Mandiant Cyber Security Company, renowned for forensic expertise and computer security programs, was founded in America by Kevin Mandia in early 2004. Its formation was based on the computer insecurity that was predicted to take place in the future (Harms, 2006). Currently, Mandiant Cyber Security Company’s headquarter is located in Virginia. It has over 300 staff members. Mandiant came up with machines that aid greatly in curbing systems threats that many organizations face (Fleddermann, 2013). Some of its customers include private companies and high-ranked individuals. Government organizations also rely greatly on its services. Its involvement in curbing cyber insecurity that took place in China early this year contributed immensely to its popularization.
However, the success of Mandiant is based on its leadership and ethics styles. This paper outlines and details on leadership and ethics styles implemented by Mandiant in driving its innovation.
To drive its innovation, Mandiant puts into practice innovation theories like institutional theory and diffusion theory. Additionally, Mandiant uses evolutionary theory in developing their products and services. For instance, Mandiant Company employs institutional theory in safeguarding their profits for future innovation.
Leadership styles
Aydogan (2008) examine that leadership has a great effect on innovation and further reveals that when organization lacks potential leaders, their innovation capabilities considerably decreases. As per the views of Aydogan, it is evident that leadership styles have great effects on innovativeness. Scholars such as O’ Regan have also associated leadership styles with high achievements in innovation. According to Aydogan and scholars, leadership styles influence innovation via impinging on people and institutions’ affinities to innovation. The success of organizations such as Mandiant Cyber Security Company is based on the leadership styles portrayed in the firm.
Mandiant employ effective leadership styles in not only securing clients from hackers, but also running the company roles effectively. As evidenced by some of top executive members of Mandiant, Mandiant Company prefer transformational leadership style to transactional leadership style (Kippenberger, 2012). The executives’ inoculation of dynamic leadership also plays a significant role in enabling Mandiant adopt changes experienced in cyber world.
Mandiant use transformational leadership in attracting diverse organizations as consumers of its services. In addition to encouraging creativity among its clients, Mandiant Company also offers support to individual followers. Additionally, Mandiant Company transformational leaders not only portray their vicious acts, but also serve as role models for its clients (Burns, 1978). For instance, it has been evidenced that many consumers appreciate the services offered by it. With transformational leadership quality, diverse individuals find it easy to share their views concerning computer security thus boosting Mandiant innovation programs.
Mandiant also employs transactional leadership styles. In most occasions, Mandiant leaders use rewards as motivational tools. Use of rewards plays a great role in the advancement of its innovation because it proves effective to employees who work under fixed programs. For instance, Mandiant Company has been found to delegate distressing roles such as monitoring to customer’s network for long durations, an act that proves effective in driving innovation. In general, use of motivational elements and integration of modern technology plays a significant role in driving Mandiant innovation.
Most firms also portray situational leadership. This type of leadership assists the firm in identifying both the potentials and enthusiasms of its employees. Usually, situational leadership also assists many organizations in dealing with technological changes. Through this type of leadership, Mandiant Cyber Security Company has managed to supervise technological changes that assist in driving its innovation.
Ethic styles
Although leadership styles influences the success of many organizations, many leaders experience hard times in gaining trust and obligations of its members and clients. Occasionally, leaders who are observed as truthful are perceived as moral stewards (Bass and Riggio, 2008). Ethics styles enable individuals not only to understand visions and values of a given firm, but also challenges facing it in meeting the set objectives. It is also crucial for organizations to observe moral integrity (Ferrell et al, 2011).
Firms such as Mandiant Cyber Security Company have proved effective in implementing ethic styles. In 2012, Mandiant Company positively contributed to the success of over 500 companies in America, an act that contributes significantly to driving its innovation. Although Mandiant Company is the leading company in terms of advancement in cyber risks management, it rarely involves itself in exposing its clients’ information. In general, the observance of ethical values by Mandiant Company contributes immensely to its success in driving its innovation (Rao and Upadhyaya, 2013).
Recommendations
I do believe in Mandiant Company advancing greatly if it adapts single leadership style. To my opinion, single leadership style is more efficient compared to other types of leadership styles because it is suitable for many changes that are encountered in firms such as Mandiant Company. In order for Mandiant Company to employ single leadership style efficiently, it is crucial for it to take into consideration the wills of its employees. Involvement of employees will not only lead to quick adoption of the new leadership style, but also boost the morale of its employees. It is also crucial for organizations to protect the information of their clients. Organizations such as Mandiant Company do come into contact with diverse customers’ information, which needs to be kept safe from any form of intrusion.
Though Mandiant firm is very successful in running its daily activities, Mandiant firm also need to put into practice democratic leadership. With democratic leadership, Mandiant firm will not only manage to come up with innovations, but also meet the objective of many of its clients. It is also true that innovation requires good atmosphere for its advancement. Thus, leaders for organizations such as Mandiant firm need to inoculate other person’s views pertaining innovation.
References
Aydogan, N. (2008). Innovation Policies, Business Creation and Economic Development: A Comparative Approach. New York: Springer.
Bass, B. M. & Riggio, R. E. (2008). Transformational Leadership. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
Burns, J. M. (1978). Leadership. N.Y: Harper and Raw.
Ferrell, L et al. (2011). Business Ethics, (9th ed). New York: Cengage Learning.
Fleddermann, E. (2013). Cybersecurity in the Media Industry: The Growing Threat of Cybercrime and the Strategic Options to Defend Against it. New York: Nerd Press.
Harms, K. (2006). Forensic analysis of system restore points in microsoft windows XP. Digital investigation, 3(3), 151-158.
Kippenberger, T. (2012). Leadership styles. Oxford, U.K.: Capstone Pub.
Rao, H. R., & Upadhyaya, S. (2013). Information assurance, security and privacy services. Bingley, UK: Emerald.