Leadership and Management: Innovative Changes at Eddie Stobart Group

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of leadership and management practices within the Eddie Stobart Group Limited. It begins with an introduction to the company, a British integrated transport logistics firm, and then delves into the innovative changes implemented by the company, such as in-cab technology, warehousing management systems, and e-commerce software. The report then explores the application of the McKinsey 7-S change management model within the organization, detailing its benefits and effectiveness. Various leadership theories relevant to Eddie Stobart are also examined. The report concludes by summarizing the essential elements for effective leadership within the company and evaluating the overall impact of change management strategies, including the company's ability to adapt during the Covid-19 pandemic and maintain revenue. The report also discusses the effectiveness of the McKinsey 7-S change management model.

Leadership
and
Management

Table of Contents
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................3
Main body..................................................................................................................................................3
Innovative changes in the Eddie Stobart Group Limited.......................................................................3
The Mckinsey 7-S change management model........................................................................................5
Leadership theories in Eddie Stobart Group Limited............................................................................6
The effectiveness of the Mckinsey 7’S change management model.......................................................8
The essential elements needed for the effective leadership at Eddie Stobart Group Limited............10
Conclusion................................................................................................................................................12
References................................................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
In this report the Eddie Stobart Group is taken. Eddie Stobart Group is a British
integrated transport logistics. The organization is headquartered in Warrington, Cheshire,
England. The company is involved in the rail freight, inland waterway transport, road haulage,
deep sea and deep sea port. It also deals with the storage facilities and the handling as well as
warehouse facilities in UK. The fifty percent parent company of Eddie Stobart Group is Dbay
Advisors Limited. The report will discuss about the innovative changes in the Eddie Stobart
Group. The use of Mckinsey 7’s change management model in the organization is given. The
leadership theories about the organization are given. The current business change management
benefits are concluded that are seen in the organization. The effectiveness of the Mckinsey 7’s
change management model is given. The essential elements for the effective leadership at Eddie
Stobart Group is given.
MAIN BODY
Innovative changes in the Eddie Stobart Group Limited
The company bring the innovative changes in the business to ensure that their customers
are meet with their needs in context of the driving efficiency as well the service excellence:
In-cab technology
The entire fleet of Eddie Stobart is deployed with the state of the art in vehicle
technology. The company provide the vehicle with the custom designed vehicle device to ensure
the customers touch in their vehicles. There is presence of tab called Eddie Stobart Drive Tab
that help the driver by supporting and guiding them with the range of activities the vehicle can
perform (Mulvey, 2020). These activities involve the feedback from the driving style, safety
checks of the vehicle and the instructions related to the working of some functions. The vehicle
is also provided with the detailed GPS-based feedbacks that are positional for the operational
controllers, this helps the customer with having further insight about the planned or the current
activities processing across the operation.

Warehousing management systems
The company provide the digital investment in the portfolio of their warehousing. The
state of the art management systems of the warehouse are used to optimize and to direct the
products to flow through receiving, picking, yard management, put away, high levels of controls
while driving, dispatch, efficiency and the visibility (Tejesh and Neeraja, 2018).
E-commerce software
The company provide their customers with the comprehensive proposition of e-commerce.
This is done by providing the leading software modular in the market place that supports various
functions or operations which includes:
 Warehousing and providing multi-channel fulfilment.
 Providing with the processing of the returns and the recovery at margins.
 Provide with the management of the delivery and the carriage dynamics.
 Providing solutions for the online clearance of stocks.
These services are provide online through the SaaS-based services. They offer the customers
with the flexibility by avoiding the investment in the complex infrastructure that are costly. They
also provide the customers the start-up speed.
These types of changes take time and are achieved by the company in many years. The
rich functioning of the products takes time develop and cooperation from variety of multi-
channel and the on-line leading retailers are required. These kind of software provide the
company with the greater flexibility as well as agility to meet the trends. The changing customer
needs are also ensured by the standard commercial systems available in the company (Enache,
2018).
The Mckinsey 7-S change management model
The Mckinsey 7-S change management model is used in the Eddie Stobart Group
Limited for the following reasons:
Increased urgency

The employers of the company are responsible for creating any kind emergency at the
organization. The employers are needed to follow certain rules and regulations for the
functioning of the organization. The new policies, tips and procedures are to be considered by
the employees at the organization for the development (Nizari, 2019).
Building the team in charge of driving change
The different departments of Eddie Stobart bring changes in them according to the
situations. The organization ensure to keep the internal communication departments onboard as it
is crucial for the company. For the better working in the company, the company is divided into
teams like the change management teams, communication teams, crisis management teams,
managers, leaders and the HR departments within the company. The mangers are responsible for
the productivity and the spread of positivity among the employees working at the company.
Alignment of the employees with the aims and objectives of the company
The changes need to be made by the company are to be clearly directed to the employees
at the company. It is necessary for the clear vision of the changes needed in the organization.
Clearer the employees at the organization more efficiently they work in the direction to meet the
company’s objectives. The employees working together can help the company to develop fast
(Zijlstra and Vanoutrive, 2018).
Communicating about the change management strategies with the employees
The most important part is to make the employees understand the need of the change in
the company. Once the company’s goals are stablished its necessary to communicate with the
employees. Keeping things transparent help the employees gain trust in the company and they
work hardly.
Get things done
The change management models when implemented in the company it is the
responsibility of the managers of the company to ensure that the employees are not having any
trouble regarding the implementation. Communicating and getting feedbacks from the
employees help the mangers to know the situation better and they can makes changes to help the
employees for operating the functions. Supporting the employees with the changes and the

