Leading Strategic Program Management Essay

Some people might say a good leaders is born that way. It is true that some individuals have a natural instinct to lead people, but they also have tools to help them in their success. In watching the movie Twelve O’clock High we see different types of leadership. Why is Colonel Keith Davenport’s leadership ineffective in comparison to General Frank Savage’s leadership? With all the men of the 918th Bomb Group loyal to Colonel Davenport, what steps does Gen Savage take to not only win their loyalty but make them an effective team? While working on a project is a lot different than fighting a war, we see how good leadership techniques, trust, good communication, developing leaders, and instilling a sense of pride can turn around the poorest of teams. If you have an ineffective leader, chances are the team will be ineffective. There were many deficiencies in Colonel Davenport’s leadership style. Colonel Davenport was more focused on each individual in his group than he was on the mission at hand. He had the loyalty of his men but failed to lead them. When one of his men failed to accomplish their mission or messed up, Colonel Davenport assumed responsibility and failed to discipline them. When Colonel Davenport received orders to push his men to the maximum potential, he wouldn’t, for fear of burning them out. While Colonel Davenport could not see his deficiencies in his leadership, it could be seen by the commanding General of the VIII Bomber Command, Eighth Air Force. General Pritchard brought Brigadier General Frank Savage in to see if he could fix not only the leadership problem but the productivity of the men in the 918th Bomb Group. When Brigadier Frank Savage arrived at the 918th Bomb Group he went right to work. One of the first items on his agenda was restoring the military standards that had become very laidback. We see this in a couple of scenes. He reprimands the gate guard for not checking his identification card upon entering the base. When he walks into his new office he catches Sergeant Mclllheny typing without his uniform top on. Brigadier General Savage immediately reduces him in rank and tells him why. Word soon travels around the base that they must adhere to the military standards and rules. Once Brigadier General Savage has made it clear that he will restore accountability and standards he calls a meeting to set his expectations clear. In this meeting Brigadier General Savage lets everyone know that they have a job to do and they need to stop feeling sorry for themselves. He tells everyone that from this point on they will be held accountable for their mistakes. Brigadier General Savage then informs everyone that since they are performing poorly, they will practice over and over again until they get it right. This infuriates the pilots and they immediately put in for a transfer. Once Brigadier General Savage has made his expectations clear, he begins gathering support from others. Major Stovall is the group Adjutant who works directly for Brigadier General Savage. Brigadier General Savage begins asking Major Stovall’s opinions on individuals in the unit. He takes the advice given to him by Major Stovall. Major Stovall begins to see that Brigadier General Savage is a great leader and he has a plan to get the 918th Bomb Group back on track. Major Stovall becomes a loyal hard working member of the 918th Bomb Group. He can see that Brigadier General Savage is committed to his job. A trust is built between the two men. â€Å"Trust is at the core of all meaningful relationships. Without trust there can be no giving, no bonding, no risk-taking† (Berkun, 2008, p. 242). He then begins to talk to the other men and gather support and trust for Brigadier General Savage. The next item on Brigadier General Savage’s agenda is to develop leaders in the 918th Bomb Group. When Brigadier General Savage is reviewing everyone’s personnel records he  notices that the second in charge is underperforming. Lt Colonel Ben Gately is immediately fired from his position and place in charge of a plane full of underachievers. He informs Lt Colonel Gately that he will receive every lazy nonperforming person who comes into the 918th Bomb Group. If Lt Colonel Gately wants to survive he needs to step up to the plate and become a good leader. The plane that Lt Colonel Gately is in charge of is called the Leper Colony. By doing this, Brigadier General Savage is giving Lt Colonel Gately a way to prove his leadership. This method of leadership works very well on Lt Colonel Gately, because he begins to perform exceptionally well. Lt Colonel Gately even flies with an injured spine. Brigadier General Savage can see the 918th Bomb Group is turning around into an effective unit. He then sets out to develop a sense of pride in the group. Savage praises them for their performance and what they have achieved as a group. He begins promoting excellence in everything they do. On days where there is no mission they practice to get it perfect. Individuals who show outstanding performance in the Leper Colony get promoted out and those who make mistakes move to the Leper Colony. Results from all their hard team work began to pay off. When the 918th Bomb Group goes on a dangerous mission they return with everyone. The whole unit is put in for a commendation. While Savage has turned the unit around he still has trouble communicating to his people. Communication is a major part of being an effective leader. While Savage has begun communicating very well with Major Stovall, he still had trouble communicating with his pilots and ground crew. Only when he finally sits down and communicates with a young pilot named Bishop, do the other pilots removed their request to be transferred to another unit. Savage was trying to keep his distance from his pilots. He felt that not becoming emotionally involved with his pilots would help create a barrier. Savage cared about every single person in his unit, but he kept his emotions inside which was the cause of his breakdown. Looking at a project manager or leader of a company, it is easy to see why you would want someone like Brigadier General Savage in charge. He arrived  at the 918th Bomb Group with a clear and direct sense of responsibility. He knew what he had to do and he knew it was not going to be a popularity contest. While Brigadier General Savage had trouble communicating to everyone, he understood his people, their motivations, and the emotions they were feeling. It is important when you are in charge of a project to know the people you will be working with. There needs to be trust between you and your employees. As the project manager when you say you will do something, you must ensure you follow through. Brigadier General Savage demanded that the members of the 918th Bomb Group give him loyalty, respect, integrity, and selfless service. He in turn not only gave the same right back, he gave them leadership, direction, and a sense of self-worth. By the time Brigadier General Savage left the 918th Bomb Group, they were able to continue their mission under any good leader who took over. As a leader, you have to take responsibility for the decisions you make. You must inspire your people and establish teamwork. Sometimes being a leader is not an easy job, but with the right set of tools you can be an effective leader. â€Å"Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in the abundance of counselors there is a victory† (Proverbs 11: 14). Reference Berkun, S. (2008). Making Things Happen. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media, Inc. New International Version. (1970). Thomas Nelson Inc.

