Understanding the basis of a company’s lifecycle is critical for its successful operation. A company’s structure serves as the foundation for all of its actions, while its strategy serves as the blueprint for the foundation. However, strategy is what defines forward vision, while structure allows its proper execution. Strategy is more adaptable to the industry changes, as leaders incorporate new knowledge into the processes, forcing the structure to change accordingly (Muafi, Grabara, Sudiyarto, & Siswanti, 2019). However, structures without sufficient flexibility can be detrimental to such changes (Muafi et al., 2019). For example, prominent changes in Southwest Airlines’ top management positions imply significant adjustments in the company’s strategy (“Southwest Airlines announces several leadership changes,” 2019). Such periods can occur in many companies and are a regular part of a firm’s evolution and adaptation.
The exemplary chief executive officer (CEO) that I believe possesses the qualities necessary for a company’s long-term success is Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. His planning and forward-looking strategies provide these companies with a constant stream of investors and innovative ideas. Musk utilizes a scientific approach to strategy-making, which allows him to efficiently and gradually move forward with the wildest ideas his company presents (Torres, 2019). He poses questions to resolve, seeks credible supporting evidence sources, analyzes them, as well as their counterarguments, and only then proceeds with putting his plans to action (Torres, 2019). As a result of his actions, many projects of these companies are delivered later than expected, but they possess the quality that is rarely achieved by their competitors (Torres, 2019). Their success brought Musk worldwide celebrity status, as his concepts continue to shape the future of humanity through ideas that are worth waiting for. In conclusion, the structure of a company serves as the basis for its future success, while CEOs serve as those who choose the direction, pace, and speed for this structure to move forward.
References
Muafi, M., Grabara, J., Sudiyarto, S., & Siswanti, Y. (2019). Business strategy, organizational structure, work processes: Are the alignment? Quality-Access to Success, 20(1), 399-404. Web.
Southwest Airlines announces several leadership changes. (2019). Web.
Torres, M. (2019). This is how Elon Musk makes big decisions. Web.