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Michael HornsbyDr. WongCOM 43020 January 2017Leadership Interview GuideBackground I chose to interview the Chief Financial Officer for my organization. The interview was conducted in his office and lasted 35 minutes. Section (1) IntroductionQuestion 1.1 How many organizations do you currently hold a leadership position?BC:Currently, I have leadership in our scout organization. I’m on the board of one of my children’s school, I’m on the board of the local March of Dimes and here at Royce. MH: How does one gain access to a Board?BC:I started by being active in volunteering and fundraising; and once your participating and engaged, you move into leadership roles and that drives you toward membership in other boards. Question 1.2 Who were the leaders that influenced you the most?BC:In my working career, one of the people who influenced me largely was the former CEO of Hanesbrands, Rich Knoll. I believe it’s because 1) he was relatively young. He was about six years older than me. After I came out of grad school he was the CEO of the first company I worked for as an accounting manager. It was impressive how he thought about things and how he shared what he thought about strength and strategy, structure and how you look at people working for you. One thing I remember he would always say is “hire people who are smarter than you. It will make your life much easier.” There’s some truth to that. If people working for you, are smarter than you - then that can only make you and your organization that much better. Question 1.3 What principles are you committed to?BC:Faith…integrity...honesty. Those things become key points in leading and sharing with others. I hope to impart to others to help them grow. Growth for people is a key factor for me.Section (2) Element of leader development #1: Leading the organizationQuestion 2.1 If you wanted to create an environment where creativity and innovation can thrive, what’s the first thing you would do?BC: You have to establish communication and you have to establish openness. An example would be our organization – Royce - is creative in what we do as it relates to sock design. The ability for anyone at whatever level who has commentary or comments or something to bring to the table can only help you in that type of environment. What keeps organizations from thriving is when you try to controlling everything and you don’t allow for creatives ideas. It doesn’t mean there isn’t structure around that – or comments and feedback -but it’s at least open to be heard. Question 2.2 What factors do you consider most often when planning the objectives of the organization?BC:Some of the things we think about in terms of plans when planning is – “does it make sense?”, “Is it aligned with your objectives?”, “Is it aligned with your strategy?”. Those are key things to line up and then you look at your resources to see how they support those things. If I’m planning that out…I’m thinking “What’s my goal?”, “What’s my strategy?”, “Who do I need to bring onboard?”, “Who needs to be involved?”, “How are we going to attack it?”, and then putting together a team in most cases - unless it’s an individual effort - and then begin to tackle that. Question 2.3 What are the organizational goals you are trying to accomplish this quarter?BC:In terms of organizational goals - for me - it’s the beginning of the quarter so it’s really trying to establish where my group will be focused for the next few months. One of our goals is more efficient reporting and clearer analysis and eliminating information to others. We want to move as an organization from data gathering to analysis and reporting, and sometimes that can be hard depending on the support you’re getting from your infrastructure. MH: My assessment of your team structure is that it’s a simple hierarchy. You pass instructions to the comptroller who then manages the tactical day-to-day of the staff. Is this correct?BC:No. we have sort of a unique structure in that - while we do have the hierarchical structure of a typical finance department where I do work directly with the comptroller and spend most of my time with him - I do work directly with owners. In some cases - while the comptroller manages the whole process and the group – some people within the organization are experts and if I need to, I will go directly to the expert. Now in some cases, I will also include the comptroller in the discussion so that they both know the information leading to less confusion regarding requirements. Question 2.4 What’s the best way to keep your eye on shifting market trends?BC:Today it’s much easier than before where you had to read newspapers to find any relevant news. But now with technology, I get email subscriptions from the Wall Street Journal, or Seeking Alpha – where you can select industry info and competitor info to follow. Another thing we have available are groups like on LinkedIn for manufacturing and sometimes I get things from there. There’s a lot more information out there so the challenge becomes managing all that’s coming at you. Section (3)?Element of leader development #2:?Establishing developmental relationships Question 3.1 How would you describe your personal leadership style?BC: Earlier in my career, I tended to be more of a micro-manage -giving direction. Now I give direction but I let them manage their approach or concept and bring it back and interact with them. **A call interrupted the interview and I forgot to circle back for a complete answer**Question 3.2 Did you and / or do you have a protégé you are currently mentoring?BC:I would say Rich Knoll was a mentor to me a little. I remember him kinda understanding and following my career and also intervening at points at time to see what was going on and often sharing his bits of information that I understood and moved forward with. MH:Does his leadership style influence your leadership style?BC:Yes. People evolve. Leaders evolve. I remember earlier in his career when he was younger and focused - he was hardcore but as he got older he became more inclusive by bringing everyone to the table. MH:Are you mentoring anyone one now?BC:Yes. I do mentor people. I’m open to trying to help others whenever possible because I think that's how they grow. I think it helps me to grow. You have to come to it with a different approach for different people. As an example we have someone now who is challenged taking direct, focused, pointed comments but they really need it in order to grow. So how do you help them understand that those comments aren't an attack but attempt to help and support? It's about helping people see what's going on in their unique situation. Question 3.3 What are some key books you feel I should read, and why?BC:This is an old book - but I thought it was actually pretty good - “Who moved my cheese?” It's basically about figuring out where you are; are you on of these people who just sits and watches life happen, or are you one of these people so far out ahead that your always running so you don't get it all together before you move. It’s kind of an interesting way to figure out where you going, how you manage, and how you come to things. Another one is “Good to Great: Why