U.S. Legislative Compromises Over Slavery, 1820-1854

African American Education during and after Segregation...

Introduction African American Education During and After Segregation Education has always been valued in the African American community. During slavery freed slaves and those held captive, organized to educate themselves. After emancipation the value of education became even more important to ex-slaves, as it was their emblem of freedom and a means to full participation in American Society (Newby Tyack, 1971). During this time many schools for African Americans were both founded and maintained by African Americans. African Americans continued to provide education throughout their own communities well into the 1930’s (Green, McIntosh, Cook-Morales, Robinson-Zanartu, 2005). The atmosphere of these schools resembled a family. The†¦show more content†¦What the Brown decision provided was a means to challenge the meaning of, â€Å"separate but equal†, as it applied to public schooling opportunities for students with disabilities (Blanchett, Mumford, Beachum, 2005). Before and after Brown, students with disabilities were not necessarily educated in public schools as there were no laws that mandated this. For the most part disabled students were educated in facilities that were separate from the â€Å"regular† school setting. Furthermore, advocates of special education used the Brown decision to initiate challenges to the existing segregated educational system in the form of well-known court cases. The rulings from these cases declared that it was unconstitutional to have separate schools for students with disabilities. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 was the first major federal effort to subsidize direct services to selected populations in public elementary and secondary schools, and it remains the primary vehicle for federal support of public schools today (Martin, Martin Termin, 1996). The Education for All Handicapped Children Act, (1975), The Education for All Handicapped Children Act, now known as the Individuals withShow MoreRelatedThe Civil Right Movement Of The United States1712 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout late childhood, education touches upon the subject of segregation, a separation between whites and blacks during mid-20th century America, and children across the country learn the harsh reality of our nation’s history. Modern culture produces media to recreate these events in movies such as The Help, and Driving Miss Daisy. Although much of the media related segregation with the 1950’s and 1960’s, these decades were only a climax of the protests and civil movements during the time period. NotRead MoreEnding Public School Segregation: The Brown vs Board of Education Trial940 Words   |  4 Pagesvs Board of Education Brown vs Board of Education was a trail to end public school segregation, but the ruling of the trail was not enforced. 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America has, since the coining of the term, proven that it was an artificial label with little resemblance to the truth. Throughout history a great deal of white Americans practiced seclusion, segregation, and alienation of rights for non Anglo-Saxon peoples. Perhaps none have suffered more than the African Americans at the hand of Anglo-Saxon Americans. In his South Carolina

