in strength of consumers in
such a manner that help in attain the future market share and growth is impossible for some of
the other competitive firms. In relation to revenue, impact is to be ascertained through adherence
of effective option like enhance profit of company twice. It is helpful in enhancing productivity
of company and also gaining competitive benefit at market place.
Focus on new product segment or product line in various sector- As Starbucks is large
size company and it has a great presence in the Food and Beverage industry. It has strong
presences and the large number of customers. It will permit management to leverage brand
power or reputation of company to enter in to the various sector as well as product line. Under
this, there is a need to Starbucks company to focus on enter in to the different sector by
introducing the new product line. In context to entry in to the new market or sector, there will b
requirement of funds and through this company can able to provide the high quality of product as
well as services to consumers on the basis of their expectations (Scallon and Sten, 2017). The
presence of financial strength assist in set up high productivity at the workplace. On the other
hand, this will hep in achieving economies of the scale and also high profit level.
Conclusion
From the above assignment it is concluded that, to run and raise any organisation or
company the most important things is to maintain and build the leadership style. With the help of
leadership style and ethics, the company can develop the enthusiasm among the employees and
customers which automatically increase the productivity of company. By leadership style, the

company members can widen about their goods and quality to the other companies and
stakeholders so that they can invest in their products. They can also increase their productivity by
communicating with customers to increase in the quality of products according to the customer
preference.

References
Books and journals
Doppelt, B., 2017. Leading change toward sustainability: A change-management guide for
business, government and civil society. Routledge.
Moxen, J. and Strachan, P., 2017. Managing green teams: environmental change in
organisations and networks. Routledge.
Apajalahti, E.L., Temmes, A. and Lempiälä, T., 2018. Incumbent organisations shaping
emerging technological fields: cases of solar photovoltaic and electric vehicle
charging. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 30(1), pp.44-57.
Greenwood, J. ed., 2016. The effectiveness of EU business associations. Springer.
Küpers, W., 2016. A handbook of practical wisdom: Leadership, organization and integral
business practice. Routledge.
Wellin, M., 2016. Managing the psychological contract: Using the personal deal to increase
business performance. Routledge.
Millar, C.C., Lockett, M. and Mahon, J.F., 2016. Guest editorial: Knowledge intensive
organisations: on the frontiers of knowledge management. Journal of knowledge
management, 20(5), pp.845-857.
Breuer, H. and Lüdeke-Freund, F., 2017. Values-based network and business model
innovation. International Journal of Innovation Management, 21(03), p.1750028.
Amran, A. and et. al., 2016. Business strategy for climate change: An ASEAN
perspective. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 23(4),
pp.213-227.
Scallon, M. and Sten, M.J., 2017. Environmental Positioning for the Future: A Review of 36
Leading Companies in the Pacific Northwest Region of the United States of America.
In Greening the Boardroom (pp. 145-163). Routledge.