Introduction

The performance of an organization reflects the kind of leadership applied. Studies have shown that there is no specific leadership style that is perfect; similarly, none is without fault. However, leaders should realize they are the model that the members of the team look up to, therefore, they should exercise professionalism and skills when giving guidance. The management style exercised by leaders has also been known to greatly affect the performance of tasks. This is attributed to the regulation and division of duties in a manner that will favor the team. Description of the goals and firm’s aims should be clear for a good management system where the workers will work towards the accomplishment of certain objectives. These attributes are only achievable for a leader who leads by example rather than one having expectations which he/she cannot lead people to.

Michael Eisner assumed position of Walt Disney boss for many years before his actual retirement. During his time served as the Chief executive of Disney World Company, Eisner exercised authoritarian leadership. Most of the decisions were made by himself with minimal involvement of the Board of Directors. According to Farrell, (2004) “I saw nothing on the record that the decision was preceded by a meeting of the corporation’s director… the board had to approve Ovitz’s employment agreement a month after his appointment was announced.” Michael clearly did not appreciate the spirit of consultation before making appointments and preferred to take full control. This led to a court case that continued for several years. He was less likely to delegate duties and involve relevant authorities in development of the company.

Conversely, Bill Gates exhibited proper management skills that allowed and incorporated ideas from other people. Being the entrepreneur behind the successful Microsoft Company, he was known to be relatively harsh to his group which drove them to learn the art of strongly defending their ideas. Davidson, (2006) stated that, “Burns said Bill Gates is one of a handful of those who had the capability to take his own company through the long ascension from small startup to big company.” This demonstrates his ability to delegate duties fairly to the qualified staff in order to achieve the set goals. His belief in his staff showed the kind of managerial style he practiced which contributed to the successes.

Clearly, the two leaders deal with different industries since Eisner deals in entertainment while Gates’ deals with computer technology. They have show different management styles and capabilities to delegate duties. This is evident in the ways which they quit service in their respective organizations. Bill Gates left the organization to join the foundation he and his wife had established (Storm, 2008). He entrusted the management of his firm to the people ha had adequately trained. Eisner on the other hand was forced out of his position by a decision to replace his presidency in the organization. His unwillingness to let the responsibilities be handled by other people showed his oneness in management and little trust in the board. He was less open to the idea of delegation. He was also criticized for the over twenty years he had spent in the position (Holson, and Waxman, 2003) where there were other people with similar qualifications.

Conclusion

It is clear that success of any organization is reliant to the management style used. Besides competence of the workers, a leader should be able to adequately lead his/her employees to better performance. Involvement of the workers in matters of decision making also encourages them to be part of the company. The willingness to give people with equal abilities the chance to develop them is also advisable since it expands the productivity by the new ideas. They may be better and enhance the marketing and expansion strategies of the organization.

References:

Davidson, K. (2006, September 15). Both Entrepreneurial, Managerial Styles Bring success. Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved from http://www.bizjournals.com

Farrell, R. (2004, October 21). Disney Directors on Trial for a Payout. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

Holson, L., & Waxman, S. (2003, December 8). Criticism of Disney Chief Grows Bolder. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

Storm, S. (2008, May 13). Retiring Microsoft Official to Run Gates Foundation. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com