The Debate Over Banning Smoking in Public Places Essay

The Debate Over Banning Smoking in Public Places In my opinion I think smoking should banned from public places. My reasons for this are; People who smoke should be considerate of that fact that not only are they damaging their own existing health but also they are harming the others around them who are only breathing in the tobacco smoke. During the past ten years of tests, experiments etc. on the effect of smoking both directly and passive, there is now enough scientific evidence to prove that exposure to second-hand smoke both harms health, and worsens existing health problems and at least one thousand people are estimated to die each year in the UK as the result of exposure to other†¦show more content†¦Out of the 4,000 chemicals there are in the smoke these three have a very large affect on the body. The tar is what coats the lining of the lungs making them less able to take in oxygen; it also contains carcinogens, which is the fundamental cause of cancer. The Carbon Monoxide is a poisoness gas that joins up with the red blood cells making them incapable of transporting oxygen around the body. And lastly the Nicotine is the addictive drug which raises the heart beat, narrows the arteries causing high blood pressure, which in most cases leads to heart disease. Already these three chemicals have a vast a ffect on the health of any person. So if people do smoke and have to then why should those that dont smoke have to be affected as well by these toxic chemicals? Smokers arent always aware of what damage they are doing both to themselves and the others around them. Is it fair to bring up children around in a smoking environment? Well in some cases this is inevitable. Parents who smoke may be strongly addicted and may have tried giving up already, might not be able to help bringing their children up in a smoke filled environment, however it is extremely unfair that a young person who is healthy and very able at sport for example should be affected by having to breathe in their parents cigarette smoke, and risk theShow MoreRelatedShould Smoking Be Public Places?912 Words   |  4 PagesThe Debate about Smoking in Public Places Smoking cigarettes has been around for over two thousand years and is a debatable issue in the United States. The issue with public smoking is the controversy between banning it and not banning it. Many non-smokers view it as a harmful bad habit, while users view it as a choice that they are free to make. 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CS Southwest Free Essays

How has the original strategy been altered in recent years? How, if at all, have these changes affected Southwest’s key success factors? Southwest added longer routes to its flights and its fun employees outweighed other service factors. Aside from more flights to more distant locations, there were many opportunities to add shorter flights to schedules connecting existing stations in the network. Expanding to Baltimore was a cautious move that proved fruitful. We will write a custom essay sample on CS Southwest or any similar topic only for you Order Now The airline did not lose its â€Å"LUVS’ culture by operating there. Thus, the Southwest culture as brought to the East Coast. They later expanded northeastward successfully. Other than the afore-mentioned changes, Southwest also agreed to code share with another airline, changed the boarding process and introduced new fares, products, services and policies. All of these changes helped propel the airline even higher than its competitors. 3 What kinds of things over which Southwest’s leadership has some control could go wrong? What should be done to make sure they don’t happen? Decisions to institute service in an airport leading could go wrong. Since there as a risk of traffic delays at Philadelphia, Southwest’s leadership should have made better evaluations. Ample careful planning and consultation should have been made prior to major decisions such as this. 4 Based on your response to question 3, what further changes, if any, need to be made by Southwest’s leadership in the face of competitive moves and general economic conditions? How to cite CS Southwest, Papers

