An Analysis of Leadership Dynamics and Practices at FedEx Corporation

This report delves into the dynamics of leadership, focusing on the context of FedEx Corporation. It differentiates between leaders and managers, exploring how leaders are developed through experience and education. The report examines methods for measuring leadership success, various types of follower ship, and the relationship between leaders, followers, and the organizational environment. It analyzes the impact of values, personality, and intelligence on leadership behavior. Furthermore, it distinguishes between power and influence, detailing sources of power and assessing leaders' motivations. The report also addresses group and team dynamics, including stages of team building and the role of leadership within teams. It explores how task structure and the broader environment influence leadership behavior and concludes with an overview of rational and emotional approaches to organizational change. The report uses FedEx as a case study to illustrate these leadership concepts.

The Dynamics of Leadership

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1 ...........................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Differentiate between leaders and managers........................................................................1
1.2 Development of leaders through experience and education.................................................2
1.3 Methods to measure success of leaders.................................................................................2
2.1 Types of follower ship and role of followers........................................................................2
2.3 Relation between leaders, followers and environment.........................................................3
2.2 Critical analysis of contribution of leaders as individuals....................................................3
TASK 2 ...........................................................................................................................................4
4.1 Concept of values..................................................................................................................4
4.2 Impact of values on leadership..............................................................................................4
4.3 Implications of cultural difference on leadership..................................................................4
5.1 Relation between personality and leadership........................................................................4
5.2 Different forms of intelligence influence behaviour of leaders............................................5
3.1 Distinguish between power and influence............................................................................5
3.2 Sources of power...................................................................................................................5
3.3 Assess leaders' motivation to influence and lead others.......................................................6
TASK 3 ...........................................................................................................................................6
7.1 Differentiate between groups and teams...............................................................................6
7.2 Stages of building successful groups and teams...................................................................7
7.3 Leadership as a group and team function..............................................................................7
7.4 Lead the virtual teams...........................................................................................................7
6.1 Leaders influence follower motivation.................................................................................8
6.2 Leaders influence follower satisfaction................................................................................8
6.3 Dynamic relation between motivation, satisfaction and performance..................................8
TASK 4 ...........................................................................................................................................9
8.1 Task structure or features impacts on behaviour and performance of leaders......................9
8.2 Structure, design and culture influence leadership...............................................................9
8.3 Influence of legal, political and economic environment on leadership.................................9
TASK 5..........................................................................................................................................10

9.1 Rational approach to organisational change......................................................................10
9.2 Emotional approach to organisational change...................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Leadership dynamics is all about to utilise past experience, self discoveries, capabilities,
skills, behaviours and personalities through which they lead. There are different types of
leadership styles that are used by various leaders in organisation to complete their roles and
responsibilities properly. Leaders has specialise ability and criterion through which they an
handle any situation by presence of mind and cover up issues easily (Shuck and Herd, 2012).
This report is based on FedEx Corporation which is an American multinational courier delivery
services company that is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by Frederick W.
Smith in the year 1971, almost 47 years ago. Main services of the company are post delivery,
express email, freight forwarding and third party logistic at global level. This assignment will
discuss about difference between manager and leader along with experience, education and
skills. Culture, family background, religious values, concepts of an individual reflects in the way
of working and views are given below.
TASK 1
1.1 Differentiate between leaders and managers
FedEx Corporation has required to appoint well experienced and skilled managers as
well as leaders to conduct everything properly. Difference between both of them are given
below:
Leaders Managers
 A leaders refers to that person who
motivate their sub-ordinates to achieve
desired targets properly (Goffee and
Scase, 2015).
 They have an aim of growth and
development by setting appropriate
direction.
 Leaders usually promotes the change
and minimize risk factor.
 A manager is a person who manage a
company by planning, organising,
directing and controlling.
 They have a goal to put efforts for
achieving required outcomes by making
effective plans.
 Managers generally reacts to change
and take risks at several levels.
