Leadership Case Study: Analyzing Rob and Evans' Leadership Styles

This case study analyzes the leadership styles of Rob and Evans at Growing Places, examining the contrasting approaches of the two leaders. The paper explores various leadership styles, including transactional, directive, and situational leadership, and assesses Rob's actions, highlighting his directive tendencies and lack of emotional intelligence. It contrasts Rob's leadership with Evans' people-centered approach, emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence, adherence to company values, and the impact of leadership styles on workplace culture. The analysis delves into the relationship between Rob and Evans, portraying Evans as a mentor and guide, ultimately concluding that coaching and guidance could alter Rob's leadership style and strengthen their relationship. The essay provides a comprehensive insight into leadership dynamics, offering valuable lessons for managers and leaders in various organizational contexts, emphasizing the significance of adaptability and emotional intelligence in effective leadership.

Running head: LEADERSHIP
Leadership- Case study analysis of Rob and Evans
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Introduction
Evans Breyer is the chairman of Growing Places. He has put in lot of efforts for
taking the company to the peak of success. Although this took a time of four years, however,
the dedication, commitment and perseverance of Evans adds value to the time. As in all the
workplaces, there are spoilers; here Rob takes the role of spoiling Evans’ efforts by ruining
the moral of the staffs, buying the customers and conquering the company’s share price
(Bolman & Deal, 2017). However, patience of Evans nullifies Rob’s trick. Aggravation of
Rob’s tactics attaches an interrogative parameter to Evans’ position. Therefore, the objective
of the essay is to clarify the doubts regarding Evans’ resign.
Leadership style of Rob
There are various leadership styles-transformational, transactional, people-centred,
production-centred, supportive, directive among others. Along with this, one of the other
types of leadership is situational, which relates with the concept of “rags to riches”. Situation
is the agent, which invokes the leader out of an individual (Northouse, 2015). Herein lays
the transformation from an ordinary individual to a leader. Transactional leadership can
be correlated with people-centred leadership. This is because here, the leader or the bosses,
through their activities, ensure the wellbeing of the workplace people, which are the
stakeholders, shareholders and other staffs.
Production centred leadership contradicts people-centred leadership. This is
because, thoughts related to the production of quality and branded products nullify the
thoughts of ensuring the wellbeing of the employees and the customers. Countering this,
production of quality products is for the customers (Nahavandi, 2016). Therefore, thoughts
related to the satisfaction of the customers are included within the practice of the product
centred leadership. Support of the stakeholders and shareholders assists the leaders to
undertake the rightful for the betterment of the organization. On the contrary, misleading

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direction from the others deviates the leaders from the identified and the specified goals.
Herein the directive leadership attains a negative leadership. Viewing it from the other
perspective, directing the employees properly, enhances the personality of the leaders (bosses
and managers) in the minds of the employees (Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee, 2013). This
generates within them an urge to expose better performance for the attainment of
professionalism in the right sense.
Critical reflection of the leadership styles, transactional, people-centred, production-
centred, supportive, directive leadership styles are the components of transformation of a
manager towards leader. Counter arguing this, support is the keystone, which enhances the
relationship between the leaders and the team members, enhancing the personality of the
leader (manager) (Fairhurst & Connaughton, 2014).
In contrast to this, Rob’s leadership can be considered directive to some extent, as he
was concerned only about the growth of the company instead of the people. Herein, the true
essence of leadership takes backseat. Delving deep into Rob’s attitude, he is loud, diplomatic,
which are against the leadership traits. A leader is supposed to perform his duties silently for
achievement of praises and recognition. Turnaround leadership can be applied in Rob
context through several connotations. One, it relates to the transformational leadership in
terms of altering the personality of an individual (Daft, 2014). This has positive as well as
negative as well as positive sides. However, in case of Rob, it is the negative, as he is only
concerned about how to restrict others from reaching to the peak of success. This is also a
limitation of scope and arena of leadership skills and abilities. Based on the circumstances,
the companies need to undertake decisions, which can prove right or wrong. This reflects the
life cycle of a workplace like Growing Places.

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Emotional intelligence of Rob
Emotional Intelligence is one of an important component, which the leaders ne4ed to
possess for sharpening their preconceived skills, expertise and knowledge. Self-assessment
through observation is the main method, which helps individuals to attain intellectual and
emotional development (Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee, 2013). The sources for attaining this
development are coaching or mentoring. Although these sources reflect negative vibes
towards the aspect of independence, however, incapability to carry out self assessment
individually necessitates the need of mentors and tutors. This is also applicable for Rob in
terms of exposing appropriate leadership skills and abilities. Rob needs to alter his
personality from a loud diplomat to a reserved and people centred (Renz, 2016). For this,
attending personality development classes can be an effective option.
Delving deep into the characteristic traits of Rob, laughing out loud in parties
contradicts his emotional intelligence. As a matter of specification, it reflects immaturity,
which misaligns his physical and mental development. Possessing an oblivious attitude
towards the happening of the surroundings is one of the other expressions, which necessitates
the need for self-assessment in case of Rob. This expression, if not modified immediately,
would prove harmful for him in terms of stabilizing his relationship with the employees and
team members (Beck & Cowan, 2014).
Negative impression about Rob stains his personality, which reduces thoughts
regarding Rob being a leader. This necessitates the need for his mentoring regarding the
personality make over. Countering this, Rob needs to perform self assessment on his own,
which would reflect an alteration in his attitude for enhancing his leadership image in the
minds of the team members. For this, he needs to conduct evaluation of the exposed
performance (Boezeman & Ellemers, 2014). This evaluation would bring to the forefront the