Impact of Globalization and Sustainability on Understanding of Strateg

Question: Write about theImpact of Globalization and Sustainability on Understanding of Strategy. Answer: Business strategy is a term which depicts the unique ideas and steps which the business plans for being the best in the industry. The strategy can also be known as a pattern of decisions taken by the business. Business strategies are made so that the business can make maximum profits and significant position in the industry (Agrawal, 2016). Business strategy has three main elements which impact its effectiveness. These elements are Globalisation, Innovation and Sustainability. These elements have evolved in recent decades. These are newer terminologies which are not even considered by many of the business firms but these elements play a huge role in the success or failure of business strategies. It is seen that most of the business firms were only concentrated on fulfilling the needs and demands of the local markets and the competitors. They had no idea of going global and serving the international markets earlier. Exports were done by some of the businesses only when there was a demand for particular product in some other country (Muciimi Ngumo, 2014). Exports were also popular in few countries like the Unites States and many other countries were not also aware of the term and concept. But after the year 1990, the whole scenario changed and Globalisation came into the whole picture. It is believed that the Internet has acted as a catalyst for the growth of Globalisation. In the present, the growth of business without globalisation keeping in mind is not possible. The rise in technology and innovation has aided globalisation and even the smallest companies are not able to manage their businesses now without the concept of globalisation (Pisano, 2015). Innovation is another element which refers to the birth of something new. It can be new products and services, new business processes, new business models and new changes in the existing products and services. Innovation is necessary to fulfil the ever changing demands and needs of the customers. It is necessary so that the companies can meet the competition in the industry. Every company has to focus on innovation so that it could foster sustainability in the organisation (Hajar, 2015). Sustainability can be defined as maintenance of resources or growth at a certain level without compromising with anything else. In the case of business, sustainability has to be maintained by managing an optimum level of profits or losses or by managing its social responsibility and environmental responsibility. Social and environmental responsibility is the elements which can provide success to the business in the long term (Kohl, 2013). When the business is socially responsible, it means that it is able to keep its employees more engaged with the job and they work in collaboration. It also means that empowered and engaged employees are able to make the firm more innovative and its image will improve in the market. The customers of these firms are also highly engaged. An environmentally responsible firm takes care that no activity of the business is providing harm to the environment (Nyakoa, 2013). How Globalisation, Innovation and Sustainability Affects Business Strategies The business is affected by globalisation which means the exchange of ideas, products, labour, culture, etc. between the countries. The strategies of the business are affected by globalisation because the businesses get more exposure, cheap labour and capability to become more competitive (Ahlstrom, 2010). The structure of management needs to be changed. It has to train its staff for wider business goals. The technological innovation has to be updated and the business has to invest more in technology. This ensures that the business will get an advantage over its competitors. Globalisation has enabled businesses to expand their operations worldwide which provided more value to the business (Wheelen Hunger, 2012). The businesses are now able to procure cheaper labour and material which helps in the reduction of overall costs. For e.g. the companies in the USA hire cheap labour from China where labour is in abundant. This helps in reducing the manufacturing costs and the companies can invest this amount in the development of technology rather than wasting it. This also helped economies to grow significantly. The companies use innovation to increase their competitiveness and to sustain themselves in the markets. Innovation is a strategic process and innovation is always adopted to meet the objectives of the business. Innovation is an integral part of the business strategies because without innovation it is not possible to form strategies for business in the future. Innovations help the companies in delivering what the customers desire from them. In the present business environment, innovation can only encourage and support the business and its growth (Ahlstrom, 2010). Sustainability helps in understanding what should be the main objective of designing strategies of the business. It is seen that the companies ignore the sustainability practices and they do not consider long-term commitments towards society and planet. But the term sustainability used for building future strategies of business help it in maintaining its commitments and in maintaining corporate ethics, citizenship, governance and care of society and planet. It increases the credibility and trust of the public for the brand and also generates empowerment within the employees (Wheelen Hunger, 2012). Globalisation, Innovation and sustainability assist the business in seeking opportunities and in addressing the social and environmental issues. It also helps in the reduction in costs which lead to better strategy development for the business. The successful strategies will result in more productivity and profits for the business. It is like a key partnership between these elements and the business strategy which makes an organisation insightful and forward thinking. It helps the business in becoming the leader and capturing the most of the market (Nyakoa, 2013). Every business needs innovation to move ahead in the market. In the world of globalisation, it is a challenge for the business to convert its ideas and knowledge into the improved products and services. Without innovation and a concept of sustainability in the business, there would be no chances of improvement in the business strategies which would lead to the death of business in the market. That is why, globalisation, inn ovation and sustainability and all interconnected and affect the understanding of business strategies. References Agrawal, H O (2016). An Approach to Business Strategy.Handbook of Research on Promotional Strategies and Consumer Influence in the Service Sector, 154-182. Ahlstrom, D (2010). Innovation and Growth: How Business Contributes to Society. Academy of Management Perspectives. Hajar, I (2015). The Effect of Business Strategy on Innovation and Firm Performance in the Small Industrial Sector. The International Journal of Engineering And Science. Volume 4. Issue 2. Kohl, K (2013). How Sustainability Strategy Impacts Your Corporate Brand and Ranking as an Employer of Choice. Sustainable brands. Muciimi, E N Ngumo, E M (2014). Implications of Globalization for International Business Strategy: A Multi-Sectoral Approach. International Journal of Science and Research. Volume 3 Issue 4. Nyakoa, O M (2013). The effect of Globalisation on Strategic management at Ernst Young. School of Business, University of Nairobi. Pisano, G P (2015). You need an Innovation Strategy. Harvard Business Review. Wheelen, T L Hunger, J D (2012). Strategic Management and Business Policy Toward Global sustainability. 13th ed. Pearson.

