Introduction
Travis Kalanick is a founder and CEO of Uber, which is considered one of the most successful startups in the recent times. Many have criticized his leadership style, as a lot of employees have left the company due to the internal climate. Kalanick can be described as the transactional leader because he aims to control personally many of the operations at Uber. At the same time, he possesses the characteristics of both charismatic and transformational leaders.
Does Travis Kalanick Meet the Definition of a Charismatic Leader Based on What You’ve Read?
Travis Kalanick possesses many characteristics of the charismatic leader. Firstly, his approach to managing was described as such that is rooted in a cult of personality (Somerville, 2017). Therefore the company is managed mainly relying on the CEO’s personality. Fast Company (2015) stated that Kalanick has a charm of a natural salesman. However, the climate of Uber cannot be described as positive and highly motivating. Hook (2017) reported that “Mr. Kalanick’s swagger” has become definitive for Uber. The same author points out that the company has a cult for the leader, which ultimately is destructive for it (Hook, 2017). This perception leads to an issue with Kalanick’s personality, as it becomes obvious that while he is charismatic, his traits create many issues inside the company. This problem arises because, as Hook (2017) admits, the traits of the CEO are difficult to separate from the values of the company. Recently, he has been involved in a scandal with a former employee, and some of the managers have left the company because of issues with Kalanick. Fast Company (2015) described his creation as “the most ethically challenged company in Silicon Valley.” Overall, while Uber’s CEO is not a charismatic leader, he has positive personality traits, and his character sometimes stands in the way of his image as a leader.
Does Travis Kalanick Meet the Definition of a Transformational Leader Based on What You’ve Read?
Travis Kalanick is not a transformational leader. While he does input into the company’s operations personally, it does not appear that it is done to inspire or guide the employees. As described by Hook (2017), he is someone who is known for going from team to team to help the employees deal with currents problems. However, this approach corresponds more with the transactional traits of Kalanick’s leadership style. Uber’s vision and values seem to refract Kalanick’s while for him to be an effective transformational leader, those components would have to correspond with the company’s overall climate. Overall, Travis Kalanick does not meet the definition of a transformational leader as he is more inclined to control and oversee, instead of working with the employees to identify the needed change.
Does Travis Kalanick Meet the Definition of a Transactional Leader Based on What You’ve Read?
Travis Kalanick is known for having dominant control over Uber’s operations. He meets the definition of a transactional leader, as he is known for personally monitoring many of the company’s tasks. He participates in many tasks together with teams to help them when needed (Hook, 2017). Additionally, Somerville (2017) described his relationship with the company as “near-total control.” The author states that he is making decisions on such things as office décor while deciding the pricing strategy and working on the relationships with drivers. His control over the company is in place as he is the founder of Uber, however it is not always necessary for a CEO to take actions in every task that the company has. Therefore, he is concerned with many of the operational aspects of the company and tries to put his input in everything. This approach is arguable as it is time-consuming and can lead to motivation issues for employees. Having to solve many problems that are not essential for the company takes away the time and focus from the more significant scale problems. Additionally, Post Magazine (2015) stated that he was controlling foreign operations of the company personally. While Mr. Kalanick understands the issue with this as he committed to hiring a COO, Hook (2017) believes that it would cause difficulties as sharing power is not something Uber’s CEO is known for. Overall, the presented evidence in the articles indicates that Travis Kalanick is a transactional leader as he has a full control over the company’s operations and participates in smaller issues resolution.
Overall, What Do You Believe Are the Main Benefits and Drawbacks of Travis Kalanick’s Approach to Leadership? Do You Think He Needs to Make Significant Changes in His Leadership Style?
In my opinion, the main drawback of Kalanick’s approach to leadership is his inability to create an environment that would encourage and motivate his employees. As mentioned by Newcomer and Stone (2018) the issues with the way he controlled the company led to the shift in Uber’s perception as a company. In became more evident that the company was somewhat dysfunctional. While he did create a company that revolutionized the taxi industry, the way Kalanick handled the operations did not seem to further benefit it. The issue here is with Kalanick’s traits, his desire to control every aspect of the company’s life, and his power over the operations. As mentioned before, Uber, as a company, was a reflection of his character. His leadership style leads to a bad climate in the organization. In my opinion, he needs to make significant changes to his leadership style to be useful in the future. Overall, Kalanick’s has many drawbacks and needs to be changed.
References
Fast Company. (2015). Travis Kalanick, the fall and spectacular rise of the man behind Uber. South China Morning Post.
Hook, L. (2017). Uber: The crisis inside the “cult of Travis.” Financial Times, p. 11.
Newcomer, E. & Stone, B. (2018). The fall of Travis Kalanick was a lot weirder and darker than you thought. Bloomberg Businessweek.
Somerville, H. (2017). Uber CEO’s iron grip poses challenge in COO search. Reuters.