obstruction they are facing is done by the two-way communication. This will help boost the
confidence of the employees and they can raise questions regarding the changes.
Include short-term goals in the change management plans
The employees at the time of changes are bombarded with extra knowledge and
information to work with. Setting short-term goals for the employees can help them boost their
confidence and in the short term goals the progressive development can also be indicated. Setting
short term goals keeps the employees motivated as they are able to see the changes and the
results. The impact their work is making on the company (Bousquet and et.al, 2019).
Not giving up
The employees are need to be made ready for the changes. As the changes don’t show
overnight the company require time and investment for the long lasting results. Encouraging and
empowering the employees will help the company to develop even more.
Leadership theories in Eddie Stobart Group Limited
The leadership theories in the development of an innovative change in the organization play
an important role. The steps taken by the employers at the company to ensure the innovative
changes in the organization are:
 The employer or the manager of the company can change management program the
company is going to adopt. The manger can provide the company with the reasons why
they are adopting the change management and what is the requirement for this (Best and
et.al, 2020).
 The manager need to effectively communicate with the employees regarding the changes
they are going to encounter while the change is being implemented. The employers can
also talk about the stress and the work load the employees are experiencing.
 The employer need to encourage the employees to take part in the change and provide
with valuable points that can be improved. This will empower them.
 The employer can also provide the information to the employees with personalizing the
messages they send to their employees.

 The changes are discussed with the entire staff and the employees, to ensure the
information is shared.
 The digital transformation the company is going through can be done by the automated
content import from the credible sources only for the employees to use the information
safely.
 The success of the employees can be celebrated to encourage them more.
 The manager can manage the ways in which the employees are engaging with the
information and messages delivered to them. This will help the manager to continuously
improvise the strategies according to the needs.
This can be concluded that the current business change management model bring benefits
that are seen in the Eddie Stobart Group Limited that are:
 The company is able to work efficiently while working in the covid-19 pandemic. The
company gets an increasing demand for the transport and logistics services of high
quality.
 The revenues of the company remain in line with the previous year’s reflecting the
effectiveness of the business model adapted by them.
 The profitability is increased by the existing and the new customers that join the
company, this helps them cope up with the losses.
 The profitability in the turnaround plan show the progression of the company towards
the development and more profit can be expected with the business model.
 The company initiated a positive cash flow operation and also started the repayment of
debt for a period end.
 With the completion of the change management in the company a considerable
reduction in the base cost is seen due to the increased use of the internal capabilities of
the company (Mulvey, 2020).
The effectiveness of the Mckinsey 7’S change management model
The Mckinsey 7’s model is basically used for the internal assessment tools in the
organization. The model ensures the seven essential elements of the company are working

effectively for the development or not, keeping the core values and aims of the company in
alignment.
The model consist of:
1. Elements
Hard Elements – strategy, structure, systems
Soft Elements – shared values, style, staff, skills
2. Application
3. Advantages
4. Disadvantages
5. Conclusion
The effectiveness of the change management models in the organization are:
 It is concluded that if the seven S in the models are in harmony with each other and they
direct the same direction as that of the company’s objectives than it is going to be
effective for the organization (Libenth, 2017).
 The seven factors will identify and point different questions the company need to be
addressing for the implementation of becoming a national player in the market.
 The model will check the effectiveness of itself in the organization for better
adaptability. The model will pick out the organizational problems by qualitative analysis.
It work by understanding the strategic plans lacking the process of being effective.
 The analysis and the diagnosis of the company will reveal the various perceptions of the
company that needed to be taken care of and direct them into the development processes
including the strategies and action plans.
 The mangers part in the process is to look for the perfect implementation of the strategic
plans in the company even they are large or small. The factors are all interdependent on
each other and it is necessary to ensure that all of them work properly to maintain the
development and adaptation of the change in the organization.
 The management change model will provide framework for the showing the impact of
changes it is making on the organization. The model is applied on the organization first
and after reviewing the results, the managers can make action plans or strategies. The

