Lindsay Snowden

OGL 200 Paper 6

For the following questions, be sure to connect to the reading material in your book. This is a writing
assignment, so answers should be written in complete and coherent sentences and paragraphs. Answers
in the A range will refer to the text and fully explain how the concepts learned in the text apply to the
question.

Part A: Short essay questions

1. Use the chart of defensive and proactive strategies for creating an ethical environment in box
11.3 (page 347) to evaluate your organization. Does your organization have a positive moral
climate? Why or why not?

The organization I chose creates a positive moral climate by first having a code of ethics called

“Business Ethics and Compliance: Standards of Business Ethics”. In this document they lay the

groundwork for ethics in the workplace, as a business, and in the community. They use both defensive

and proactive tactics in terms of moral standards. In terms of proactive tactics, each employee is

encouraged to “model moral behavior” (Hackman, 2013, p. 347) by being honest, holding themselves

accountable and engaging in other moral behaviors. I’ve also noticed with this organization that character

and values are important in the hiring process (Hackman, 2013, p. 347). This organization aims to

provide an environment that is welcoming and inclusive to all, so holding moral values is an important

characteristic of an employee. Some of the defensive tactics used here include “confronting offenders at

the first sign of trouble”, addressing the root cause of destructive behaviors, and having reporting

systems in place for ethical violations (Hackman, 2013, p. 347). These tactics help create a positive moral

climate by establishing clear guidelines for ethical behavior and encouraging employees to engage and

model moral, ethical behavior.

2. Discuss the steps a leader should take during a crisis event. Use an example event to explain the
steps (either make one up or use one of the case studies from the book).

The steps outlined in our book that a leader should take during a crisis are:
1.) Initiate action and coordinate activities: in this stage the leader recognizes the crisis has occurred

and devise a plan to deal with the crisis (Hackman, 2013, p. 422).

2.) Act as a spokesperson: During a crisis it’s important for an individual to step up and speak for the

organization so that information reaching the employees, members, and the public is consistent,

forthright, and to avoid miscommunication and conflicting information (Hackman, 2013, p. 424).

They become the “face and voice” of the organization during a crisis, appearing before their own

people and the media (Hackman, 2013, p. 435).

3.) Engage in vigilant decision making: Because crisis events are stressful and demanding, the

importance of making unbiased and clear decisions is amplified (Hackman, 2013, p. 426).

Vigilance in decision making is important in avoiding “crisis thinking pathologies”, avoiding

groupthink and “escalating commitment” (Hackman, 2013, 425).

4.) Connect with vision and values: During a crisis it’s important for the leader to remind the group of

it’s core values (Hackman, 2013, p. 426). This helps to ensure that operations standards, decisions,

statements and actions are made according to the organization’s values, morals and ethics even

under stress (Hackman, 2013, p. 426).

In the Miracle on the Hudson case study, Captain Sully took the first step, initiating action

and coordinating events, shortly after hitting the flock of geese: “he decided to put the plane down

in the Hudson River” (Hackman, 2013, p. 423). His flight attendants stepped up and helped brace

the passengers for impact, also engaging in the first step during a crisis. The case study doesn’t

mention there being a spokesperson, the second step in dealing with a crisis, but I imagine Captain

Sully eventually acted as a spokesperson reporting on the event and how he managed to avoid

tragedy. Although Captain Sully did act as a spokesperson by remaining calm and announcing to

his passenger “We are gunna be in the Hudson” (Hackman, 2013, p. 423). The third step, vigilant

decision making, occurred during the entire event. The captain and his co-pilot made quick and

vigilant decisions in the moment of the safest way to land the plane. The passengers also made

vigilant decisions, “making a human chain to in order to reach a lifeboat that was upside down”,
 “carrying children and passing them to parents”, and “[tossing] fellow passengers into rafts”

(Hackman, 2013, p. 424). Captain Sully exemplified the fourth step, upholding core values, by

landing the plane to the best of his ability in a way that prevented injury, and checking that the

plane was completely empty before exiting himself.

