Analysis of Leadership in Leading Business Organisations Report

This report provides an in-depth analysis of leadership within leading business organizations, focusing on key aspects such as leadership styles, organizational vision, and strategic implementation. It explores fundamental leadership questions, leadership aspects, and leadership theories appropriate for volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. The report delves into the contributions of individuals, leaders, and stakeholders in executing organizational missions and visions, along with the importance of evaluating these contributions. It further examines leadership strategies, change leadership, organizational potential, and the business context, highlighting the need for aspiring leaders to understand diverse leadership approaches. The report also covers motivation theories, employee motivation, and the application of appreciative inquiry techniques. Part 2 of the report focuses on servant leadership, its challenges within a VUCA environment, and a critical evaluation of Kevin Johnson's leadership style at Starbucks, including his personal brand and recommendations for building success and maintaining sustainability. The report emphasizes the importance of understanding leadership styles and strategies for effective management in today's dynamic business landscape.

Leading Business
Organisations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
1....................................................................................................................................................1
a. Two fundamental questions which leaders requires to ask themselves...................................1
b. Two leadership aspects............................................................................................................1
c. Leadership theory (style)..........................................................................................................2
d. Two distinct leadership styles which are appropriate for existing volatile, uncertain,
complex along with ambiguous business environment...............................................................2
e. Reasons aspiring leaders requires in depth understanding of leadership styles ranges...........2
2....................................................................................................................................................2
a. Organisational vision addition to mission................................................................................2
b. Contributions do people make in executing vision as well as mission....................................2
c. Contributions made by leaders for executing mission and vision............................................2
d. Contributions stakeholders make for executing mission and vision........................................3
e. Reasons aspiring leaders needs ability for evaluating contributions of individuals, leaders
and stakeholders...........................................................................................................................3
3....................................................................................................................................................3
a. Leadership strategy..................................................................................................................3
b. Change leadership....................................................................................................................3
c. Organisational potential...........................................................................................................3
d. Business context.......................................................................................................................4
e. Reasons aspiring leaders requires understanding of broad leadership strategies which can be
applied in distinct business context..............................................................................................4
4....................................................................................................................................................4
a. Motivation theory.....................................................................................................................4
b. Two categories related to motivational theories......................................................................4
c. Contemporary term for employee motivation..........................................................................4
d. Appreciative inquiry technique................................................................................................5

e. Reasons aspiring leaders needs to be able for critically evaluating huge motivational
theories in particular organisational context................................................................................5
5....................................................................................................................................................5
Covered in PPT............................................................................................................................5
PART 2............................................................................................................................................5
a. Introduction..............................................................................................................................5
b. Succinct overview about servant leadership styles along with challenges associated in its
practice within VUCA environment............................................................................................5
c. Critical evaluation about Kevin Johnson's style of leadership by focusing towards Starbucks
improved financial performance, ethical challenges along with views that are being expresses
by few of its existing along with former manpower....................................................................7
d. Reasons Johnson have strong personal brand as an effective international leader..................9
e. Two recommendations about ways Johnson could do for building existing success along
with maintaining Starbuck's sustainability with competitive advantages.................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Leading business organisation are said to the entities that identifies challenging issues
that are faced by leaders and also provides hard facts, ample ideas and exceptional applicable
steps for addressing the issues. Leading business devises path which provides directions to its
manpower so to address issues and at same time takes necessary steps for carry forwarding
towards accomplishing objectives (Amankwah-Amoah and Wang, 2019). To understand leading
business organisation, Starbucks is selected as the entity which is a leading coffee business
having headquarters at cities of Seattle, U. S. The entity has powerful distribution chain along
with offers enriched beverages in the market. To understand the concept in better manner, the
assessment is bifurcated into two parts in which Part A is based on reflection on leadership for
aspiring leaders. On other hand, Part B is based on management report that is related to critical
evaluation of leadership styles that are adopted by President and Chief Executive Officer of
Starbucks.
PART 1
1.
a. Two fundamental questions which leaders requires to ask themselves.
Being a leader, two fundamental questions that are required to ask me for achieving
business goals includes the followings:
 Do I have effective knowledge, information and skill that are required to work in
particular field?
 Am I able to build and maintain strong relationship with team members so to sustain
trust?
b. Two leadership aspects.
The key leadership aspects are trenchant communication adequate knowledge. Bin
context to Trenchant communication, according to my opinion, trenchant communication is first
leadership aspect through which relevant information are delivered with more clarity (Bagley,
Abubaker and Shahnaz, 2018). The other aspect is related to adequate knowledge as leaders
should have adequate knowledge about existing situations so that they can improve their critical
thinking ability to solve the uncertain issues.
