Boeing: Leadership Styles, Challenges, and Recommendations Report

This report provides an in-depth analysis of leadership at Boeing, focusing on various leadership styles such as ethical, authentic, and distributed leadership. It examines the challenges faced by the organization, particularly in the context of organizational crises, including the 737 MAX crashes. The report critically evaluates Muilenburg's leadership style, highlighting both positive and negative aspects, such as his ability to inspire employees and the crisis management failures. Furthermore, the report offers three recommendations for improving leadership strategies and mitigating future challenges. The report emphasizes the importance of strategic leadership, open communication, and a proactive approach to address issues and maintain stakeholder trust. The analysis aims to provide valuable insights into effective leadership practices within a complex, multinational corporation like Boeing.

Leading Business
Organisations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
PART 2............................................................................................................................................1
b. Overview of ethical, authentic and distributed leadership style and also challenges in order
to deal with organisational crisis.................................................................................................1
c. A critical evaluation of Muilenburgs leadership style.............................................................3
d. Three recommendations...........................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Business organisation is one of the generic term which is basically labelled for any kind
of entity that is based commercially where there are number of people who are working together
(Aljuwaiber, 2016). This is the one that leads in describing structure of a business that helps in
meeting the goals of an organisation which are basically designed in order to generate profit so
that they can improve the society. In the following report, Boeing has been taken into
consideration. It is one of the American multinational organisations that leads in designing,
manufacturing and also sells rotorcraft, rockets, airplanes, telecommunications equipment and
also various missiles all over the world. It is one of the top global aerospace manufactures.
In the following report, overview of various leadership styles and also challenges that are
associated while dealing with these practices will be discussed in this report. Further,
Muilenburgs leadership style will be evaluated critically. In addition to this, various
recommendations will also be provided that would be adopted by Muilenburg in order to move
forward will be highlighted in this assignment in deeply.
PART 1
Covered in PPT
PART 2
b. Overview of ethical, authentic and distributed leadership style and also challenges in order to
deal with organisational crisis.
The hands on background have been granted the CEO of Boeing with valuable insights as
a leader in the industry of aerospace. Thus, to grow up as an engineer lead him in gaining high
ability to achieve long term success that helps him in becoming one of the most successful leader
today (Antony, 2015). He also adds up that being a good leader helps him in understanding the
needs and requirements of customers and accordingly develops the products as per their needs by
motivating their workers to use their complete talent in producing best service for their
customers that will further help them in attracting large number of customers towards a particular
brand. There are some of the approaches that is being discussed as per below context-
 Willingness in order to draw upon wide spectrum of talents- It is one of the best key
leadership that is believes as the most successful one. This means that it is extremely
significant in order to understand the gaps that are being found out between knowledge
and experience and also in surrounding themselves within a particular team in an
1

organisation. this team that is involved must be in such way that complements them as
they are the biggest fan and proud to be a member of such team those who have different
types of thoughts and also backgrounds and experiences that basically makes for the
better enterprise and that basically makes the best enterprise and better decision making
for everyone.
 Inspiring people to perform their best- This is also one of the best approach that CEO of
Boeing adopts as people gets inspired in such way that that they work in the best and
essential way in order to achieve profit and long term success. This will further leads in
achieving high level of profitability and productivity and company may therefore reach
the boost. This is termed as one of the most important mission for a particular
organisation. This mission further helps in connecting each other that are involved in that
firm and leads in bringing out with various strategies and ideas that would further lead in
selecting the best one that suits the organisation. Muilenburg believes that the life of
people is depended totally what is being done by them. The main aim and motive of
Boeing is basically to connect all people that are involved in the world with their services
which is being provided in terms of aeroplanes, satellites and communications. In
addition to this, they also lead in order to provide with specific kind of freedoms and tries
to work with both servicemen’s and women’s all around the world. They also aids in
edging out spaces as they believe that the astronauts are the person that totally depends
on this aerospace industry (Arnold, 2019).
 Courses- this is also one of the best leadership behaviour that is being fostered across the
stated organisation Boeing. Basically, the ideas in terms of being the strategic and up to
date and also to finding out the future needs and accordingly to lay or bring out certain
type of strategy that would lead in overcoming various situations that they might face in
an organisation. This course plays extremely significant role in order to bring out various
innovations which will be termed as the best one till now as compared to the competitive
market. In addition to this, they are also up to various strategies that include to bring out
ne aeroplanes that are based commercially into market. The innovations therefore include
77XX, 737 MAX and also the 787. Moreover, this course also helps cited organisations
in bringing out new space vehicles in order to travel orbits. This helps in recognising the
actual future and accordingly visions are being set. Further, it is termed as the highest
2

