LEADERSHIP STYLES 1

Leadership Style: How Are Leaders Leading in the 21

st
Century?
Assessment and Evaluation of the DuPont Companys Leadership Style


(Your name)


Leadership and Organizational Behavior (BUS 520)

Prepared for Dr. Latrice Love Cooper

In Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements for a Masters Degree in Business Administration
Strayer University
September 04, 2014

LEADERSHIP STYLES 2

Leadership Style: How Are Leaders Leading in the 21
st
Century?
Assessment and Evaluation of the DuPont Companys Leadership Style
I. The background of the DuPont CEO: Ellen Kullman.
II. Analysis Mrs. Kullmans leadership style and philosophy
a. How the CEOs leadership style aligns with the DuPont culture.
III. Examination of Mrs. Kullmans personal and organizational values.
IV. Evaluate how Mrs. Kullmans values are likely to influence ethical behavior within
DuPont.
V. Mrs. Kullmans three (3) greatest strengths and three (3) greatest weaknesses.
VI. Mrs. Kullmans work ethic is the quality that I believe contributes most to her success.
VII. Assessing how communication and collaboration, and power and politics influence
group dynamics.










LEADERSHIP STYLES 3

The background of the DuPont CEO: Ellen Kullman
Ellen Kullman has been the chair of the board of directors and chief executive officer of
DuPont since 2009. Under her leadership, she has decisively positioned the company as a higher
growth, higher value, less cyclical company. Prior to being appointed chairperson of the board
of directors and chief executive officer, Mrs. Kullman served as president, executive vice
president and a member of the companys office of the chief executive (www. Dupont.com,
2014). During her 25-year career with DuPont, Mrs. Kullman has led the companys focus on
growth in emerging international markets, led double-digit growth of the companys Safety &
Protection business portfolio, started-up two successful high-growth businesses known today as
DuPont Industrial Biosciences and DuPont Sustainable Solutions (www. Dupont.com, 2014).
She has run several industrial businesses, including White Pigment & Mineral Products (www.
Dupont.com, 2014). Mrs. Kullman has been named as one of the "50 Most Powerful Women in
Business" by Fortune and one of the 50 "Worlds Most Powerful Women" by Forbes
(Chaudhuri, 2013).
Analysis of Mrs. Kullmans leadership style and philosophy
As the nineteenth (19
th
) leader of the 208-year-old company, Mrs. Kullmans leadership
style follows four (4) leadership behavioral philosophies. These philosophies are engagement,
setting the tone, being an enabler, and demanding accountability. The first is engagement. The
employees must understand what is important, feel supported, and be aligned around a common
goal (Kullman, 2010). The second dictates that the leaders set the right tone. A leader must
keep in mind the company's core values, especially in hard times, because when people are
scared, people will follow (Kullman, 2010). Third, the CEO must be an enabler. They are
responsible for energizing and working with people to figure out how to get things done
LEADERSHIP STYLES 4

(Kullman, 2010). The fourth is total accountability throughout the organization from the top to
the bottom. Everyone must be held accountable for and committed to getting things done
(Kullman, 2010).
According to Kullman (2010), the organization must focus on what we can control. Early
on, she realized that the company needed to shift their attention from what was going wrong to
the immediate action required to protect DuPonts financial position as revenues fell
dramatically. So, she directed DuPonts management to figure out those things we can do
something about, and get about doing them. (Kullman, 2010).
Mrs. Kullmans leadership philosophy during the 2008 crisis was to adopt a new
trajectory by rethinking their business model. For DuPont, that meant getting people to think
differently about a business model that had always measured success based on plant capacity
and capital investment. The change involved developing service-based models providing new
ways to engage with customers and monetize products. She states, although, it is difficult to get
people who are very successful to embrace change, she has found that they are willing to try new
models when markets are in disarray and when theres uncertainty about what will work in the
future (Kullman, 2010). In essence, Mrs. Kullman set the tone by leading the new trajectory.
As for Mrs. Kullmans third leadership philosophy, enabling, communication is key. She
is a firm believer that there is a direct correlation between growth and the success of our
communication. When we have an aligned team that understands very clearly what the goals and
the tradeoffs are, that is when things can absolutely happen.
LEADERSHIP STYLES 5

