Transcript of Situational Leadership / Change Mgmt / Meritocracy

Creation of priority projects

Integration Team
Forums
Metaphors used by Frankel:

Frankel stayed for a second Winter, by July 2008, revenue had grown more tan 50%
and profitability reached historical records.

Participation from employees had also increased to 130 of the 450 employees. Frankel
was ready to give ownership back to the organization.
He called this passing the ball

Leadership Styles
Case summary
GOAL!
Where in the world are the analysts?
Case study
Pierre Frankel in Moscow (A) : Unfreezing Change
Pierre Frankel, a French experienced professional from a global technology company
was sent to Russia as Deputy Managing Director to improve performance and increase
profitability in the subsidiary.
When he got there, he met Sergei Lebedev (Managing Director of Russia) and the
subsidiarys 450 employees who considered him a threat. Frankel faced a top-down
hierarchy, lack of transparency and a strong mistrust of outsiders.
How could he unfreeze the situation?
Situational Leadership / Change Mgmt / Meritocracy
Thank you!

Neil Gandhi & Maria Fuentes

Today's Agenda
Where in the world are the analysts?
Situational Leadership
Case Study Summary
Case Study Discussion
What happened afterwards?
Meritocracy
Announcements
Successful leaders are those who can adapt their behavior to meet the demands of
their unique situation
Assess Frankels first months in Moscow. Has he managed to establish himself as a
change agent?
Situational Leadership
How effective are his actions to date? What did Frankel do wrong? What was right?
How do you think he can overcome his obstacles and improve business results? Where
should he start and what can wait? Prioritize challenges and set goals for Frankel.
Advise Frankel on what to say to corporate who is demanding faster action.
Consultants can be considered outsiders just as Frankel, have you experienced a
similar situation? How did you manage it?
What happened afterwards?
Frankel hired a native Russian to help lead the change and decided to create
momentum via multiple smaller projects rather than through two or three big
initiatives.
He called this his "snowball strategy of change".
Plan of Action
Based on the leadership styles we just covered, which do you think Frankel and
Lebedev use?
Leadership
Leadership
Leadership
Leadership

Style
Style
Style
Style

1:
2:
3:
4:

Directing
Coaching
Supporting
Delegating

Pierre Frankel in Moscow (B) : Plowing Ahead

At what point in the change process could Frankel declare victory?
Another year for Frankel? What would you do?

In one year, Frankel had managed to initiate change and neutralize the negative
influence of Lebedev. In each successive quarter, sales and profits had improved
constantly and the Russian subsidiary also had an increasing number of employees
engaged in projects.
However, Frankel did not consider the turnaround complete. He realized he had to
continue a second year to consolidate the change yet being far away from his family in
Paris made things hard.
Pierre Frankel in Moscow (C) : Results
A cultural shift had occurred.
Employees from H-IT began to accept change and learned how to face challenges and
lead transformation initiatives.
Frankel took pride in his achievement and was ready to return home. BUT...The
company now wanted Frankel to replicate the change in India!

Unfreeze -> Change -> Refreeze

Should he go to India?
Should he ask for another assignment/look at other opportunities?
Meritocracy - Hard work pays off!
Advice To Move Up Within the Firm
We asked several Kalypsonians in the Leadership Team to provide advice and guidance
on the necessary steps to move up in the firm, and these are some of the points they
made...
Stop acting like there is a totem pole!
Focus on the task at hand, and ask questions!!
Just Produce!!