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c. Leadership theory (style).
Leadership theory as well as styles are said to the disciplines that emphasis on finding the
things which makes leaders to become successful in their executional workings. Here, leadership
style is an instance related to leadership theory. In addition, leadership theories provides a place
for initiating gaining about understanding the behaviours along with traits of leaders.
d. Two distinct leadership styles which are appropriate for existing volatile, uncertain, complex
along with ambiguous business environment.
The two different leadership styles that appropriately suits to current VUCA environment
are democratic styles and situational style. In context to democratic style, it is used by leaders in
situations of volatile and uncertain (Bell and et. al., 2018). The situational leadership style is
used for circumstances which are complex and ambiguous. Along with this, personal leadership
style is also appropriate for current volatile, ambiguous, complex business environment as it
assist the leaders to use personal traits for the purpose to guide directions and achieving
objectives.
e. Reasons aspiring leaders requires in depth understanding of leadership styles ranges.
Aspiring leaders needs in-depth understanding about wide leadership style ranges so that
they can gain applicable content to function better, become more effective along with maintain
balance in leading people at workplace. With the understanding of styles of leadership, aspiring
leaders provides path to develop objectives addition to training plans for employees.
2.
a. Organisational vision addition to mission.
Organisational mission is characterised as the statement that includes information about
company's competitive advantage, business goals, philosophies, functions and market. At same
time, organisation vision is mentioned to anchor point of strategic plan which outlines the end
achievement for which company exists.
b. Contributions do people make in executing vision as well as mission.
People are those employees that are considered as business assets as they transform the
set vision addition to mission into reality of business success. Individuals contributes their skills,
competence and knowledge so to enhance revenue margins addition to long term business
sustainability.
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c. Contributions made by leaders for executing mission and vision
Leaders contributes their efforts and timings for building strategies and communicating
the same to employees so that proper workings are performed to execute mission and vision. In
addition, leaders determine objectives and provides directions for achieving goals on timely
manner.
d. Contributions stakeholders make for executing mission and vision.
Stakeholders contributes through involving in decision making process and sharing their
viewpoints so that mission and vision are properly executed (Colpan and Hikino, 2018). They
invest key resources in the business and achieves customer commitment that helps in
accomplishing organisational vision and mission.
e. Reasons aspiring leaders needs ability for evaluating contributions of individuals, leaders and
stakeholders.
The reasons for evaluating contributions of people, leaders addition to stakeholders by
aspiring leaders are to improves themselves, grabs positive points, think innovatly, learn from
them and applies various contributions in executing workings so to achieve individual together
with business goals promptly.
3.
a. Leadership strategy.
Leadership strategy is described as potential of leaders to express strategic organisational
vision and persuading people for executing activities to acquire the vision. In other words,
leadership strategy is said to leader's ability for making eventful decisions for tactics, programs,
strategy and ends.
b. Change leadership.
The concept of change leadership is mentioned as ability of enthusing others by personal
advocacy addition to drives for accessing resources in order to build strong platform for change.
Through this, leaders concentrates on large scale changes in the company (Dartey-Baah and
Addo, 2018). It assist in providing support and proper guidances to individuals for implementing
and adapting change.
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c. Organisational potential.
Organisational potential is illustrated as the capacity and efficiency for meeting
objectives. It defines business capacity for organising activities so to expand firm's profitability
and productivity. It improves entire working systems, practices and procedures that empower
employees in performing the allotted roles and responsibilities in suitable manner.
d. Business context.
Business context is said to the context wherein particular vocabulary such as larger
business community and specific project is employed. When business context are clear, workings
are executed in systematic manner. With this, all the factors are identified who have significant
role in procedures of business.
e. Reasons aspiring leaders requires understanding of broad leadership strategies which can be
applied in distinct business context.
As per my opinion, understanding leadership strategies help aspiring leaders to prepare
vital plans in context to business. It is essential for the aspiring leaders to properly understand
wide leadership strategies that they can apply in different business context as to identify issues
and sort them out within dynamic business environment. In wider business context, leadership
strategies helps aspiring leaders to think in innovative manner so to execute activities in various
ways.
4.
a. Motivation theory.
Motivation theory is outlined as the concept which illustrates activation of objective
oriented behaviours among individuals. It is concerned with aspects which explains how addition
to why human demeanour are activated (Fahm, 2018). It maximises potential addition to
generates interest of manpower for executing workings and achieve targets in defined time
period.
b. Two categories related to motivational theories.
Main categories of theories of motivation are named to content along with process
theories. In this, content theories are the need theories that identifies factors which motivate an
individual. In context to process theory, these identifies the ways individual are motivated to
work.