The last of her four leadership philosophies is to maintain pride around the companys
mission by holding people accountable. Mrs. Kullman asserts that Theres nothing like a bad
economy to get people confused about what their mission is. They start thinking their mission is
to reduce cost and become less accountable to the ethics and corporate responsibility. Thats a
tactic, thats not our mission (Kullman, 2010).
Examination of Mrs. Kullmans personal and organizational values.
According Kullman (2010), from the day she walked into the company, she knew it was
different from other places that she had been from a core value and an innovation standpoint. At
DuPont, we look at it all the way from basic science through application development.
Therefore, some of the innovation develops in big steps and some in small steps.
When asked the question during a LEADERS journal interview, If I see something
happening that is totally outside of our core values, do I get involved? She answered sternly
and without hesitation, Absolutely (www.leaders.com, 2012). She went on to say, I get
involved more with helping people understand, because if I tell them what to do, it will go away
quickly; if I help them understand where were going and teach them, then it will stick.
On balancing personal and organizational values, Mrs. Kullman asserts that Its not
about having a set time; both personal and professional lives are 24/7. Its more about making
the right allocation to each one and recognizing that it is going to be different every day. But,
you dont do these jobs unless you really love what you do. (Kullman, 2010).


LEADERSHIP STYLES 6

Evaluate how Mrs. Kullmans values are likely to influence ethical behavior within DuPont.
Kullman (2012) insists that Im a believer in total accountability and transparency and
that we as an entire organization have to increase our corporate governance and ethical
responsibilities at the same speed that we increase our innovation. She goes on to say, and we
have to be very agile in this environment and not get tunnel vision. (www.leaders.com, 2012).
If the organization's leadership has a code of conduct and ethical expectations, they become an
organization joke if the leaders fail to live up to their published code (Heathfield, 2014). Leaders
that exhibit ethical behavior powerfully influence the actions of others.
When Mrs. Kullman joined DuPont in the 80s, sustainability was very important to Chad
Holliday, the then CEO. He called himself a chief environmental officer he was a real pioneer.
According to (Smith, 2006), DuPonts early championing of sustainable development was so
embedded in their early culture that even now it still is engrained in the forefront of what they
do. They not only think about footprint reduction when they think about sustainability; they
think about it from a numerator standpoint, how we create products that keep the environment or
the world safe (Smith, 2006).
In terms of global warming, if they can help automotive companies meet their CAP A
standards by offering phenomenal plastics that lead to lightweight cars that last longer than those
with metal, then they are helping that equation. Their plant managers are also active in their
communities because they operate with the consent of the local environment. This shows that
their commitment has always been there. To this point, DuPonts organizational values have
evolved as the world has become more transparent (Smith, 2006).

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Mrs. Kullmans three (3) greatest strengths and three (3) greatest weaknesses.
One of Mrs. Kullmans key strengths is her unwavering work ethic and dedication to her
corporate responsibilities. Good leaders know what they value. They also recognize the
importance of ethical behavior. The best leaders exhibit both their values and their ethics in their
leadership style and actions. Her leadership ethics and values are visible because she lives them
in her actions every single day.
According to (Heathfield, 2014), a lack of trust is a problem in many workplaces. If
leaders never identified their values in these workplaces, the mistrust is understandable. People
do not know what they can expect. If leaders have identified and shared their values, living the
values daily, visibly will create trust (Heathfield, 2014). To say one sentiment and to do another
will damage trust, possibly forever. In Tways In Trust Rules (2005), the three (3) most
important constructs of trust are explored. Dr. Tway calls trust a construct because it is
"constructed" of these three components: the capacity for trusting, the perception of
competence, and the perception of intentions. (Heathfield, 2014). Workplace ethics take the
same route.
Next, is her legacy of competence and professional growth. For example, Mrs. Kullman
became CEO in January of 2009 and Chair of the Board in December of that year. She was
President from October 1st through December 31st of 2008 (Chaudhuri, 2013). Prior to that,
she served as Executive Vice President and a member of the companys office of the chief
executive. Mrs. Kullman began her career at DuPont in 1988 as a marketing manager. She
served as Business Director for several businesses including White Pigment & Mineral Products
where she became Vice President and General Manager in 1995 (Chaudhuri, 2013). She was
LEADERSHIP STYLES 8

