An interview of a leader on how he/she uses leadership skills, ethics and communication to improve job performance

1. Leadership skills, Ethics and Communication
Vincent Botchwey
Strayer University
Bus 520
Professor James Ruether
November 26, 2016

2. Questions on Motivation, Communication and ethical
leadership and performance
 How do you understand leadership? Which leadership style do you adopt in your work?
 Look, Leadership to me is a process of social influence which maximize the efforts of
others towards the achievement of a goal. Leadership has nothing to do with seniority
or one’s position in the hierarchy of a company. Second, leadership has nothing to do
with titles, and third leadership has nothing to do with personal attributes.
 There are various leadership styles but mine is a democratic leader. This is building
consensus through participation (what do you think?)

3.  As a leader, what do you do when people on your team
aren’t pulling their weight?
 Hmm!! Leadership is a process and your reputation is very critical in this
situation. Motivation is my take. I encourage and inspire them; and also instill in
them ‘self-confidence’
 How would you describe your communication style?
 In fact my communication style is always subjected or influence by the team
members preference. As an analytical communicator, you like hard data, real
numbers. You typically like very specific language and dislike vague language.
For example, when someone tells me ‘sales are positive’ I am likely to think
‘what does positive mean?’ 3.4% or 98%? ‘Give me a number for Christ sake!’

4.  In what ways has effective communication impact your job
performance and the organization as a whole?
 Great question! First is strong relationship; trust and loyalty are key factors in any
relationship and both are boosted by communication which is focused on meeting
individual needs, conveying important information and providing feedback-positive and
constructive. Second is strong teamwork: the ability of all employees at all levels of the
organization working together to achieve common goals for the company. Last is ideas
and innovation: when employees understand what’s important to their companies and
focus on improvement making and spotting opportunities for innovation that can help
further success.

5.  Do you think all leaders are managers?
 NO! the difference between managers and leaders lies in the conceptions they hold,
deep in their psyches, of chaos and order. Look! Managers embrace process, seek
stability and control, and instinctively try to resolve problems quickly-sometimes before
they fully understand a problem’s significance. Leaders on the other hand tolerate chaos
and lack of structure and are willing to delay closure in order to understand the issues
more fully.
 Note, organizations need both managers and leaders to succeed but developing both
requires a reduced focus on logic and strategic exercise in favor of an environment
where creativity and imagination are permitted to flourish.

6.  How does ethics play a key role under your
leadership?
 Ethics applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to
the conduct of individuals and entire organization. This
organization has values (rules and regulations) that binds every
employee including myself. Ethics in this company is applied
impartially. Ethical behavior in this company has bring significant
benefits, for example it has
 Attract investors and keep the company’s share price high,
thereby protecting the business from takeover.
 Make employees want to stay with the business, reduce labor
turnover and therefore increase productivity
 Attract more employees wanting to work for the business, reduce

7.  Describe your personal actions by which you convey to your
staff that ethics/ethical behavior is a high priority with your
staff and that you also expect it to be a high priority with your
staff?
 Look the core values that has spearheaded this company cannot be compromised.
Lateness is one example this company does not entertain and I have severally set
examples for them to follow suit. I always called the HR to informed her if I am going
to be late or wouldn't show up to work.
 Ensuring that all employees understand the company’s corporate values is achieved by
the statement of “our business principles” which makes clear the behavior it seeks from
employees; and I lived with it and employees understand their responsibilities to this as
well. Thank you!! My pleasure!!

8.  Analyze the leadership, motivation, and ethical values of the
leader interviewed and assess its impact in the ethical
performance of the organization
As a democratic leader he is of the view that, there will be
 Participation in decision-making process: this were workers are consulted in the
decision making process hence they feel satisfied. The contrast to this leadership
opinion is that, there would be delay in decision making because, more than one person
is involved and there would be different ideas as to what to be implemented and what
not to be implemented. Moreover, though subordinates get the full opportunity to utilize
their capabilities, most of them may be less competent to the vision of the organization
(business principles)

9.  Analyze the leadership, motivation, and ethical values of the
leader interviewed and assess its impact in the ethical
performance of the organization
 His account on motivation of his team is less constructive because it only consider
employee recognition only. Thus acknowledging a job well done by an employee
(tracking progress and providing feedback about how they have improved overtime) is
not a justification of tremendous ethical performance of the organization. Why
 Employee recognition only makes employees feel relevant and become loyal to the
organization. However, most employees prefer incentives as motivational tool that
makes them more bonded to the business principles (ethical behavior).
 Incentives drive employee behavior and motivates them to produce quality job; it also
offers workers more to strive for than the regular paycheck

10.  Analyze the leadership, motivation, and ethical values of the
leader interviewed and assess its impact in the ethical
performance of the organization
 Ethical value is the set of established principles governing virtuous behavior (business
reputation). To behave ethically is to behave in a manner consistent with what is right or
moral. Based on my interviewee account on ethical behavior, the perception that his
company has a great ethical principle such as honesty, integrity, promise-keeping and
trust, worthiness, loyalty, fairness, concern for others, respect for others, law abiding,
commitment to excellence, leadership, reputation and morale, and accountability are
strong indication of boosting perfect ethical performance of any organization.

11. References
Page, M. (personal communication, November 28, 2016)
Walter, Pavlo (2014). Making People Behave More Ethically, An MBA's View.
Retrieved from:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/walterpavlo/2014/01/16/making-people-behave-
more-ethically-an-mbas-view/#69ae9a07431f
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2016). Organizational Behavior (17th ed.). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education , Chapter10, 11 , page 342- 411
Forbes Coaches Council (2016). Effective Leadership: How To Be More Than a
Boss. Retrieved
from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2016/05/17/effective-
leadership-how-to- be-more-than-just-a-boss/#5e7f65002b29