Theory E-Is there a need for a new style of Leadership for E-Business????

WJ PattersonSullivan Univ. Graduate

Schoolhttp://www.iluv2teach.com

Theory E??????????

“The first requirement of Leadership is Knowledge”

Tom LandryDallas Cowboys

To properly lead, we must understand that leading is NOT just giving orders.

Theory E?????????

“You cannot manage men into battle. You manage things, you lead people.”Admiral Grace Murray Hooper

Theory E ????????? IT in and out of the closet over the

past 30 years Mainframes & Mini Computers (50’s-

70’s) PC’s (80’s) Internet (90’s)

Pres Bush signed executive order turning control of Internet from Government control to private sector

Rapid growth of E-Business

Theory E ????????? New challenges to leadership because of

the Internet Speed Competition for hits User-friendly web sites Change Management

Does traditional management theory work? Theory X, Theory Y, Deming, Drucker,

Hawthorne

Theory E ????????? Andrew Grove, President of Intel said, “

You have no choice but to operate in a world shaped by globalization and the information revolution. There are two options: Adapt or die…. You need to plan the way a fire department plans. It cannot anticipate fires, so it has to shape a flexible organization that is capable of responding to unpredictable events.” (Grove, 1995).

Theory E???????? Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon.com in an interview

with Bob Edwards on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, was asked what he thought it took to be a leader today. Bezos replied, “Well, my guess is that it takes the same things its taken forever to be a leader, and I think the key thing is telling people the truth, even when its hard. You know, its always easy to tell people what they want to hear, but leadership is about taking people where they might not otherwise go because it is hard”. (National Public Radio, 2000)

Theory E??????????? Kurt Hartwig offers five ways to jumpstart

ones leadership skills for people embracing E-Commerce. His five steps are: Don’t make assumptions Don’t be critical-Look for strengths, not

weaknesses. Half Full, not Half Empty Don’t delegate disbelief Don’t shoot the messenger Don’t set unrealistic expectations

Theory E?????????? In a recent study done by Leslie Willcocks (Professor of

Information Management and e-Business at the University of Warwick’s Warwick Business School in Coventry England) and Robert Plant (Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems at the University of Miami , Fl) they offer 7 characteristics the E-Business leaders share. They are :

regard the Internet as a cornerstone of network centric business area

distinguish the contributions of information from those of technology recognize that competition opportunities and customer expectations

evolve rapidly learn quickly and have the capacity to shift focus follow a top down or outside in route to business innovation via the

Internet inform their e-Business processes with critical thinking see the Web as a part of a larger strategic investment in e-Business.

(Willcocks and Plant, 2001)

Theory E????????

“In dealing with people, remember that you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but your dealing with creatures of emotion.”

Dale Carniege

Theory E?????????

So what does this mean? Today, we can have the best

technology, the best products, and the best of everything. But these alone are not the keys to success. The key to success is having leadership that will drive successful execution of a well thought out plan.

Theory E????????? Conclusion

Is there a need for a Theory –E.? This author does not believe so. This author believes that it all gets back to blocking and tackling, dribbling and passing, hitting and catching, chipping and putting. The basics. Fundamentals. Execution. These aren’t new terms. These are tried and true methods that have been used for many years and are still applicable in today’s business environment.

Theory E?????????

Jeff Bezos said, “It takes the same thing its taken forever to be a great leader.” (National Public Radio, 2000)