business leaders led by blunt authority

General Discussion Paper details: In the past, many business leaders led by blunt authority, relying heavily on the power of their positions to motivate their employees. This authoritarian leadership style rarely produces top results in today's business climate. Instead, modern business leaders seek to inspire loyalty and hard work in their employees by modeling these behaviors themselves. This week, you will continue to explore concepts related to "organic growth" strategies, focusing on effective leadership as a key element of successful implementation of strategy in general. Review the Learning Outcomes for this week, and based on those objectives and your analysis of the readings and video segment, respond to either "a" or "b" below, making direct references to several of the week's required or optional readings: a. Identify the major internal elements that shape business strategy options and performance for a selected business with which you are familiar. b. Outline general issues of culture and leadership, as they affect strategy formation and implementation. Use the example of a selected business with which you are familiar. Note: Be sure to read the special posting and response guidelines below. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week's Learning Resources and any additional sources. Course Text: The Road to Organic Growth: How Great Companies Consistently Grow Marketshare From Within Chapter 6, "Measure Everything" Chapter 7, "Build a People Pipeline" Chapter 8, "Leaders: Humble, Passionate, Focused Operators" Chapter 9, "Be an Execution and Technology Champion" Epilogue SWOT Analysis II: Looking Inside for Strengths and Weaknesses Excerpted from Strategy: Create and Implement the Best Strategy for Your Business Harvard Business School Press Boston, Massachusetts ISBN-10: 1-4221-0553-9 ISBN-13: 978-1-4221-0553-5 5535BC This document is authorized for use only in Business Administration by Angela Montgomery, Laureate Education - Baltimore from September 2015 to March 2016. Copyright 2006 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America This chapter was originally published as chapter 2 of Strategy, copyright 2005 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to [email protected] , or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163. You can purchase Harvard Business School Press books at booksellers worldwide. Y ou can or der Har v ar d Business School Pr ess books and book chapters online at www .HBSPr ess.or g , or by calling 888-500-1016 or, outside the U.S. and Canada, 617-783-7410. This document is authorized for use only in Business Administration by Angela Montgomery, Laureate Education - Baltimore from September 2015 to March 2016. SWOT Analysis II Key Topics Covered in This Chapter • Identifying and assessing core competencies • Understanding your financial capacity for undertaking a new strategy • Evaluating management and organizational culture in terms of change-readiness • A nine-step method for evaluating strengths and weaknesses Looking Inside for Strengths and Weaknesses 2 This document is authorized for use only in Business Administration by Angela Montgomery, Laureate Education - Baltimore from September 2015 to March 2016. H aving tested the outer world for threats and opportunities, strategists must look inward and eval- uate their strengths and weaknesses as an enterprise. As with the outer world, knowledge of the inner world imparts a practical sense about what company goals and strategies are most fea- sible and promising. What are a company or unit’s strengths and weaknesses? The cost structure of its operations is one place to look for answers. An- other is the company’s brands. Are they powerful and capable of ex- tending the organization’s reach into the marketplace? How about its pipeline of R&D projects, and the acumen of its employees? There is much to be considered in an internal analysis. This chapter addresses three of the most important areas in which a com- pany’s strengths and weaknesses should be evaluated: core compe- tencies and processes, financial condition, and management and culture. It then presents a method you can use for conducting your evaluations. Core Competencies A core competence is a potential foundation for any new or revised strategy. The term core competency refers to a company’s expertise or skills in key areas that directly produce superior performance. One of Sony’s core competencies, for example, is its ability to unite micro- electronics and innovative design in a stream of useful consumer This document is authorized for use only in Business Administration by Angela Montgomery, Laureate Education - Baltimore from September 2015 to March 2016.