Essay About Individual Takes And Best-Case Scenario

Huihuiss
Huihuiss
Bill Loun, CEO of Argos International, seems to believe that in the end,
the cream will rise to the top. But as this all-too-familiar case
study illustrates, companies that rely on selection alone to develop
leadership talent often run into serious problems. The power of
appointment is not enough. Argoss dilemma is not only about whether
Bert Donaldson is the right person for the job in Zurich. It is also
about the companys entire approach to executive development.
Developing leadership talent–domestic and international–should be a
partnership. It should be an ongoing process between the organization
and the individual. The organization should provide the opportunity
presented by challenging work, the support that ensures that the
individual has a chance to succeed, and the rewards that recognize the
risks the individual takes in his or her quest to accept new challenges.
The individual, for his or her part, must demonstrate the capacity to
grow and develop as well as the awareness of shortcomings and
developmental needs. The individual also must have the desire to change
and to take some risks.
Consider each of those requirements in the case of Argos International
and Bert Donaldson.
Opportunity.
The opportunity available at Argos Diesel, Europe, would be superb if
only the position and the assignment were designed correctly. In a
best-case scenario, the position that Bert Donaldson is filling would be
the nerve center for integrating the managers of Argoss recent key
acquisitions and for building team spirit. It would be the cornerstone
of a companywide effort to build important networks throughout Europe.
With the right parameters, it also could serve as a dynamic classroom
for someone developing the skills needed to excel in an international
setting.
As it stands, however, none of those goals can be realized. First, two
years is not nearly enough time to achieve them. Second, Donaldson is
the wrong person for the job. Under the best of circumstances, even a
well-connected executive from Europe would have trouble knitting the
managers into a team in two years. There