some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t” which talks about management and leadership in transitioning from good to great companies. In addition there are some articles I can recommend. You placed some article out there on SharePoint from Harvard Business Review I like as well. Section (4)?Element of leader development #3:?Listening responsivelyQuestion 4.1 How do you show others that you believe in them?BC:Listen to them. If they have something that you believe in - you validate it, you support it. If you think they are on the wrong page, you give them honest feedback about it. Managing or mentoring someone this way I think they’ll appreciate the honesty and not fear feedback.Question 4.2 How do you keep your feelings from affecting your decision-making?BC:In some environments that can be hard to do. A lot of times, if you are passionate about it, you then have to manage the passion so that you don't peak and valley. Some people do peak and valley and that can be very hard on their groups because they don't know whether they are getting the peak or the valley so they don't know how to react because they're not sure what kind of reaction they're going to get from you. So if you can be even keel - even though you’re peaking and valleying in your head - if you can keep your presentation of it, it helps the people that you manage, and you’re going to get better information back from them, you're going to get what you need and ultimately your going to make a better decision. As opposed to lot of times - when you’re peaking and valleying – people may be avoiding you or you may be avoiding conflict which then keeps you from forming a better decision. Question 4.3 What advice can you provide on the value of emotional intelligence?MH: A lot of what you described sounds like emotional intelligence, which is my next question.BC: If you understand who you are working with - and how they react, and how they come to the table – you have to know how to present to them. For example – if have someone who gets easily upset over information that’s not pleasing to them, then I know I need to prepare them. I need to give them upfront information because they are more than likely able to hear and understand it. So it’s about who you are managing…or who you are working with…or you might work for come to the table in terms of how they are thinking…or how they are behaving…or how they react to things so then you know how to either do: pre-work to present it appropriately, or understand that there may be a reaction, and how you react to it. Section (5) Wrap-upQuestion 5.1 How much of a role does your spirituality play in your organizational decision making?BC:I think my faith affects the way I treat people. I try to be available to those who need guidance. I also don’t like assigning blame. I need to hear the whole story and when people feel as if they are being blamed they are more likely not to provide the bad news, or try to conceal bad news. I want those around me to feel comfortable disclosing the “hard” truths. Question 5.2 What dreams and / or goals inspired you to succeed?BC:I went to Hampton for undergrad and I remember when I got there I knew I had an interest in business. Within the school of business the most challenging major was accounting and I felt it would open the most doors. I knew I didn’t want to be just an “accountant” and I had goals of being a CFO. So that happened to me because I worked towards that. I held many positions and then I went to grad school at Duke. I came out with several job offers, and the one I thought that would provide me with the best lifestyle was Sara Lee. **At this point he begins to mentoring me in planning what’s next for me in my educational goals**Question 5.3 Why do you do what you do?BC: I enjoy it. I will share that coming to a small company is a lot different from what I thought because I was at large companies all my life. The pros are there’s a lot going on there it would be and you can do a lot of different things but the cons are you may not be able to get as in depth as you can here. You might not touch as many thing as you would at a smaller company and it takes you a lot longer to get things done. At a larger company you can have an idea and you have to pass to through several layers before it can be enacted unlike here it can be enacted in an hour. MH:Off script - What’s next?BC: If role presented itself that was a bigger opportunity; I’d take it. The other thing is would like to do, is sit on a paid corporate board would be exciting because you can depart what you know and what you’ve learned. It’s like driving another company at the same time you are driving your own. That would be cool. Ultimately, when I retire I’ll probably work for a non-profit or something. MH:How do you decompress?BC:Family time. Right now I’m in that season of life where my kids are involved in activities. I’ll go there to basketball game and it helps to distract from work; helping me to relax for the day.MH: In the office, do you have a “restorative niche”; a place where you can get away and gather your thoughts?BC: Here I walk around the floor or the parking lot which helps me to relax.AnalysisI would assess my interviewee’s leadership style as situational, as well as transformational. He alters his leadership style and communication style to cater to the needs of followers. He utilizes supportive leadership “focusing concern for the needs and well-being of followers and facilitation of desirable climate for interaction” (Hackman & Johnson, 2013, p.82). He is also transformational as he has a high concern for people, high level of emotional intelligence, and this helps him make better decisions. He encourages open communication and allows followers to share their ideas and insights.Reference: BIBLIOGRAPHY Hackman, M., & Johnson, C. (2013). Leadership: A communication Perspective. Bookshelf Online: Waveland Press. Retrieved from The individual I would like to interview for this assignment would be the Chief Financial Officer within my organization.? While he leads a team different from mine, I turn to him when I need advice.? He is a good listener and allows me to fully express myself.? I see him as a mentor in many regards and I have an immense amount of respect for his business acumen.? Three elements of leader development that my mentor could teach me about leadership are:Leading the organization.??I need to develop my abilities to think and act strategically.? Our CFO is an agent in the strategic planning of our company.? He would be a great resource for guiding me through his process when evaluating the organization's long-range goals.?Establishing developmental relationships.? In this dynamic, my CFO is the mentor and I am in the protégé role.? This dynamic is more implied than stated.? He has sponsored me for continuing my education and has coached me during political conflicts within our organization.?Listening responsively.??Our CFO is a deacon in his church and active in his community.? One common spiritual practice of his is to listen and respond to the needs of others.? Creative solutions are one of his strengths and I hope to absorb as much as I can.? ................
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