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major drawbacks in his approach. Spontaneity in modification of drawbacks would be an
attempt to restore the lost honor and respect. On the other hand, negligence and delay in
making up the mistakes would compel Rob to encounter taunts and mocking, which would
make him a misfit in the company, especially in the position offered.
Rob’s approach towards industrial values
Every manager in company and organizations are entrusted with certain
responsibility, which they are expected to follow diligently. Along with the employees, the
managers are also responsible for abiding by the core values. Conscious attitude towards this
adherence creates a positive image about the personnel, especially the managers (Černe,
Jaklič & Škerlavaj, 2013). In case of the employees, this adherence and compliance to the
core values is an invocation to their leadership skills and abilities. On the contrary, non-
compliance towards the organizational values generates conflicts, discriminations and
biasness, which destroys the sanctity of the workplace. Along with this, it also creates
fissures in the relationship between the personnel, just as the intentions of Rob to destroy the
efforts, which Evans has put in for achieving sustainable growth. This intention of Rob makes
him a misfit as a CEO in the workplace. Delving deep into these aspects, failure of the
managers in executing their duties attaches a negative tone to the workplace culture
(Komives & Wagner, 2016). The previous sentence nullifies the demarcation factors of
culture as the approach of the personnel, as a whole determines the workplace culture.
Rob has succeeded Evans in Growing Places as the new CEO. There are heaven and
hell differences between Rob and Evans in their approach towards the industrial events. Like
other companies, customer satisfaction is one of the core values of Growing Places. When
Evans was the CEO, he dealt each and every business issue patiently. If there was an issue, he
exercised participated management style for achieving effective and efficient solutions for the
problems (Chemers, 2014). This reflected his oriental approach towards enhancing the

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reputation of the company. His contributions in achieving financial flexibility are
mentionable. When Rob succeeded Evans, he turned the integrated and systematic
environment of the workplace chaotic.
Evans was a people’s leader. He thought the well being of the employees, providing
them every facility needed for carrying out the allocated responsibilities. He involved the
employees for taking the decisions for the betterment of the company. This provided the
employees with an opportunity to voice out their opinions regarding the issues, which they
are facing while doing the business activities (Sanders, 2017). On the other hand, Rob
practiced directive leadership style, which strained his relationship with the employees. He
was concerned only about the manufacture of quality products rather than the wellbeing of
the employees. This reflects his non-compliance with the company values, which attaches a
negative tone to the workplace culture, as the leader himself is not supportive. Delving deep
into this assertion, the determinant cycle of the culture gets disturbed due to the exposure of
inappropriate and irrational attitude towards managing the performance of the business
activities (Johnson, 2017).
Relationship between Rob and Evans
In relationship, Evans is superior to Rob. Along with this, Evans is senior to Rob in
terms of experience. When Evans revisited the office, he was awestruck at the renovation,
which Rob had made of the office. Here, one of the positive traits of Rob emerge in terms of
knowing specifically how beautiful is his office. This inquisitiveness can be considered as an
attempt of Rob to the ways and means through which he can alter the scenario of the
workplace (Raelin, 2016).
While going to the events like Child Care parties, Evans thinks that if Rob is made to
sit at the backseat of the car, he would sit quietly. But Evans is proved wrong through the

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garrulousness of Rob. This extravagance creates a negative image about Rob in the minds of
Evans. Along with this, oblivious expression of Rob could have generated negative thoughts
about the growth of the company in the minds of Evans. If he had complained to the Board, it
would have resulted in Rob’s termination. This would have generated fissures in the
relationship between Rob and Evans. However, seeing Rob making desperate attempts makes
Evans feel positive in terms of handing over the charge of the company to the right person
(Miner, 2015). His guiding approach is reflected from dusting Rob’s table as he takes the tour
of Rob’s office. Using his sleeve for this action reflects Evans’ down to earth nature, which
contrasts the pride of Rob in terms of the rapid growth, which Growing Places has achieved.
Evans thinks Rob would consider this achievement in a lighter tone, but here also
Rob’s extravagance proves his thoughts wrong. However, Evans is familiar with Robs’
approach; therefore, he does not express any surprise.
The Child Care event, which Rob visits, can be considered as a transformation in his
character, making him caring. However, his loud, extravagant and oblivious approach
nullifies this assertion (Miner, 2015). Countering this, sponsoring Child Care for almost 60
companies gives Rob credit for thinking about the provision of proper nutrition to children.
All these activities enhance the feeling of respect for Rob in the minds of the Evans,
nullifying all the negative characteristic traits, which he has.
Feeling the pain of the mothers to breast feed the babies makes Rob realize that he
needs to take the Child Care events to the closest proximity of the customers. This activity
nullifies the tag of directive leadership from the professional outer appearance of Rob. All
these attempts by Rob make Evans think that termination would not be a proper valuation of
his initiatives towards the company’s growth (Komives & Wagner, 2016). On the contrary,

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he thinks proper coaching and guidance would alter Rob’s personality as a leader. Face to
face conservations would shed off all the conflicts, strengthening their relationship.
Conclusion
This essay emerges successful in providing an insight into the dynamics of leadership.
Through the means of a case study analysis, the essay enhances the clarity of the readers in
terms of exposing appropriate leadership skills and abilities. This is especially applicable for
the managers, handling the responsibilities of the workplace. Rob and Evans might be the ex
and present CEO of Growing Places, however, their characteristics generalizes the
competition between the managers in terms of grabbing the hot seat. Evans is exempted from
this connotation, as he is a people’s leader. On the other hand, Rob’s lack of oriental and
rational approach towards execution of his role places him in this category. Caring for the
children results in transformation of Rob’s character providing him the right track towards
leadership.

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