named Group Vice President of the DuPont Safety & Protection platform in 2002. In 2006, she
was named Executive Vice President with responsibility for three business platforms and several
functions including Marketing & Sales (Chaudhuri, 2013). She is Co-Chair of the National
Academy of Engineering Committee on Changing the Conversation: From Research to Action
and a member of the Presidents Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. Prior to joining DuPont,
Kullman worked for Westinghouse and General Electric (Chaudhuri, 2013). She holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Tufts University and a masters
degree in management from Northwestern University (Chaudhuri, 2013).
Among her other strengths are Mrs. Kullmans history of being a team player.
Dictionary.com defines a team player as a person who willingly works in cooperation with
others (www.Dictionary.com, 2014). According to Kullman (www.leaders.com, 2014), Ive
always played team sports, Kullman says, and I tell my kids you dont always get to choose
who you work with or play with, but you get to choose how you interact with them and work
with them. So I think you learn a lot about working with people and understanding different
peoples skills and strengths and weaknesses and how then you can work together to create a
better outcome.
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Conversely, I suggest that gender is a perceived weakness. The gender of any leader
affects the perception of traits displayed by that leader. While decisiveness, assertiveness, and
confidence typically are perceived as positive traits in male leaders, these same traits are seen as
weaknesses in female leaders, particularly by men (Benjamin, 2014). Likewise, while men can
be perceived favorably as passionate about a cause, women displaying the same behavior may be
perceived as overemotional and weak (Benjamin, 2014). Women may need to be more
conscious about the leadership skills they employ -- and actively increase their use of
traditionally feminine traits such as warmth and teamwork -- to be successful as a leader
(Benjamin, 2014).

Another perceived weakness in her leadership role is what some call the emotional quotient.
That is to say that one of the other most prominent leadership behaviors that is associated to a
women leader is that they are emotional (Bhattacharya, 2011). It has been suggested that they get
carried away with small & petty gesture of care, love & respect. However, I will vehemently argue
that YES, any female leader should expect a lot of respect. The same and equal to their male
counterparts. Some have suggested that small gestures of care and sensitivity are enough to impress
a feminine leader. What is the most critical association in women leader is that they are least
worried about how but what is delivered. They are the one who expect you to precisely delivery
whatever has been expected out of you. How you do it, is not her concern (Bhattacharya, 2011).

Most cultures perceived women leaders as family-oriented and not business-oriented.
Wholeness, the research also suggests that achieving a whole life, or a life characterized by a
balance between work and non-work roles, was a significant theme for the managers in the study
LEADERSHIP STYLES 10

(Bhattacharya, 2011). The business world makes balancing both work and non-work roles difficult,
and as women tend to carry more care giving responsibilities, this tends to be more of an issue for
women than for men. It is important to remember that leadership development takes place within
this context (Bhattacharya, 2011).

