Introduction
XYZ is a cyber-security company offering computational services to business enterprises globally. The company has its headquarters in San Francisco but operates in over 75 countries globally. The company has been experiencing exponential growth since its inception in 2005 and is known for its leadership strategy of awarding excellence.
Dan Brown is a marketing manager who has managed to raise sales by 50% since his appointment in 2019 in the Mediterranean region. In January 2023, the regional manager resigned due to health concerns, and the top management at the headquarters made an internal advertisement intending to promote the junior managers to the position of regional manager in the Mediterranean. Dan Brown, therefore, has to market his attributes and prove himself worthy of the appointment to the position.
Dan Brown’s Personality and Three Management Traits
Personality plays a critical role in leadership because it influences how a leader interacts with others, motivates others, and reacts to the team’s actions. A leader’s personality influences how he communicates with others and assists them in making informed and accurate decisions. The vetting panel provides that the appointed candidate has the exemplary leadership and management traits to operate in line with business dynamics because “a manager does things right and leaders do the right thing” (Bennis, 1985).
Dan Brown’s personality is marred with emotional intelligence and decisiveness, and he embraces collaboration to chart new development spheres. Dan Brown is forward-looking and believes in involving all stakeholders when making decisions. Three of the most valuable traits Brown possesses that make him fit for the role are communication, effective decision-making, and his ability to motivate and inspire others.
Importance of the Traits in the Management Position
The three traits possessed by Dan form a formidable force in making XYZ thrive in the Mediterranean and beyond. Practical communication skills are essential to understand the customers’ needs and customize the products to meet the customer’s needs. Leadership positions require influential decision-makers because timely decision-making is critical to success (Khedhaouria & Cucchi, 2019). The competitive nature of the computing domain requires a leader who can analyze the situation and make timely decisions to leverage profits and make organizations thrive. Finally, as a leader, inspiring and making people productive is essential.
A combination of the three primary skills is essential for the managerial position because it aligns customer needs with the organizational goals, facilitates timely decision-making, and ensures that the workers are always motivated and have the morale to work. The combination of the traits is essential in developing “the effective manager who balances the need for activity and achieving objectives with the need to create an effective team and the need to build the confidence and competence of each person in the team” (Cook, 2009). Brown’s personality and traits are vital in running a holistic organization that facilitates teamwork through motivation and reaches out to customers through effective communication.
Development of the Management Traits
Mr. Brown developed management skills through his experiences at the university and the roles he played before becoming XYZ’s marketing manager. He served as chairperson of the young entrepreneurs in high school in Michigan. Besides academic excellence, Brown was awarded the best student leader. After high school in Michigan, he pursued a business administration degree at Michigan State University. The rigorous academic program helped Brown develop critical thinking, problem-solving, research, and presentation skills. He showed exceptional skills in management when he founded Michigan’s Generation Z entrepreneurs and offered services in sanitation services.
After school, Dan Brown strengthened his sanitation services until 2016, when it was liquidated to pursue career fulfillment. As a junior salesperson, he joined XYZ in November of the same year. While serving in the marketing domain, he was recognized as the most performing employee, a recognition he attained after increasing sales by 50% in one year. The school experience, recognition, and previous jobs in the company prove that he is better placed to be the next regional manager for the company.
Relating the Attributes to Personal Life
Dan Brown’s story inspires me to improve my traits and make them stand out for excellence. I possess the traits that the character has: communication and inspiration. The character’s success story proves that continuous development of the traits is essential to achieving greatness in the career domain. Understanding the limitations of the traits is the prerequisite for achieving management success.
Disadvantages of the Traits
The three traits are essential in achieving both professional and personal goals. However, they have imminent disadvantages that should be considered so that they can be leveraged effectively. The disadvantage of communication is overcommunication, while the disadvantage of the ability to motivate is the overdependence of the team, which may lead to inconsistency. Overconfidence can mar decision-making skills, leading to poor decisions, which may be costly for organizations.
Objectives to Develop Leadership Traits
The three key leadership traits possessed can be increased through the following objectives:
- I will enroll in a short communication course by the end of 2023 to learn the essentials of business communication for success.
- By the end of July 2023, I should have completed a short course on decision-making skills to help me consider different situations when making a decision.
- To develop a team and inspire it to succeed by accomplishing at least 75% of its development goals through continuous feedback and adjustments by the end of 2024.
Utilization of the Traits in Personal Life
It is imperative to note that the traits have been used to achieve life goals at personal levels by enhancing relationships through conflict resolution. Communicating effectively has enabled me to express my grievances and listen actively to the other side of the study, helping me overcome the challenges (Khedhaouria & Cucchi, 2019). Motivating others helps influence friends to achieve their goals, strengthening their bonds in life.
Marketing the Traits in a Resume
A person’s traits must be expressed in the form of a CV to help employers get a glimpse of the candidate’s profile in terms of strengths. The three key characteristics may be marketed using the bullet points as shown below:
- Communication Trait
- I possess effective written and verbal communication.
- I am proficient in delivering compelling presentations to all forms of audiences.
- I am an active listener and can understand the customers’ needs through it.
- Decision-Making Trait
- I have a track record of making accurate and timely decisions.
- I possess an analytical mindset that helps me analyze the situation and make a quick but informed decision.
- Ability to Motivate and Inspire Others
- I have a track record of providing guidance and ensuring that teams achieve their goals amidst challenges.
- I am experienced in working with teams by appreciating individuals, which makes the teams more productive.
Conclusion
Dan Brown is a perfect candidate for the regional manager position in XYZ because his character traits allow the organization to excel in the dynamic landscape. Communication skills are crucial to understanding the market needs; decision-making is critical to making appropriate decisions for the company, while motivation ensures that the company has motivated and perfuming staff for high performance. I relate my traits to the character and can, therefore, be managed by Mr. Brown because of his ability to communicate, create rapport, and make timely decisions for the organization’s success.
References
Bennis, W. (1985). On Becoming a Leader. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Cook, S. (2009). The Effective Manager: Management skills for high performance. IT Governance Publishing Ltd.
Khedhaouria, A., & Cucchi, A. (2019). Technostress creators, personality traits, and job burnout: A fuzzy-set configurational analysis. Journal of Business Research, 101, 349-361. Web.