Leadership Skills: Calvin Klein Case Study

Table of Contents

• Calvin Klein (biography)

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Leadership and strategies

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• Characteristics of charismatic and visionary leaders

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• Role of strategic leadership

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• Styles and attributes of a leader

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• Calvin Klein as a Leader

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• Self- Evaluation as a Leader

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• Smart Goals

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• Role of Leaders

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• Ethical and Socially Culturally

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• Summarization

1a.) Calvin Klein, an American fashion designer who’s brand and work is internationally appreciated and recognized. He is an entrepreneurs as well as  a role model for future entrepreneurs. Calvin Klein attained all on his own a multi billionaire business with just a small room  in a worn out building and a help of his friend. He initially started out with just clothing but over the years has contributed a fragrance,shoes and many other varieties and types of wear to the fashion industry. He graduated from the Fashion institute of technology in 1962, and then started working out from small workroom, when he accidently landed a 50,000 dollar order of clothing from a well respected company. He has always been known to advertise uniqueness, acceptance, diversity in his clothing line. He been attributed to Times magazine’s 25 most influential people in 1996. He has also been awarded with the prestigious coty award (three times in row), making him the youngest designer to ever received that honour.

(Haynes, C. (2016,   October 24). Calvin Klein. Retrieved February 26, 2017, from http://www.biography.com/people/calvin-klein-9366378)

1b). Calvin Klein throughout the years has performed quite well as an leader and developed many strategies as well as created a platform or a map on what direction the company will perform on. As quoted “anything I wanted to do,I did. If there’s something I want to do, nothing stops me – Calvin Klein. This quote defines Calvin Klein’s characteristics as a leader and a businessman. Strategic objectives that calvin Klein implied in his business to enhance the organization and its efficiency and effectiveness were, he stepped outside his boundaries and created the American Leisure clothing and designs. He innovated clothing designs and changed the appearance of female and male designs. He created the first affordable sportswear that American women were fascinated with. Klein used advertising as marketing tactic to advertise his new line of tight jeans that in one week alone were sold in about 200,000 pairs.

(Haynes, C. (2016,   October 24). Calvin Klein. Retrieved February 26, 2017, from http://www.biography.com/people/calvin-klein-9366378)

1c.) The characteristics of a charismatic leader involves a sense of style, flair and confidence. Charismatic leaders have certain skills that make them qualified to have certain positions. It is vital for such leaders to have strong communication skills as well as maturity and humility. These all set great examples that make a charismatic leader. A visionary leader also contains similar characteristics of charismatic leadership. Poor leadership qualities contain a lot of alter ego, treating fellow colleagues as beneath them. As well as lack of skills to tackle problems and work as a team to make a workplace an efficient and motivational environment. Calvin Klein has a leadership mentality of a visionary leader. In his early days till now he had a future planned for the company that he would form.

1d.) Charismatic and visionary leaders contribute to motivating and developing others to improve engagement and productivity by influencing others to follow the path they take when a getting a job done. They have to create an atmosphere in which a culture of enthusiasm and productivity amongst the employees that will help them do what they need to do.Leadership helps construct and communicate a positive organisational culture by  creating and maintaining good and quality relationships with their employees which results in all operations to run smoothly and effectively. It is a vital part in the business world to have leaders that have such standards which help’s promote a healthy working environment as well as a successful and prosperous business.

1e.) The role of strategic leadership in a leading and implementing change within organisation is that to make sure that everyone is doing their job using different types of strategies. Basically approaching employees or anyone in the work force with different type of ways such as one strategic leadership strategy would be being able to learn and adapt which is vital to sustainability. Failure to be able to adapt to changing technology, climate change, and economic factors risks the organization becoming obsolete.It is vital for a strategic leader to have a plan and a mission statement that relates to the company’s mission statement as well. They have a strong ability to adapt really easily and when change arrives to cope and adjust the environment to that as well.

1f.)  The styles and attributes and behaviors that make a leader effective are that

TOP TEN SKILLS OF A LEADER

1. Setting goals and objectives.
2. Planning tasks and activities to meet goals.
3. Communicating with teams and individuals.
4. Recognising other people’s’ strengths, limitations and potential.
5. Organising work and delegating to others.
6. Inspiring others to act to meet goals.
7. Giving and receiving feedback.
8. Reviewing performance.
9. Resolving problems.
10. Continually improving processes.
11. Optimistic
12. Emotional stability
13. Compulsiveness

TOP TEN ATTRIBUTES AND BEHAVIORS OF A LEADER

1. Clear vision – passionately held, communicated to others, at the centre of the leader’s priorities and activities.
2. Integrity – acting outwardly in a manner consistent with their inner values.
3. Dedication – giving what time is needed to achieve the vision, setting the example.
4. Magnanimity – giving others the credit where they deserve it and taking responsibility for failures.
5. Humility – recognising that the leader is not a better person than their followers.
6. Openness – being prepared to listen to new ideas, even if they challenge their own view.
7. Creativity – thinking differently, developing new ideas, encouraging new ideas in others.
8. Fairness – treating everyone consistently and justly, not jumping to conclusions before hearing the facts.
9. Assertiveness – stating what one wants clearly, without aggression, while also respecting others’ views.
10. Sense of humour – to relieve tension, diffuse hostility and to engage followers.

