In 1981 Colin Kelshaw took his redundancy money from British Steel where he had been a production supervisor, put himself through a passenger vehicle driving school and bought a dilapidated coach. From this humble start he has now built a business with a modern fleet of some thirty coaches, almost fifty drivers, most of whom are full time, and a brand new depot with its own maintenance facilities and office accommodation. His business has built a name with his customers for reliability

In all these years, Colin has been known for his direct and often abrasive manner. He's a straight talker who wants to get things done, usually gets his own way with people, and always expects to. He tends to manage the business from moment to moment, and in recent years he has developed a habit of ringing any of his staff, at virtually any time of the day or night, on their personal mobile phones.

Recently there have been some worrying trends. Firstly there has been the increased staff turnover rate and difficulty in getting replacement drivers, despite the fact that he now pays the best rates in the area. He has heard from another local operator that drivers going to work for them say he is impossible to work for. Secondly, there has been an increase in sickness and other absences, from what he has always considered a loyal workforce. Thirdly, there has been an increase in customer complaints, with several drivers being accused of either rudeness or being uncooperative.

Recently, Colin decided to talk things over with his daughter Fiona, who was home for the Christmas vacation following her first term at University, where she is studying for a business degree. He reasoned that for what it was costing him to put her through her chosen course, he should be entitled to some return. However, the meeting did not go well, as Colin lost his temper and stormed out when his daughter suggested that it might be his approach to leading the company that is the main problem. Fiona has now decided to draft a letter to him, outlining some positive proposals.

Problem Solving Activity

Working in small groups, consider the following questions & be prepared to contribute to a seminar discussion:

1. What good and bad traits do you see in Colin's leadership?

1. How would you describe Colin's leadership style in terms of the various theories that you have studied?

1. Are there any contingent factors, which spring to mind which now make Colin's style inappropriate?

1. If you were Fiona, what would you suggest he does to change his leadership?