level of opportunity and also strategy that is being laid out which further aids them in
turning into real plan.
Challenges faced in leadership
Boeing is that organisation that faces issue in over fifty years. The one of the most dangerous
crisis they had to face is that 346 people were killed in two air plane crashes and this incident
was linked to controls of automated flight of 37MAX and also had led to grounding in terms of
best selling aeroplanes (Davies, 2016). In addition to this, the Ethiopia disaster basically killed
157 people that make them lack their reputation in the whole market. Further, as aeroplanes of
Boeing were taken out of service that lacked down the deliveries of new aircraft and this was
taken place because of airline crashes that took place in Ethiopia. This made number of Airlines
industry are therefore demanding heavy compensation which makes stated organisation Boeing
in facing scrutiny from the Congress of US, transportation Department. The basic problem that
was identified. After the crisis was malfunction of the Manoeuvring Characteristics
Augmentation System sensor. This made the Boeing airplane in such way that they have to nose
downwards when the plane was about to take off. Moreover, the cited firm did not made the
pilots to take the training and development of this systems and it lacked to them who basically
can fly the plane in proper manner without any consequence of crashes that might take place.
The another problem that is faced is that the management system of Boeing fluctuates and is
not same as before which affects the leadership style also to a large extent. As he has not change
the leadership style and has not faced any such issue, therefore it would be difficult for them in
order to manage their company and also the workers in the time of any kind of crisis that may
takes place.
In addition to this, due to all this reason they are facing the major problem of fall in the value
of their shares by 10% and also files lawsuits by relatives that are died may also can take years in
order to conclude.
c. A critical evaluation of Muilenburgs leadership style.
The leadership style that is being used by Muilenburg is termed as Appreciative inquiry
technique. It is one of the change management technique to approach that leads in focusing on
identifying or determining those work that are going well without any kind of difficulties
(Doppelt, 2017). This technique also helps the cited organisation in finding out that reason
through which it is working well. Further, the basic principle of Appreciative inquiry is that an
3

organisation will grow in whichever direction that people in a particular Boeing organisation has
its focus on. This is one of the strength based, positive approach towards the development of
leadership and also in terms of organisational change. The teams that are created in Boeing
basically uses this technique in order to understand and implement the best practices, developing
strategic plans, shifting culture and also creating momentum on initiatives that are based on large
scale.
Positive Elements of leadership style
 He has basically earned a reputation as one of the highest energy CEO and takes his
employees group for sessions related to bonding with a high speed.
 There are huge stakes where there is 33% of Boeings revenue and 50% of its profit.
 He has an ability in order to inspire their workers to the best that would be termed as the
most beneficial for a stated organisation Boeing.
Negative Elements of leadership style
 He faces worst crisis as two airplanes crashed each other that killed around 350 people
which really affected the reputation and goodwill of an organisation to a large extent.
 The deliveries were stuck as due to airplanes were taken out of service after their crash
crisis of Ethiopian Airlines plane.
 Therefore, these airlines are further demanding for high value of compensation which
makes company to face scrutiny.
 The stock has been therefore fallen down that to till 10%.
The crashes between Lion Air Flight and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 have basically rocked the
aviation industry which basically sparked number of investigations that resulted in grounding of
various grounding of Boeing 737Max jet airways in the whole world. While the period when this
Max jet were going under training, where regulators of this determined that the pilots of
particular aircraft could fly this planes without any kind of extensive retaining because they were
termed as extensive important for this (Edmonds, 2018).
The attempts that were undertaken by Boeing were basically to manage the crisis that left the
customers or audiences confused, anxious rather than trusting such a reputed brand. The
company and the CEO of the stated organisation therefore apologised for everything that
happened in the cost of people’s lives. He tried to make video of this and reach all the people.
But the video was delivered late to people and therefore it has been analysed that Muilenburg
4