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1.2 Development of leaders through experience and education
Success is all about to learn by training programs, working experience and other
education to implement an accurate idea to attain desired objectives in FedEx Corporation.
Learning mindset is an attitude which helps to gain better knowledge and another beneficial
concepts which render support to make an appropriate decision for any aspect properly (Maasen
and Weingart, 2013). Managers can attend leadership training as they can learn many theories
which helps to motivate workers, reducing risk factor and boosting up profitability. FedEx
Corporation can conduct several training and development programs for improving skills of
manager to fulfil roles and responsibilities effectively to attain growth of business.
1.3 Methods to measure success of leaders
Leaders has several factors which should be analysed easily to measure their success in
appropriate manner. FedEx Corporation can evaluate few characteristics that reflects about
leader are given below:
Clarity of Thought and Communication: - Leaders are required to covey information
about desired concepts in very clear way so that workers can understand properly.
Loyalty and trust of followers: - An effective leaders has loyal followers who trust them
and complete their instructions with dedication.
Personal audit: - It includes that a leader should consider that profit is just an outcome
but not the cause of success.
The above discussed elements can be observed and analysed by FedEx Corporation to
calculate success of leaders.
2.1 Types of follower ship and role of followers
Robert E. Kelley developed styles of follower ship which includes several types such as
effective, conformist, passive, alienated and pragmatic survivor (Chance, 2013). FedEx
Corporation includes these theories which are given below:
Effective: - It includes those followers who are usually critical, independent thinker and
active in behaviours.
Conformist: - This types of person is very busy but not necessarily involve their mind in
thinking about what they are doing.
Passive: - This kind of follower does not engage themselves but behave in passive
manner.
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Alienated: - It includes such people who thinks extremely well but for few specific
reasons they stuck where they are.
Pragmatic survivor: - These people can flip between different types of fellowship.
Role of followers
It is well known that without followers, there are no leaders. They influence upon leader
can enhance or underscore shortcomings in the leader (Zhang, Tsui and Wang, 2011). FedEx
Corporation can achieve better activities to attain desired goals and objectives through dedication
of followers.
2.3 Relation between leaders, followers and environment
The is an effective as well as efficient relation between leaders, followers and
environment is must in FedEx Corporation. Leaders are necessary to create an appropriate
direction to perform and minimise risk factors. Followers are usually employees who complete
orders or guidelines of leaders to carrying out different types of procedures for attaining desired
outcomes. Environment of an organisation should be suitable for performing several tasks of
staff members properly. Relation between leaders, followers and environment so that they all are
important for FedEx Corporation to achieve goals and objectives in accurate manner.
2.2 Critical analysis of contribution of leaders as individuals
There are various types of contribution which provides by leaders in the organisation to
complete required targets and objectives in correct way (Lampert and Kinne, 2011). FedEx
Corporation can attain an important role of leaders as individuals that are as follows:
Achieve the task: - A leader can achieve task and procedures effectively as well as
efficiently as an individual in the company.
Develop the individual: - It includes several techniques through which a leaders can
develop skills and abilities of an individual in terms of gaining better outcomes.
Build and maintain the team: - They have a special capability to build an effective team
through desired strategies or policies to maintain team to complete tasks properly.
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TASK 2
4.1 Concept of values
There are various types of concepts which are involved in leadership. These are essential
for FedEx Corporation to conduct several activities or tasks properly to attain desired outcomes.
Effectiveness: - The leaders have to build an effective as well as efficient strategies to
conduct procedures to achieve better outputs (Diddams and Chang, 2012).
Morality: - It includes impacts of changes or modifications of any internal or external
factor on operational activities of company.
Time: - The desired time is fixed for any particular project or contract which is necessary
to be completed in that specified period of time properly.
4.2 Impact of values on leadership
This includes several impacts of values on leadership which influence performance and
productivity of FedEx Corporation. It includes certain factors such as trust, morality, time,
effectiveness and many more. It will facilitate to carried out any target on time through complete
it in desired manner with required outcomes. Trust of sub- ordinate render support to fulfil
desires of specific project properly. Strategies as well as policies should be made more
effectively and efficiently to implement in an appropriate manner for generate better result.