While Reading Cyrano De Bergerac, I Found Myself Often Wondering Wheth

While reading Cyrano de Bergerac, I found myself often wondering whether or not Cyrano had led a happy life. Actually, I never once wondered that, but that is irrelevant, because Cyranos happiness is the focus of this essay. Was he happy? Truth be told, I cannot say for sure. If we look upon his life, it would seem that he was a bit of a martyr, always sacrificing his happiness for the sake of others. This is probably the case, but I do not believe that he led his life with his happiness as any sort of goal. That will be a defining case in my argument. What I really believe is that he simply did not care about his happiness. In that sense, he did not so much sacrifice it, as he annexed and divided it when he saw fit. To a further extent, this apathy towards himself probably came from a low self-worth, almost certainly spawned not from his elephantine nose, but the fair maiden Roxanne. Finally, the nose itself, the very icon of de Bergerac, was probably not the problem that Cyrano bel ieved it to be. All of this, however obscure it may seem, is crucial to the question posed of me now. Cyranos happiness was not viewed by him with either a favor or a goal. I cannot believe that Cyrano cared about his own happiness whatsoever. Really, that apathy would probably be the only way that he could emotionally accept his dangerously selfless undertakings. Case in point, his giving of Roxanne to the incredibly undeserving Christian. No real happiness in that action. Roxanne and Christians, maybe, but certainly not his own, and he loved Roxanne. Had Cyrano actually wanted to be happy, the pangs of grief that he would feel as he gave her away would certainly have ripped him apart. But if Cyrano convinced himself that he did not care about his own happiness, then it would at least take the edge off of those bitter emotions that surely plagued his soul whenever he saw his loves face. This triggered diffidence, with all the sacrifice that Cyrano made, may have been the only defense mechanism that he had. Continuing on from Cyranos carelessness for his happiness, we may easily make a jump to his sense of self-worth. Any man who would sacrifice his own love, thus, his entire world, for the sake of his rival cannot have a concern for himself. Cyrano cared for his own fate much like he cared for his enjoyment. That is to say, not at all. He did not feel that he deserved such things as the love of a beautiful woman, or the approval of his peers. Those things were not for him, so he believed. But, with his ideas of reward, I really must wonder. Suppose the one he loved was not so fair, not so charming, and not so damned selective about her partners appearance? Could not Roxanne herself be at some fault for Cyranos incredibly low sense of self worth? Cyrano believed that Roxanne would find him repulsive, what with his nose, should he try to court her. He was right, you know. Do you really think that Roxanne would have accepted Cyranos poetry as valid, much less been able to read it without being influenced by his appearance? Thats doubtful, considering he had to filter his verse through dull-witted Christian before Roxanne would accept such things. Had the object of his affection been a tick less picky about appearance, Cyrano might have not felt so badly about his own appearance. As it is, he was never given that chance. The nose. No matter what chain of reasoning you follow from Cyrano, it always leads back to his nose. That prominent barricade of flesh and cartilage, always in his path. Was it really? Cyranos nose truly did prevent him from attaining a relationship with Roxanne, but, from this, he applied rejection to most everything else. The nose, quite possibly, was only a real barrier because Cyrano made it so. The only ones who thought less of Cyrano for his nose were arrogant fools, much like Roxanne, whom were quickly and efficiently dispatched. But, Cyrano still let his shrunken ego