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c. Contemporary term for employee motivation.
Contemporary terms that are used for motivation of employee are performance
appraisals, rewards along with employee satisfaction. According to Equity theory, contemporary
word that is used is fairness addition to justice in which people are treated along with gets
remunerations as per unbiased manner.
d. Appreciative inquiry technique.
Appreciative inquiry technique refers to approach related to change management which
emphasis on identifying strengths despite of weaknesses. It defines the ways activities are
executed in which major emphasis is on improving business performance. It is a strength based
approach that is used by people to develop strategic vision.
e. Reasons aspiring leaders needs to be able for critically evaluating huge motivational theories
in particular organisational context.
Aspiring leaders required to critical evaluate wide motivational theories so that they can
establish creative groups which works to attain business success. In addition, evaluation of the
theories helps in delivering type of motivation that is needed to be provided to members so that
they work as per the set criteria and emphasis on objective accomplishment.
5.
Covered in PPT
PART 2
a. Introduction
Leading business organisation are described to the business that works by implementing
key solutions to the challenges and effectively achieves successful outcomes. The present report
is based on Starbucks that is leading coffee chain and is managed by Kevin Johnson who is CEO
of Starbucks. In current scenario, the business operates in more than 30000 areas and works for
upgrading flavours in its coffee and other commodities (Ferguson, 2018). Being premium brand,
it motivates high and middle class population for becoming its key parts and improving its
revenues. The report includes servant leadership styles and challenges that are associated with it,
evaluation of leadership style of the CEO of entity, few reasons for which the entity executive
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have effective personal brand and recommendations for building success along with maintaining
business sustainability.
b. Succinct overview about servant leadership styles along with challenges associated in its
practice within VUCA environment.
Servant leadership is said to one of philosophy wherein leaders have goals to serve the
company. Servant leader basically shares power by putting employees needs at priority and helps
in development as possible. It is one of tradition style which focuses on activities of leaders for
the organisation. It is basically based on beliefs in which leaders executes tasks for serving
achievement of objective. The style includes methods such as brainstorming addition to group
discussion that widens thinking arena as well as incorporating suitable strategy that leads in
organisational welfare. In addition, it comprises traits like listening, communication and empathy
for developing capabilities at vital level. The concept was devised by Robert Greenleaf in the 20th
Century who was a researcher and identified demerits that are concerned with autocratic style of
leadership including less employee relations along with restricted thinking (Ganson and
Wennmann, 2018). The assistance related to Servant leadership style develops perspective that
are to be associated with business and limits turnover chances and improves engagement rates.
VUCA is said to an abbreviations of the terms volatility, uncertainty, complex and
ambiguous. It is related to combinations of attributes which emphases on distinct factors for
developing tough circumstances at business premise (Fahm, 2018). Few challenges that are
associated with practising servant leadership style in VUCA environment in 21st century are the
followings:
Volatile: It is the sudden change which directly influence business functions. In addition,
continual changes in product prices affects organisational strategies addition to product demand.
So applying servant leadership style at Starbucks is one of challenging situation as the company
is required to frame quick decisions as per fluctuations in the market.
Uncertain: It is described to unforeseen circumstances which arises because of natural as
well as man made calamities. For dealing with uncertain business environment, organisation
needs to execute pre planning so to mitigate negative implications of external environment. It
also includes changing employee preferences for executing workings in the uncertain situations
and for leaders who follows servant leadership style it becomes challenging for them to deal with
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the situations (Griffiths, Kreps and Fletcher, 2019). So leaders of Starbucks are required to
forecast changes that may arise and frame strategies accordingly.
Complex: Starbucks company works with objective of delivering better customer
experiences by enhancing their valuables. But there are various complex circumstances in which
servant leaders faced difficulty in sharing powers along with growth efforts. Effective procedures
are analysed and identified which helps in leading towards stable condition.
Ambiguous: It is unclear circumstance for a company due to unavailability of required
data or information that makes difficult for leaders in reaching to solutions. As per cultural
differences as well as people likings that leads in ambiguous situations because of which leaders
finds it challenging to reach specific solutions (Griffiths, Kreps and Fletcher, 2019). In context
to Starbucks, it has centralised database which results in unambiguous outcomes and assist team
members to meet shared vision within allotted time.
c. Critical evaluation about Kevin Johnson's style of leadership by focusing towards Starbucks
improved financial performance, ethical challenges along with views that are being
expresses by few of its existing along with former manpower.
