British Petroleum: Transformational Leadership in a Transnational Organisation

|11 pages |12-07-2010 | | Not evaluated |
Price : €3.60

Presentation

This management assignment looks at British Petroleum as a case study and analyses the different approaches and personalties of successive CEOs, Robert Horton and David Simon.

Extract

Simon’s leadership style:
Simon had a very different personality if we compare him to the previous CEO, Horton. Simon had a different family background who probably did not push him so much to be the best anyway. He liked school because of sports and integrated a real sportive state of mind, with team spirit, and listening. When one of his teachers told him that he should apply for BP, Simon listened to him and applied for a work at BP which enabled him to continue playing rugby. Simon started then his career at BP’s Marketing department as innovative and good communicator worker, and staid at BP’s British headquarters, (whereas Horton worked in the USA). In 1992, Simon became the new CEO.

Simon is an action man and decided to refocus BP on its core activities. Then, he launched 1-2-5 Project. As a leader, he decided to launch this strategy which should save his business and enabled him to obtain recognition from his employees, and thus it would be easier for them to trust him and to believe on his strategies. The fact to set up a new strategy is one of the similarities between Horton and Simon. This tactic aimed to show that they were able to have a new vision (which should be better or at least different from the previous one) and motivated a change within the organization, modern. But the main difference is that Simon was a coach since his birth. And quickly, Simon’s leadership style was appreciated because he understood how to give the sense of responsibility to his employees that they were creating value, through personal contact with workers and relations based on “performance, reputation and teamwork”.

Horton was proud and pretentious, and focused on himself. Simon, on the opposite, was a good communicator, flexible, inspired trust and had a real sense of diplomacy.
Horton was individualistic, whereas Simon was focused on people and teamwork. The executives and the workers appreciated this leadership style which totally differed from Horton’s style.

Indeed, an executive said: “It has been a big change in terms of the style and role of the leader. Simon’s style is to encourage people to fill the space that he leaves around him. He has a very sophisticated and quite unique talent for guiding people without their really knowing he is doing it”. To my mind, this sentence illustrated the existing differences between Horton and Simon’ leadership styles.
Simon said: “Bad managers are managers who don’t listen”. This quote confirmed Simon’s philosophy which was based on the teamwork and efficiency.
Simon had the ability to supervise, direct and guide individuals and groups in the completion of tasks and fulfilment of goals. Horton was also a good manager but not flexible enough to change his leadership from the USA to the UK. I would say that Horton and Simon’s key motivators and values influenced their career priorities so that their strongest skills were different and thus their way to lead(...)

British Petroleum: Transformational Leadership in a Transnational Organisation British Petroleum: Transformational Leadership in a Transnational Organisation
Price : €3.60

Table of Contents

1. What was BP's overall strategy with respect to organisational processes since Horton's appointment as CEO and through Simon's term? Did this strategy focus on people management and, if yes, in what ways? Was it successful or unsuccessful? How?

2. Describe first Horton's and then Simon's leadership styles. Identify the differences, if any, between them. How do you perceive these two leaders and, in view of class readings and discussions, how appropriate or inappropriate in your opinion their actions might have been?

3. Do you believe Horton's and Simon's leadership styles to be determined by personality or do you see them as acquired or both? Bearing in mind class discussions and readings, justify your answer.

4. What similarities and/or differences can you detect between the leadership styles of Emma, Jobs, Horton and Simon? When analysing your personal leadership style, who would you more easily identify with and why?

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