B. (n.d.). 15 Behaviors and Traits of Great Leaders. Retrieved February 26, 2017, from http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/15-behaviors-and-traits-of-great-leaders/

i.) Calvin Klein as a leader has very optimistic approach, which is vital for leader to have because of the sailor starts getting scared of the storm then the boat will surely drown. It is very important as an leader to take the good and the bad when doing business. In 1984 Calvin Klein a major fashion icon and the founder of Calvin Klein was in 80 million dollars of debt, the designer jeans that started out as hit eventually dried down and his company hit rock bottom. He refinanced with bonds. He had to eventually file bankruptcy. Eventually due to the support of some friends he picked back his business bigger and stronger than ever. Calvin klein spawned out numerous new items handbags,shoes, and even colognes. This is why it is very vital to be optimistic as a leader. (Haynes, C. (2016,   October 24). Calvin Klein. Retrieved February 26, 2017, from http://www.biography.com/people/calvin-klein-9366378)

ii)  As a leader myself I am a very optimistic person as well as very patience, I am also very determined to reach my goals. I am attracted and try seize any opportunity for improvement which is a very crucial trait to have as a leader. I believe that leadership skills should be acquired or learnt. I will try my best to take initiative in learning these skills even if I have no prior experience on it. I am ready to accept challenges because I believe more challenges mean more opportunities to acquire knowledge. I am aware that it would be a huge responsibility to be as a leader of a team. Therefore, I am confident that I am able to take responsibility and dealing with project challenges as a future leader.

iv.) Some traits that need developing as a leader are emotional stability, compulsiveness, as well as social boldness. I tend to get stressed very easily and when that happens, it can be very hard to  concentrate on what was required of me to do.Compulsiveness would be not to make a decision in hasty situations think and take the time I need to come up with the right decision.

v.) Smart goal :  To practice to destress myself and obtain emotional stability in stressful situations. Before making any vital decision that may make a large impact to weigh in my options thoroughly. Working on these traits will help me get closer to a leader position that I would want to maintain.

        S – Specific

Practice certain techniques when put in a stressful situation. Such as mediation and yoga.

M – Measurable

Creating deadlines on when to complete certain tasks

A – Achievable

Yes, it is

R – Realistic good night ho

Making sure that my goal is not just a saying

T – Timely

Completing it in a certain time that it is supposed to be completed

1g.) Leaders map the stakeholders and communicate effectively  by holding meetings and proposing of such plans that will help guide them to their final destination. They explain in a detailed process on what resources and manpower will be needed to get a certain project or event completed. They lay out what issues that are needed to be strictly to be focused on and create a vision in which the company follows and hopefully create a successful and well run business and contribute to the company that will benefit them as well. They hold strong habits such as having strong personal character, having a passion to do right and be ethical. They also consider stakeholder’s interests to keep the interested in the topic.

1h.) The role  of leader in addressing ethical issues for an organisation is to make sure that all concerns are touched upon on as well as all  any sensitive topics need to be handled and approached in a very professional and ethical manner. Leaders should take everything in consideration before handling an issue as well as learning and investigating all parts of the problem to come up with a the right solution.  They need to be honest and tell the truth. They need to let people know where they stand. They are not manipulating and facts. They use simple language and do not try to complex things when handling an important issue.

i.)  Effective leaders engage in ethical and socially and culturally appropriate decision making   by using  wisdom and knowledge. Using one’s experience to code information and make wise decisions with that. Leaders should also be aware of justice and fair guidance in which everyone is to be treated equally no individual is to gain or lose support of their leader due to personal issues. Transcendence, leaders who are motivated predominantly by self-interest and the exercise of personal power have restricted effectiveness and authenticity. Love and Kindness is great approach into using words that can help you overcome a tough situation.

ii.)  Calvin Klein acts out ethical and socially culturally appropriate decision making by  innovating and implementing change. He once a quoted when he was designing clothes for both genders that ” he approaches mens clothes with the same philosophy as women’s” meaning their is no bias. He is culturally and socially making a decision to  create no difference between men and women today. In his advertisements he has implemented and shown all types of beauty and diversity to his company and never only targeting one specific group of consumer . In result this is why Calvin Klein has been internationally known and is till this day a thriving and successful company and business man. (Haynes, C. (2016,   October 24). Calvin Klein. Retrieved February 26, 2017, from http://www.biography.com/people/calvin-klein-9366378

iii.) Some Recommendations for ethical and socially and culturally appropriate decision making are that to be knowledgeable do not ever assume anything about any topic in the company. It is also important to be very honest and no matter what the consequence or issue to be told as it is to avoid any future misunderstanding. Another recommendation is that to follow protocol and do not put your own say or change up the rule because you don’t think they are right that would be defined as being unethical and would be again making appropriate decision making.

i.) In conclusion I have learned that it takes a lot as a leader, you can inspire and motivate your team to tremendous effect by communicating a vision in a clear, straight-forward way. But don’t think small – raise the bar really really high. Also, always think ahead a good leader always takes the good and the bad. They never just sit they are, ready to get their hands dirty and make sure everyone is involved and ready to make a change. I have attained a lot from doing this report and hope to use it further on in my career to create a successful business and be amazing leader.