The making of a Strong Leader Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The making of a Strong Leader - Research Paper Example O’Leary took the helms of leadership in 1994 when the airline was just tying to wake up from a long slumber and a performance downward trend that had seen it make a huge loss four years earlier (Ruddock 2008). Massive restructuring was in force as a result of continued poor performance. O’Leary therefore had a difficult time ahead of him but today he can boast of transforming Ryanair into one of the most profitable airlines in the world with tremendous growth prospects. He seems to have mastered the adaptability skill in his leadership. He took the company when it was at one of its worst moments and steered it to success. This means that he was able to identify with the bad times and above all understand the complexities. He has all along made changes with the times more so in the competitive arena. When other airlines reduce their fares, Ryanair reduces theirs even lower (Ruddock 2008). He has good people skills that enable him to sell his ideas in a simple and yet touching manner. He is on the forefront in advertising where he introduces almost all their new products. He is also a good negotiator with the employees’ union as they usually come to compromise without much loss to either party. He has good sense of self awareness such that he quite well knows how people perceive his leadership style. As much as the airline has been successful, many have not come to appreciate his way of doing things especially the cost cutting measures towards the staff. He is also decisive and makes relatively good and timely judgments. In the many times he has been faced with challenges e.g. a court case, he argues the company’s case with desirable wit. O’Leary is also purposeful in his strategies as he tries to maintain the airline as the best in the low-cost and low-fares category which he has achieved marvelously so far. He is also quite innovative and creative in strategizing. He has notably provoked free publicity through