Abstract
Following is a question and answer article discussing the influential leadership of Ursula Burns and how she manages a multinational corporation Xerox. Her inspirations and her way of working are described in the answers to the questions that follow.
Q. In your opinion is Ursula Burns more of a charismatic leader, transformational leader, or both?
A. Ursula Burns, CEO Xerox, is listed as the 14th most powerful woman in the Forbes survey for 2013 and also the first African American CEO. In the Forbes profile dedicated to Ms. Burns, Forbes describes how Ursula Burns has acted as a transforming figure for Xerox’s image from a mere photocopier and carbon copy solutions company to a brand in documentation and IT solutions. From a humble beginning as a trainee in 1980, Ms. Burn’s rise to where she stands today is a tremendous story in itself. Her charismatic and transformational leadership is exhibited in the change her statement brought in a premier golf club. In 2012 Ursula Burns ridiculed national Golf Club’s only males-membership policy, due to which the club saw prominent females like Condoleezza Rice finding membership in the premier golf club. Hence there are no two opinions that Ursula Burns is not just a charismatic leader but a transformational one as well. With the strong experiential background Ms. Burns holds and the way in which she directs the company Xerox, she is without a doubt a balanced combination of both (Xerox, 2013).
Q. Exhibit 9.5 identifies transformational and charismatic leader behaviors. In your opinion, which of the behavior components does Ms. Burns exemplify?
A. Ms. Burns exemplifies behavior components of both transformational as well as charismatic behavior. Her charismatic trait is testified by Mr. Hicks (p. 352), former CEO Xerox, statement “She was enormously curious, she wanted to know why we were doing some things at that time and she was always prepared in a way that I thought was very refreshing.” Her transformational attributes come from the way she runs Xerox, breaking its image of a carbon copy solutions provider to a document and IT management firm that generated $22.4 billion in revenue from IT sector alone in the year 2012 (Forbes, 2013). Her hard work and her smartness are a trend setter and inspirer, plus the working tools to get things done in a way that gets desired results. Further back in time she was appointed the vice chair-person of the President’s Export Council in March 2010, and nominated by President Barack Obama to help lead STEM (acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
Q. Exhibit 9.4 identifies the qualities of charismatic and transformational leaders. Based on your knowledge of Ms. Burns, which of the 12 qualities can you directly attribute to her?
A. Ms. Burns exhibits the qualities of a good leader who works in a team and provides recognition to the people who put in efforts to get results. As a charismatic leader she exhibits the following traits: maturity that comes from her long drawn experience in Xerox; communication, Ms. Burns is known for her straight forward demeanor and open minded conversation skills; humility that puts her in the Forbes top list of the world’s most powerful women’s list; substance that she draws as an inspiration from her mother and her patient career through Xerox; and most importantly considerations to give the right person as is seen from her discomfort of being in the spotlight (p. 352). As a transformational leader she is known to have the following qualities: take calculated risks in venturing into new domains for example her decision of acquisition of Affiliated Computer Service (ACS), a Dallas based service company larger than Xerox itself, at a time of recession for which she was first criticized and later garnered accolades from the same critics (p. 353); Ms. Burns has the ability and grit to make difficult decisions which have yielded good results for Xerox; she is known to have had a curious and ever refreshing attitude that is void of any egotistical stereotype; she is motivated and driven towards her goals in life, evident from the way her career turned in the past 33 years (Xerox, 2013); her experience gives her the apt understanding of the organization’s needs; inspiring her colleagues and subordinates to work proactively while working in the same manner herself; open to suggestion and willing to try new ideas; and most importantly Ms. Burns is a visionary working for the development of the company Xerox. These are the most prominent traits of Ms. Burns although these are not the only ones there are. Her personality is one of great insight, deep knowledge and high morals that sets her apart and helps her make far-sighted decisions which have attributed to the success of Xerox in a tremendous way, both in the terms of profit as well as diversification.
Q. Every leader has a sense of his or her personal meaning, described in the text as the degree to which people’s lives make emotional sense and to which the demands confronted by them are perceived as being worthy of energy and commitment. Based on the facts of the case, what is/are the sources from which Burns derives her personal meaning?
A. Ms. Burns has had an inspired life. She was born to a single working mother who worked hard for her up-brining. Her mother inspired Ms. Burns to understand that education and knowledge is the key to knowing the world as it is evident from her statement when asked who she gets inspired from. She replies (p. 352), “150 percent my mother. My Mother was a pragmatic and exceedingly practical and she was the self-determining person.” This being her inspiration, she worked throughout her educational career to acquire the skills required for a successful career and completed her education with masters. She sets an example of what an educated and dedicated person is and is an inspiring figure of empowered women. And in the most modest way she gives all the credit to the up-bringing and inspirational motivation that her mother gave her.
References
Bratton, J. (2004). Ursula Burns: Xerox’s Chairwoman and CEO. In J. Bratton (2004). Organizational Leadership. South-Western College Publisher. Print
Forbes (2013). Ursula Burns – Forbes profile. Forbes.com. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/profile/ursula-burns/
Xerox (2013). Ursula Burns, Chairman and CEO of Xerox Corporation. About Xerox. Xerox.com. Retrieved from http://www.xerox.com/about-xerox/executive -leadership/ceo/enus.html