strategies are planned according to the recommended deductions from the results
obtained.
 The model help the company to be responsive towards the customers for which it is
necessary to operate the transformation in the processes and the new ways of operating
the processes are used to the full extend. The model is able to review the organization if
it is able to adapt the changes and if it can reengineer the changes or not (Rosenbaum,
More and Steane, 2018).
 The model help the managers to develop the new values and beliefs that are shared
throughout the organization that are totally different from the traditional beliefs they are
following. The new values and beliefs are been assisted to the employees in such a way
that they are able to shape the behavior in a long lasting manner in the company.
 The information that comes with the strategies are helpful for the managers of the
company to respond to the threats as well as the opportunity that are present in the
environment of the organization. The environment can be the marketing of the
organization, the distribution process of the products, the development in the products
and the services, some business requirements and the relationships with the stakeholders
or alliances and the partnerships.
 The change management model will help the company to choose the management style
that best suit for its self-management. This will also provide help in solving the problems
related to the management of customer activities tasks. The model will help the
organization to adopt a structure that support a responsive as well as a result oriented
system for the company.
 The model can help in identifying the changes that are necessary for creating an
environment that promotes the learning and educating the employees. These type of
environment will help the employees to learn different skills according to their roles and
help in the development of the company.
 This model helps the company in understanding the current needs of the company and
the upcoming future needs of the company. This ensures that the company remain
effective in all the times.
It can be concluded from the Mckinsey 7’s model that it has kept the shared values at the
center of the framework and remaining six elements around the shared values. It is done because

the tools of 7’s believes in the organizational values strongly and are responsible for the
development of the business. The other aspects of the organization are aligned according to the
organizational values.
The essential elements needed for the effective leadership at Eddie
Stobart Group Limited
The leaders of the organization possess the qualities that are attractive to people working
with them and they want to be around the leader. The essential elements in the leadership at the
Eddie Stobart Group Limited are:
Integrity
Integrity is considered the most important and first element required for being an
effective leader at the organization. The leaders at the company need to have the integrity as an
inner voice that tells them about their actions. Integrity tells the leaders when they are doing the
right thing for the company and when they are telling the truth (Eddy-Spicer, 2017). Leaders are
someone with powers and they need to be respected by their employees for what they are doing.
If a leader is given all the important power to take decision but the leader is not respected by the
fellow subordinates or the employees, such leaders are not going to impact the organization in a
positive manner. A leader should be the one who say what he means and mean what he says. The
leader will always find some kind of trouble while doing this but will eventually find ways for
the functioning of the organization.
Initiative
Initiative is the element in the leaders that help them to take some actions and go for it.
This helps getting the things done. The real leader is the one who always find ways to get the
things done. The people with the initiative are always the ones to become the leaders at the
organizations. There are two leaders in the organization the one that is responsible for making
the policies and the general guidelines for the organization while the other leader is present in the
employees that is responsible for managing the working of the employees according to the
guidelines made (Eddy-Spicer, 2017).
Innovation

It is necessary for the leaders to be innovative with the work to encourage more
employees into the work. The innovation is also a necessary demand in the Eddie Stobart Group
as the vehicles demand for time to time innovation to meet the needs of the customers. The
company also provide the customers with the customized devices for which the company need to
get ready to face different situations every time. The employees working for the vehicle may
provide different ideas according to their experiences in the company. The training session also
influence the innovation of a leader. In all the leader of the organization need to be very
innovative to handle the different situations and tackle differences.
Insight
This quality requires many years to develop in the leaders of the company. For this the
leaders need to be attentive about the changes made by the company over the years. The leaders
need to be have a correct knowledge of the objectives of the organization, what needs to be done,
who should be assigned for which job role and many more such things (Öztürk, 2019).
Interest
The element for the effective leader is the interest in the job they are responsible for like
what is happening currently at the company, how the work is done at the workplace, who are the
responsible employees for doing the specific work. The leader need to be actively interested and
involved in the process for making it effective and produce good results for the company. The
leaders are required to be caring for the work they are doing to be interested in it.
Inspiration
Inspiration can be termed as an element that helps to derive to the action. The inspiration
is thus the thought or the feeling that helps in getting up and completing the task. The leaders are
therefore need to drive the inspiration for the employees working under them. The reviewing of
after the action results help the employees in inspiring to work more effectively. The leaders are
responsible to feed the inspiration to their coworkers time to time. The leader needs to be capable
of inspiring the teams of employees to achieve the goals as inspiring only one or two employees
will not get the same impact as the whole teams (Winter, Bressman and Efron, 2019).

CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the report that the Eddie Stobart Group Limited has made some
innovative changes in the past years that are done in the in-cab technology, warehousing
management systems and the E-commerce. These changes take time to be adopted for long
lasting effect. The company follow the Mckinsey 7’s change management model for their
changes that include the increased urgency, building the teams in charge of driving change,
alignment of the employees according to the objectives, getting the things done, communicating
and the setting the short-term goals for the easy completion. The leadership theories used by the
company are given that includes manager’s responsibilities towards the employees and the work.
The benefits the company get by the change management model are included. The effectiveness
of the Mckinsey 7’s change management model on an organization are discussed. The essential
elements needed for the effective leadership at the Eddie Stobart includes the integrity, initiative,
innovation, insight, interest and the inspiration.
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