Kevin Johnson's leadership styles
Leadership styles that Kevin Johnson followed helped in developing distinct strategies so
to improve business profits along with provided huge advantages to Starbucks such as spreading
the business and many more. Schultz leadership style is one of the style that was opted by
particular unit in the administration esteem. According to leadership theory, two kinds of leaders
generally exists that are transformational and transactional. The transformational leaders
generally works with other members in group and recognises essential requirements for any
improvements (Jeanes, Loacker and Śliwa, 2019). On other hand, transformational leaders
primarily emphasis on directions along with improving group performance. From the both styles,
transformational leadership style is related with Johnson as the personality takes entire group and
analyses areas for improvement. It makes work meaningful, empowers workers, allows
employees to feel part of company and results in career growth of an individual through
developing or improving its weak areas.
In context to CEO of Starbucks who is Kevin Johnson took various initiatives for
improving the financial performance along with responded to ethical challenges that the entity
faced. The personality emphasised on different core business strategies to improve the digital
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technology involvement and Kevin never afraid so to apply bid changes as well as kept its
employees on priority. For expanding in new market, the personality opened upscale reserve
along with roastery stores that offers delicious coffee and other eatables. “Reserve along with
roastery stores” was the latest move took by Johnson so to improve its financial performance and
through this more cash was acquired from the organisational shareholders. The executive bought
more disciplined approaches which leads in extending business to international market. Few of
the leadership approaches that Kevin Johnson used for setting examples are as follows:
Prioritising employees: By focusing on leadership style of Johnson, the personality
always emphasised on providing more priorities to its employees so to boost their morale such
that their overall performances are improved to desired level. Johnson dis it through engaging
more number of workforce and listening to their viewpoints for executing the workings (Koehler
and Zürcher, 2018). The personality is open minded and encourages its employees to become
professional and collaborative.
Not afraid for initiating big changes: Kevin Johnson is always ready to take new
initiatives and never afraid for initiates big changes in the company. The changing style adopted
by Johnson helped in handling unexpected changes in the external world. With this factor, it was
analysed that Johnson invested its efforts and time for connecting with multiple people so that
effective team of Starbucks can be made and it includes investors, customers, workforce and
many more (Tongur, 2018). In addition, the personality also introduced wide changes according
to its requirements of dynamic circumstances and employee preferences.
As per the discussion, it can be said the leadership approach of Kevin Johnson is
applicable in the business environment as it helps in properly analysing changes pertaining in
external business environment and then taking remedial actions to improve internal business
environment. Moreover, servant leadership is another approach that can be applied in the
dynamic business environment for the purpose of serving main aspects towards success.
Positive along with negative impacts related to Johnson's leadership style
Positive:
The leadership style of Kevin Johnson mainly focused towards prioritising people and
fulfilling expectations so to serve coffee and variants of commodities. The personality assures
people that the taste and quality of commodities remains same for huge timings (Lamba, 2018).
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In addition, the leadership style also puts impacts on improving performances of manpower and
help them to grow by learning new things .
Negative:
The style of leadership that Kevin Johnson adopted generally takes more time to make
and initiate decisions that impacts negatively on the decision makings. For becoming servant
leader, huge training is required to improve the aspects of the leadership that also impacts
negatively on critical thinking capability.
Ethical challenge of Starbucks: The entity faced huge ethical challenges while
managing the goodwill of the brand in the market along with fulfilling demand of people. One of
the ethical challenge that was faced by the Starbucks was in developing strategies so to meet
ethical principles. In addition, the another challenge was related to racial discrimination because
of emphasising in different offerings to distinct people.
The Johnson's leadership brand has impacted in positive and negative manner. It is
analyses that the leadership brand has successfully resulted in developing of people and working
on satisfying expectations for the purpose of serving coffee along with variants of commodities.
It impacted on the sales demand of company in positive manner as workforce are influenced to
perform actions through reducing various unproductive costs and stimulating audiences to make
purchase decision. However, the leadership brand has also impacted in negative manner as the
style which was adopted by the personality takes huge time to frame decision and implement the
same. Because of this, it has to face various ethical issues in goodwill as well as demand
fulfillment.
Opinions and thoughts of staff members
Kevin Johnson has began working as Starbucks leader and in this time, the brand position
was not that strong in market. The employees were generally dissatisfied with the approaches
and working procedures were also complex. More than 80% of employees of Starbucks favoured
practices, procedures of the Kevin Johnson as the personality supported the workings of
employees and was committed in its words (Lasrado and Pereira, 2018). The staff members calls
him the partner as he involve them in all the decisions and shares views for competing workings.
As per the former staff members, various facilities and fringe benefits were provided by the
executive to those who works for more than 20 hours. Other than this, the existing staff members
says that the executive provides various values to the employees that motivates them in working
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