4.3 Implications of cultural difference on leadership
Every person has their own culture or religion which facilitates to build a unique mind set
up, way of thinking, values, beliefs, ideas and concepts as well. Leaders are also have their own
thoughts and culture which impacts on their leadership approaches while conducting tasks in
FedEx Corporation.
Culture, family background, religious values, concepts of an individual reflects in the
way of working and views about something (Johnston, 2012). These factors are necessary for
every person and they cannot avoid their cultural beliefs or values that impacts on leadership
style of them in FedEx Corporation.
5.1 Relation between personality and leadership
The term personality can be described as unique group of traits which bears by an
individual and influence their interaction with other people or deals with environmental factors.
Leadership refers to that criteria through a leader can conduct required procedures in effective
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manner that is suitable for an organisation. Different leadership styles are included such as
transactional, transformational, autocratic, democratic etc. FedEx Corporation have to establish
an appropriate leadership method to achieve goals in desired way. Personality of leader
facilitates to make decision and implement required leadership styles to gain better outcomes
(Toseland and Rivas, 2012).
5.2 Different forms of intelligence influence behaviour of leaders
The various forms of intelligence which influence behaviour of leaders in FedEx
Corporation that is briefly as follows:
Interpersonal: - This can be defined as that capability which helps to understand the
views and ideas of people which they are saying to leader properly.
Intra personal: - It includes that skill to understand an individual's feelings, thoughts
which is utilised to make an effective planning and directing in someone's life.
Kinaesthetic: - This is based on experiments to observe and analyse the skills or abilities
of person and use their capabilities for generate better outcomes.
3.1 Distinguish between power and influence
Several kinds of differences between power and influence which is observed in FedEx
Corporation is briefly discussed below:
Power Influence
 This is known as an authority to get
things done by others.
 It uses threats and punishment to get
someone to complete work (Zhu and et.
al., 2011).
 It is kind of ability which encourage
others take action without forcing them.
 Use positive affirmation and motivation
to get someone complete work.
3.2 Sources of power
There are various kinds of sources of power which are observed in FedEx Corporation to
carrying out required activities as well as tasks properly.
Legitimate power: - This is all about the power of position through authority of that
specific designation. It is usually enjoys by managers and high level people in company.
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Expert power: -This includes power of expertise due to an excellent knowledge of any
field which an individual posses.
Coercive power: -This is all about to used to enforce strict deadlines and punishable
actions in work place and scare staff members.
3.3 Assess leaders' motivation to influence and lead others
Leaders motivate people to put their efforts in correct direction and minimize risk factors
and support followers (Yammarino And et. al., 2012). Leaders of FedEx Corporation should
have strengths which helps to influenced and lead others.
Political savvy: - They have that abilities top sort out threats which are generated by
political agencies and that impacts negatively on operational activities of an organisation.
Self promotion: - Leaders follow the criteria in which they cut through noise with
authentic, credible self promotion that helps others as well as themselves.
Building and maintaining trust: - They have that ability to build and maintain trust
amongst followers through supporting them and reducing risk.
Leveraging networks: - It include that no leader is island and they are empowered by
their own connections or networks with other people.
TASK 3
7.1 Differentiate between groups and teams
The term team and group has several differences that can be observed in FedEx
Corporation are given below.
Group Team
 It includes strong, clearly focussed
leader.
 Individual accountability (Gibney,
2012).
 It has same purpose as an
organisational mission and percolates
from the top.
 This involves sharing of leadership
roles.
 Individual and mutual accountability.
 It has broader reason that what from top
and accepted by team members, helping
to focus on specific goal that team itself
delivers.
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7.2 Stages of building successful groups and teams
The preparation of successful groups and teams has several stages which are necessary to
be followed to make desired teams. FedEx Corporation have to consider various stages that are
given below:
Establish leadership: - It includes top maintain an effective personality to attain trust of
employees so that they will follow guidelines with dedication to achieve desired goals.
