Leadership Interview Paper Example
Leadership skills and styles directly influence whether or not a project will be successful. Three years ago, my family decided to invest in a new industry and environment. The family was going to get into Real Estate Development and our first project, a Mall, was going to be in a new city. It was a great idea because the opportunity was real, and the feasibility studies revealed that the project would be profitable. The only challenge, however, was that the project would to be in a city which was approximately 1000km away from home.
As soon as all other resources had been mobilized and gathered, I recruited and hired an onsite supervisor who would foresee the management of the project in my absence. I, however, made it clear that communication between the team was to be as often and open as possible. I also made arrangements to visit the project site every week, not only to monitor the progress but also to address any issues which arose concerning the work plan. I was sure that the transformational leadership styles which I had adopted including engaging, involving, and receiving team input on project ideas, would be a source of motivation to the workers. For this reason, the project was completed on time, and we even had three months to spare and settle in comfortably.
Multi-Cultural Team
Multi-cultural organizations are common phenomena in today’s international business operations. Outsourcing and the existence and growth of diverse populations have made it possible for medium-sized firms also to have employees from different cultures. In the last two years, I have worked for an international consulting company whose workforces come from diverse cultures. More than 90% of the employees in that corporation are highly experienced international professionals. I was, therefore, bound to encounter individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds and required to offer solutions which would not only be business-effective but also culturally appropriate to all my different clients.
Before working at the consulting agency, I had been working for our family enterprise which provided home cleaning solutions to institutions. In that family business, I had not only learnt how to negotiate deals between organizations but had also been exposed to the opportunity of learning how to read people and influence them with enthusiasm. This experience also helped me to get involved in critical projects. Therefore, when I took up the job at the consulting agency, I was also required to offer business solutions to other corporations which met their problems/challenges needs. Besides, I had to ensure that any solutions or plans-for-work suggested were culturally appropriate. Two years two months later, I have worked successfully with almost 200 firms from diverse cultures and offered solutions which worked out for their organizations.
Stress
For the past three years, I have been working work in an extremely demanding financial consulting firm. Last year, I got married, and at first, it was difficult balancing between family life and the pressures of work. With time, however, I adjusted. The increased need to be more financially stable pushed my spouse and me to establish a family enterprise which we also run together. This year, I, further, tested my limits by finally enrolling to the Master’s class I have been putting off for the last five years. The greatest challenge is balancing my school, work, business, and family life, and ensuring productivity in all areas.
At first, I felt so overwhelmed and had considered quitting my studies and asking my wife to run the business entirely on her own. After consulting with professional counsellors and career experts, I, instead, settled for meeting all my job requirements while at work and attending evening classes. As for marriage and business, my spouse and I agreed to leave all our jobs and school work outside the home. We also hired a board of directors who would protect our interests and run the company for us with minimal supervision. While it has only been seven months since we began this life-management technique, I can proudly say that, so far, I have managed to balance my work, studies, marriage, as well as the family business without much stress. I can now work effectively in an extremely demanding financial consulting firm and manage my school work, which has led to the achievement of several professional certificates. I am still a loving husband to my wife, and together we run our family business with the help of the board.