Part B: Leadership Activity Journal: Reflecting on your leadership skills

1. Take the Perceived Leader Integrity Scale Assessment on page 353 of your book.
a. Report on your scores
I scored a 33 on the PLIS scale.
I also scored it for my most immediate supervisor, my manager, and she scored a 38.

b. Reflect on what these scores reveal about your leadership behaviors and their

effectiveness

I like to think that as a leader I act with integrity all of the time. As I’ve aged, grown,

and gained work experience I’ve learned what it means to lead with integrity. I’ve learned

to hold myself accountable, which helps to avoid throwing my co-workers under the bus or

using them to advance my own career or get myself out of trouble. Besides learning

through experience, I don’t believe in treating people that way, anyway. While Hackman

mentions that “virtues are more ‘caught than taught’” (2013, p. 352), I have to disagree. He

bases this on the fact that behaviors such as honesty, generosity and being just are learned

through observing exemplary leaders (2013, p. 352). I believe I’ve learned these traits from

negative experiences and have responded by developing traits opposite of the negative

ones. Perhaps one impact on these traits was attending a church most of my early life.

Being a part of the church did teach me skills of integrity such as honesty, moderation,

compassion, love and strength, which Hackman mentions Aristotle notes as virtuous traits

in an exemplary leader (2013, 352).

c. Describe how you can build on your strengths and address any weaknesses.

One weakness I am striving to currently better is hypocrisy. I have to be especially

conscious of how I direct others and make sure my own actions match my own words. When I was
 a barista trainer I would train the new baristas on the importance of shaking our teas. During

other shifts I would not follow that standard and would prepare the tea in the cup without shaking

it. This is one small example of hypocrisy that I caught myself engaging in. Especially since I’m a

leader in our store now, it’s imperative that I lead by example and follow all of the Starbucks

standards.

In terms of my strengths, I plan on continuing to treat others with respect and hold myself

accountable for my own faults and failures. I enjoyed reading Aristotle’s list of virtues for an

exemplary leader which include “courage, moderation, justice, generosity, a mild temper,

truthfulness, and proper judgement” and “love, empathy, compassion, and strength” (Hackman,

2013, 352). Being aware that these are virtues of a good leader, I plan to remain conscious of them

and practice them more avidly.

Part C: The Case of the Missing Cutlery

Read The Case of the Missing Cutlery and answer the following questions:
1. Explain how this case illustrates Kevin Allen’s concept of buoyancy.

Kevin Allen explains buoyancy as “floating, because the people you’ve inspired believe you should”

(2014, p. 17). In the first part of the book, the case in which the cutlery is missing, Mr. Allen is able to

establish a connection with his employees when he assures them that they will figure the problem out

together. He continues to build their trust and support as he gathers with them in the cafeteria to

brainstorm on several occasions and remains kind and patient through the process of trying different

methods to repair the silverware. He makes the issue about “us” and not just about him or them; he is on

their team. He also converted Daisy, a vocal resistor, into a catalyst by taking the time to address her

negative (and influential) attitude. When there was a setback, he continued to inspire confidence in his

team to press forward, and remained diligent. Because of his inclusive, confident and caring mentality,

Mr. Allen was able to “reach them” through authenticity and show them that he truly understood them,

an important part of becoming buoyant (Allen, 2014, p. 22). Mr. Allen was able to connect with his

employees by initially realizing their hidden agenda: they wanted to “go home proud of what they had
accomplished” (Allen, 2014, p. 8), and in this particular case, defeat the villain (Allen, 2014, p. 12).

Throughout this process, Mr. Allen was able to connect leveragable assets to his team's hidden agenda;

their wants, needs and values, to the real ambition, the credo and the core (Allen, 2014, p. 24). Overall, his

belief in his team, his personal connection to them, and his compassion led to him becoming a buoyant

leader.

2. Reflect on the case presented in part 1. Was there anything you found particularly
interesting or useful? Anything that surprised you?