As the baby in a close Irish-American family of two boys and two girls, Mrs. Kullman
(Ellen Jamison), grew up on a cul-de-sac in Fairfax Farms just off U.S. 202 in North Wilmington
she grow up with a strong sense of family and strong work ethic that remains to this day
(Glassdoor, 2010). I will argue that this is a primary reason for her success today. Her grade
school was a short walk away, across Sharpley Road to St. Mary Magdalen School, where she
played basketball and softball. She went on to Tower Hill School, where she sang in the choir,
worked on the yearbook, played lacrosse and was the center and captain of the basketball team
her senior year (Glassdoor, 2010). She also found time to work nights and weekends as a sales
clerk in housewares at the old Wanamaker Department Store on Augustine Cutoff (Glassdoor,
2010). She earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Tufts, and then worked in technical
service and sales for Westinghouse while earning a masters in business administration from
Northwestern University (Glassdoor, 2010).
Assessing how communication and collaboration, and power and politics influence the
DuPont group dynamics.
Tway (2005), noted that people often take on distinct roles and behaviors when they work in
a group. Therefore, "Group dynamics" describes the effects of these roles and behaviors on other
group members, and on the group as a whole. More recent researchers have built on Lewin's
ideas, and this work has become central to good management practice. A group with a positive
LEADERSHIP STYLES 11

dynamic is easy to spot. Team members trust one another, they work towards a collective
decision, and they hold one another accountable for making things happen (Tway, 2005). As
well as this, researchers have found that when a team has a positive dynamic, its members are
nearly twice as creative as an average group. In a group with poor group dynamics, people's
behavior disrupts work (Tway, 2005). As a result, the group may not come to any decision, or it
may make the wrong choice, because group members could not explore options effectively
(Tway, 2005).

















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References
Benjamin, T., & Media Demand. (2014). Can a Leader's Positive Traits Be Perceived as
Weaknesses? Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/can-leaders-positive-traits-
perceived-weaknesses-35697.html.
Bhattacharya November 30, 2011 Al-Fresco ?, G., & Al-Fresco. (2011, November 30). Where
the Mind is Free: Women Leaders - Strengths & Weakness. Retrieved September 2,
2014, from https://www.google.com/#q=Bhattacharya++November+30%2C+2011++Al-
Fresco+%E2%80%93+.
Chaudhuri, S. (2013). DuPont's Profits More Than Doubles. Wall Street Journal, 3(2). Retrieved
from
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04578440353232963398.html.
Dictionary.com. (2014). Dictionary.com. Retrieved September 2, 2014, from
http://www.Dictionary.com
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. (2014, September). CEO and Chairperson: Ellen J.
Kullman. Retrieved August 30, 2014, from http://www.dupont.com/corporate-
func/ceo/kullman.
Glassdoor. (2014, September 3). DuPont Employee Review: Ellen Kullman. Glassdoor.
Heathfield, S. M. (2014). Leadership values and Ethics: Secrets of Leadership Success. About
Money. Retrieved from
http://humanresources.about.com/od/leadership/a/leader_values.htm.
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Kullman, E. J., & University of Northern Iowa. (2010, March 4). DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman
talks business at UNI [Video file Speech]. Retrieved from
http://uni.edu/president/kullman.
LEADERS Magazine (2012, June). An Interview with Ellen Kullman, Chair of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer, DuPont ( E.J. Kullen, Interviewer). Retrieved from
http://www.leadersmag.com/issues/2012.2_apr/Shaping%20the%20Future/LEADERS-
Ellen-Kullman-DuPont.html.
Smith, J. K. (2006). DuPont: The Enlighten Organization In Science and Corporate Strategy.
DuPont R&D, 1902 to 1980 (1st ed.). Retrieved from
http://www2.dupont.com/Heritage/en_US/Enlightened/Enlightened.html.
Tway, D. (2005). Trust Rules: The Most Important Secret About Trust What Is Trust?
About.com. Retrieved from
http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/trust_rules.htm.
Yearick, B. (2012). Delaware Today: She's Got Game - E. Kullman. Retrieved September 2,
2014, from
http://www.delawaretoday.com/core/pagetools.php?pageid=7672&url=/Delaware-
Today/June-2009/She-rsquos-Got-Game/&mode=print.