should have to come on face with people and tried to talk about this which would have helped
him in creating the loyalty base of customers again that was broken to a large extent. In addition
to this, the slower response from particular airlines has also led them towards mistrusting Boeing
as due to crashes that has been taken place, maximum amount of orders were cancelled for 737
max jet airways. This number reached to $5 billion cancellation and was only because the
Boeing were lacking long trust and confidence from the people in the market in terms of planes
that were related to cited brand.
d. Three recommendations
I personally believe that Muilenburg must adopt various other leadership strategies that
would lead them in maintaining the people that are involved with them in Boeing and make them
work in the best possible way (Fleming, 2019). Some of them have been discussed as per below
context-
 Strategic leadership- the cited organisation and its CEO Muilenburg must try to adopt
strategic leadership and bring it into action. If this style is considered than the leaders
have to sit together and have to interact between the main operations that is taken by
company and also the opportunities that are related to growth (Johnston and Harris,
2019). They have to take burden that is related to executive interests and has to make sure
that the working conditions that is presently taken place remains stable for else that are
the member of the famous brand Boeing. It has been therefore estimated that the strategic
thinker is the one that has an ability of supporting multiple types of people together.
 Democratic leadership- This is also one of the best if adopted by CEO of Boeing as the
leaders of this style has an ability of making decisions themselves which is basically
based on the input of every member that is involved in a particular team. Here everyone
has rights to express their views and ideas on the project they are working on (Larsen and
Sjølander, 2016). Further, it is the most effective styles as it leads in allowing the
employees that are on lower level in order to exercise the authority that us needed by
them which is used wisely in the positions of future that might be holded by them.
 Transactional leadership- This style of leadership are rarely taken place today. The
leaders that adopts this style has to rewards the employees for the work they has done.
Thus, the team that is in the process of marketing therefore receives scheduled bonus that
leads in generating bonus. This incentives or rewards therefore helps in motivating the
5

workers to work in effective manner by putting their maximum efforts towards the task
that has been allocated to them and therefore will receive the best result from this. This is
termed as the most beneficial for creating the friendly environment in the company that
makes employees feel valued and also free to share their innovative and creative views
and ideas that will be effective for the organisation. In addition to this, it also leads in
establishing roles and responsibilities for everyone that would further encourage them in
working on a large scale. Further, incentives programs and many other events can be
taken into consideration that would lead them in motivating employees and make them
aware about the goals and objectives that has been targeted by branded organisation that
is named as Boeing (Parker, Stranghoener-Jr and Womack, 2016).
Thus, from the above description it has been analysed that leadership styles takes knowledge and
abilities of a particular leaders into account and plays essential role in motivating employees and
making them work with the skills and capabilities they have in order to achieve long term
success and making company reach the boost (Pasztor, Tangel, Wall and Slider, 2019).
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that Boeing is one of the most top reputed
organisation and has faced number of crisis which has made it groundly and lost loyalty base
from number of customers. It has also been analysed that Muilenburg has adopted various
leadership style that had made him the best leaders and CEO and has also faced number of
challenges due to crisis that has been taken place between two aircrafts. In addition to this, it has
also been analysed due to this report that various recommendations has been provided that can be
adopted by the stated organisation in order to overcome all the obstacles that has been faced and
again try to grasp the loyalty customer base and make the company reach the boost by achieving
higher level of profitability and attracting various markets towards particular industry.
6

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Aljuwaiber, A., 2016. Communities of practice as an initiative for knowledge sharing in business
organisations: a literature review. Journal of Knowledge Management. 20(4). pp.731-748.
Antony, J., 2015. Challenges in the deployment of LSS in the higher education sector:
viewpoints from leading academics and practitioners. International Journal of Productivity
and Performance Management. 64(6). pp.893-899.
Arnold, M., 2019. Leading Change in Human Service Organisations in the 21st Century.
In Führung und Organisation (pp. 159-174). Springer VS, Wiesbaden.
Davies, P. W., 2016. Current issues in business ethics. Routledge.
Doppelt, B., 2017. Leading change toward sustainability: A change-management guide for
business, government and civil society. Routledge.
Edmonds, B., 2018. The unique challenges facing New Zealand's most remote council. Public
Sector. 41(3). p.15.
Fleming, C., 2019. Safety of Autonomous Systems: Challenges in Coordination, Consistency,
and Integration.
Johnston, P. and Harris, R., 2019. The Boeing 737 MAX saga: lessons for software
organizations. Software Quality Professional. 21(3). pp.4-12.
Larsen, O. M. and Sjølander, J., 2016. Aviation and Climate Change–Facing the Challenge. Air
Transport Provision in Remoter Regions. p.273.
Parker, A., Stranghoener-Jr, S. and Womack, J., 2016. Boeing Technical Journal Joint Supply
Cost Models.
Pasztor, A., Tangel, A., Wall, R. and Slider, A., 2019. How Boeing’s 737 MAX Failed. The Wall
Street Journal (Mar. 2019)(cit. on p. 11).
7