Introduction
Angel Ahrendts is an American business leader who serves as Apple Inc’s Vice President of Retail and Online Sales. She was the CEO of Burberry for eight years and had tremendous impact on the company’s growth (Wiggins par2). Ahrendts has been named among Forbes’s most powerful women in the world owing to her great influence in the American and global business arenas.
She is famous for her leadership and communication style that is characterized by energy, availability, belief in teamwork and the power of intuition. Her leadership philosophy is based on the power of human energy in transforming both people and organizations.
Leadership Style
One of the most evident qualities of Ahrendt’s leadership and communication style is her positive energy that inspires employees to be more productive and creative (Wiggins par4). Another benefit of positive energy is that it enables her to make tough decisions. For instance, her former company (Burberry) was in the verge of collapsing owing to the effects of financial ripples caused by Lehman Brothers.
Angela’s response was to reduce the company’s expenses through delays in product launches, elimination of employee bonuses, and reduction of corporate budgets (Little par6). These decisions were unpopular with employees. However, she was able to convince them that the decisions were the only approaches that would guarantee the company’s stability. Her communication style is characterized by strong listening skills and empathy (Wiggins par5).
Ahrendts holds regular meetings with employees and listens to them without interrupting. Her communication skills are enhanced by her ability to keep eye contact with a speaker. In addition, her communication style is characterized by emotional intelligence and inspirational speeches that motivate employees and make them feel valued and respected (Little par7). Her positive energy inspires employees to be better and as such increase their creativity and productivity.
Ahrendts creates positive energy at the workplace by encouraging team work, leading by example, and embodying organizational values in her leadership (Korn par5). She is great a communicator who creates positive energy among employees by consistently communicating organizational goals and listening attentively without being overbearing. Her open interactions with employees and breathtaking humility are traits that make her an inspirational leader (Little par9).
In an interview with Financial Times, Ahrendts revealed that communicating her gut feeling and instincts is an important aspect of her leadership style (Angela Ahrendts, Burberry CEO). It makes her make decisions faster and handle tough situations effectively. She admitted that the greatest mistake that a leader can make is to disregard instincts, fail to listen attentively, and disregard the importance of teams in attaining desired outcomes (Angela Ahrendts, Burberry CEO).
In a speech delivered during a TEDx presentation, Ahrendts stated that she believed that human energy has the potential to transform both people and organizations (The Power of Human Energy). One of the most important applications of positive energy in organizations is creation of trust and the spirit of collaboration. Collaboration is vital in creating effective teams. In the talk, she also covered the topic of intuition and its importance.
Her philosophy of the transformative power of positive energy is based on concepts such as feelings, intuition, listening, and trust (The Power of Human Energy). Ahrendt’s communication style was evident from the talk when she revealed that listening and trusting her instincts were core aspects of her leadership style. In addition, she stated that being receptive and perceptive are important. A humble attitude coupled with a positive personality was important in transforming Blueberry.
During her tenure, the company was governed by her philosophy of positive energy and related values (Korn par6). In the talk, she stated that trust, intuition, and belief are the core concepts that are integral in harnessing the power of human energy in leading an organization (The Power of Human Energy).
Ahrendts explained that intuition emanates from developing the human faculties of feeling and instinct. According to her, belief creates positive energy that makes employees more productive. She concluded the talk by citing a famous quote, which stated that people value the feelings evoked in them rather than the words presented to them (The Power of Human Energy). The talk was a discussion of the various concepts that define her leadership.
Conclusion
Ahrendts’ leadership style is effective because it inspires employees to work in teams, improve themselves, and contribute towards creating a safe work environment that evokes feelings of respect and trust. Her communication skills of listening attentively and communicating her instincts to employees define her leadership style (Little par4). Her leadership style develops confidence in employees regarding her potential to lead them towards achieving organizational goals.
Positive attitudes among employees increase job satisfaction and productivity. Ahrendts approach to leadership is integral in combating negative attitudes and developing trust in employees. One of the challenges that teams face is the effect of negative attitudes among employees. The attitudes eradicate synchronicity and the spirit of collaboration. On the other hand, positive energy eradicates negativity and replaces it with positive attitudes towards other employees and the job (Little par7).
Works Cited
Angela Ahrendts, Burberry CEO, On Her Leadership Style. Ex. Prod. Richard Edgar, Financial Times, 2010. Web.
Korn, Melissa. Angela Ahrendts on the Job: How the Burberry Boss Leads. 2013. Web.
Little, Nick. What Will Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts Bring to Apple? 2013. Web.
The Power of Human Energy: Angela Ahrendts at TEDx Hollywood. Ex. Prod. TED Staff, 2010. Web.
Wiggins, Joe. The Ahrendts Effect: What Apple Should Look Out For. 2014. Web.