Establish relationships with each of the employees: - This refers to establish better
relation between people through unique strategy which facilitate required coordination amongst
them it will results into gaining desired outcomes properly (Helms, 2012).
Build relationships between your employees: - It includes to establish cooperation
between staff members through establishing peaceful Woking environment to complete targets.
Foster teamwork: - This includes to help workers to perform properly and motivate
them to share more information amongst colleagues so that they will learn more things.
Set ground rules for the team: - It is all about to set rules and regulations which should
be followed by member of group or team to maintain effectiveness of their efforts.
7.3 Leadership as a group and team function
Leadership is an essential factor for an organisation so that each and every aspect can be
done in effective as well efficient manner for generating better outcomes. FedEx Corporation can
attain required results through establishing an appropriate leadership approach. It is necessary to
build a star group rather than making team of stars. This involves to develop fullest potential and
establish shared ownership for the results. Various types of decisions should be made by mutual
understanding and performing through required cooperation to gain better outcomes (Stensaker,
Välimaa and Sarrico, 2012).
7.4 Lead the virtual teams
This can be described as criterion of leading virtual teams which involves several factors
that provide support to FedEx Corporation are given below:
Start by building trust: - It can be described as to build trust factor amongst staff
members so that they will fol;low order with dedication in correct manner to get desired results.
Provide level- appropriate clarity: - This refers that, it is necessary to render an
appropriate clarity of concepts and strategies to be followed to employees. It will facilitate to
conduct everything properly to gain better outputs.
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Envision how the parts fit together: - It involves to analyse that which factor is
applicable in required field.
6.1 Leaders influence follower motivation
A leader has an effective personality and many other traits such as motivational theories,
correct direction, minimize risks etc. are responsible for influencing follower motivation. Several
factors that are helpful to encourage people in FedEx Corporation are described here. It includes
the idealized impact of mind set of follower which motivate them to follow their leaders with
loyalty as well as dedication. They fulfil orders in accurate way to create better outcomes. An
inspirational influence is all about to communicate high expectations, shared vision and
emotional appeals to achieve self interest, this will facilitate to attain required outputs of the
company. It involves several elements such as to act as strong role models, high standards of
moral and ethical conduct.
6.2 Leaders influence follower satisfaction
The behaviour and techniques of leaders through which they perform their tasks or
procedures in accurate way to achieve satisfaction of followers. Thinking about employees and
remain supportive for them is necessary criteria to influence them effectively as well as
efficiently (Schmidt, 2011). They generate innovative ideas to carrying out more accurate
process for completing targets on regular basis. They implement several creative changes or
modifications in policies which are beneficial for both personal and professional development in
FedEx Corporation.
6.3 Dynamic relation between motivation, satisfaction and performance
The term motivation can be described as to conduct some of positive events or conveying
words which encourage an individual to get something done in proper manner. Leaders motivate
employees to perform well through boosting up their skills or abilities to generate desired
outcomes on regular basis. Satisfaction should be attained by leaders through providing support
to them and guide about techniques to solve problems in FedEx Corporation. The factor of
motivation and satisfaction are essential for achieving an excellent performance of employees in
order to gain required goals or objectives.
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TASK 4
8.1 Task structure or features impacts on behaviour and performance of leaders
Every task has their own interdependence and structure which facilitate a person to
change their behaviour regarding completing their work properly. Each procedures has their own
criteria and features such as some of activities are easy but few of them are critical. This will
facilitate to behave normal or serious towards specific task and generate better outcomes. Nature
of process influence the behaviour and performance of leaders in FedEx Corporation in order to
attain desired outcomes.
8.2 Structure, design and culture influence leadership
There are various types of structures, designs and cultures are followed in organisations It
is necessary to build an effective as well as efficient structure and design of procedures so that
they can be carried out in appropriate manner to generate netter results. An accurate culture
should be established in FedEx Corporation as staff members become able to perform properly
for generating better results on regular basis. It is necessary to organise a strong culture.