What I found interesting about the first part of the book was that Mr. Allen’s response to the

situation made the entire difference in whether or not he became a buoyant leader. There was a small

moment between finding the missing cutlery and addressing his subordinates in which he made an

important decision: the problem was not his or theirs, it was everyone’s (Allen, 2014, p. 7). The second

most important decision he made was to “don his blues” (Allen, 2014, p. 7) and see what a night was like

in the kitchen. I appreciated how Kevin Allen, an assistant manager of Marriott’s in-flight services, was

not beneath experiencing a day in the kitchen. He really became a part of the team by not being afraid to

meet them on their own level; to become one of their own.

One thing that surprised me what that Mr. Allen confronting Daisy actually had an impact on her.

Mr. Allen addressing Daisy and telling her, “people will listen to you, Daisy, for good or for bad. It’s really

for you to decide” (Allen, 2014, p. 11) really helped change her perspective on the situation, and really

was the distinguishing difference in the success of solving the mystery of the stains on the cutlery. It

caused me to reflect on how one simple conversation can make the biggest difference. I can only hope to

have success, and muster positive responses from resisters like his in my own future.

3. How could you use the leadership concepts discussed in part 2 of the book in your job
today? Relate these concepts to the other course materials and to your own experiences.

Everything about part 2 in this book can be related back to my current job. My current job, and my

position, was all I thought about while reading this book. At the company I work for, as I’m sure there is

with most corporate companies, there is a push to meet and break sales goals. Outside of the sales goals,
there is also the goal of creating a welcoming, warm environment for customers as well as to create a

connection with each person individually. While the social aspect of the job seems to come more easily to

my co-workers, the balance of meeting sales and customer service goals at the same time has been a

struggle. My focus lately has been to uncover the secret to motivating all of the employees to equally meet

both standards. Becoming a buoyant leader, I believe, is the key to the success of this.

My first goal in understanding my co-workers and what motivates them has been to get to the

roots of their reason for being at our company. Mr. Allen mentions that “buoyancy is a process of

understanding the collective desire of your people, and connecting that desire with your ambitions...”

(2014, p. 22). I want to use this concept to first identify the desires of team individually, and then

examine those desires to draw out the collective ambition of the team. One comment made by Kevin Allen

that stuck out to me in terms of connecting employees with the real ambition was the comment that

“numbers, facts, or figures do not motivate people. Rather, people are enchanted when they have the

chance to create something extraordinary and when the can see clearly the opportunity to participate”

(2014, p. 29-30). While I personally am motivated by numbers, this statement caused me to realize that

not everyone will be. Mr. Allen states a real ambition as “a picture of an exciting future” (2014, p. 30). I

hope to be able to share a picture of an exciting future with my coworkers in the hopes that it mobilizes

them to become a part of it.

Another tool that I plan to utilize at my workplace is recognizing catalysts and converting resisters

(Allen, 2014, p. 40). Our company has rolled out a new initiative in order to improve the customer service

experience. Already I have seen some people take action in implementing the program into their daily

work. On the other hand, before the meeting even occurred I heard “vocal objectors” (Allen, 2014, p. 41)

make negative comments about it, which in turn caused others to speak negatively about it. In terms of

the catalysts, I intend to continue to support them in hopes that they will inspire others on our team.

Aside from celebrating the catalysts, Allen suggest “neutralizing the resistors” by rallying the catalysts

and taking action against the resistors (2014, p. 42). Already I take action to speak up against the

resistors by pointing out the positive components of new initiatives in an attempt to combat negative
objectors. I plan to continue using this method to help set the tone for our work environment, and to

empower and build a cohesive team.

The final piece of Kevin Allen's book that will stay with me and inspire in my journey to become a

buoyant leader was his encouragement in the epilogue: “Do not take no for an answer...no matter what

stands in front of you, leap over it, go around it, or, well, just knock it over. Success belongs to the

persistent” (2014, p. 59).

References:

Allen, K. (2014). The case of the missing cutlery: a leadership course for the rising star.
Brookline, MA: Bibliomotion.

Hackman, M. Z., & Johnson, C. E. (2013). Leadership: a communication perspective. Long

Grove, Ill: Waveland Press.