Structure and designs of activities to be followed by employees in correct direction for gaining
required outputs.
8.3 Influence of legal, political and economic environment on leadership
There are various types of factors which influence leadership effectively in an
organisation. It is necessary to observe, analyse and evaluate these elements such as legal,
political and economic environment. Influence of these components on FedEx Corporation are
briefly defined below:
Legal factor: - This can be described as to follow various kinds of rules and regulations
which are made by legal agencies while making decision in leadership.
Political factor: - It includes several criterion of political parties which are surviving in
same market then it will become mandatory to consider their norms properly. It also includes to
apply certain changes which are done by political authorities.
Economic environment factor: - It can be defined as to focus on economic environment
of organisation and country to put required steps towards it.
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TASK 5
9.1 Rational approach to organisational change
Rational approaches are compulsory to be considered by the organisation in an accurate
way to generate required outcomes. It includes several factors such as leaders, followers and
situation. Leaders have to focus on various aspects like scanning of environment, vision, goals,
changes in plan, system, leadership & management and capabilities. Followers have different
elements to be concentrate such as dissatisfaction, resistance, SARA model, technical or
functional abilities and loss of power, competence, identity, rewards, relationships. Situation
includes crisis, consumer preferences, market trends, societal shifts, competition and so on.
FedEx Corporation is needed to consider all these components to generate better result fort an
organisation.
9.2 Emotional approach to organisational change
There are various kinds of approaches which are done in company which involves one
important factor such as emotional one to get required outputs. This can be explained about
different emotional stages such as anger, denial, confusion, crisis, depression and acceptance. It
is helpful because emotions are powerful many times to convince someone and facilitate desired
changes in an organisation properly. FedEx Corporation can utiliser this approach in effective
manner to generate better outcomes.
CONCLUSION
The above report had concluded that leadership dynamics is all about to utilise past
experience, self discoveries, capabilities, skills, behaviours and personalities through which they
lead. Success is all about to learn by training programs, working experience and other education
to implement an accurate idea to attain desired objectives. Leaders has several factors which
should be analysed easily to measure their success in appropriate manner. Followers are usually
employees who complete orders or guidelines of leaders to carrying out different types of
procedures for attaining desired outcomes. It includes certain factors such as trust, morality,
time, effectiveness and many more. Leadership refers to that criteria through a leader can
conduct required procedures in effective manner that is suitable for an organisation. Leaders
motivate people to put their efforts in correct direction and minimize risk factors and support
10

followers. The preparation of successful groups and teams has several stages which are necessary
to be followed to make desired teams.
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REFERENCES
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convergence of two frameworks and implications for leadership development in
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Large and Small Organisations. Routledge.
Maasen, S. and Weingart, P., 2013. Metaphor and the dynamics of knowledge. Routledge.
Chance, P., 2013. Introduction to educational leadership & organizational behavior. Routledge.
Zhang, A. Y., Tsui, A. S. and Wang, D. X., 2011. Leadership behaviors and group creativity in
Chinese organizations: The role of group processes. The Leadership Quarterly. 22(5).
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Lampert, W. and Kinne, O., 2011. Daphnia: development of a model organism in ecology and
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Zhu, W. and et. al., 2011. The effect of leadership on follower moral identity: Does
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Yammarino, F.J. And et. al., 2012. Collectivistic leadership approaches: Putting the “we” in
leadership science and practice. Industrial and Organizational Psychology. 5(4).
pp.382-402.
Gibney, J., 2012. Leadership of place and the dynamics of knowledge. Leadership and change in
sustainable regional development. 60. p.20.
Helms, L. ed., 2012. Comparative political leadership. Springer.
Stensaker, B., Välimaa, J. and Sarrico, C. eds., 2012. Managing reform in universities: The
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Schmidt, V. A., 2011. Speaking of change: why discourse is key to the dynamics of policy
transformation. Critical policy studies. 5(2). pp.106-126.
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