Ajluni Theories in Action- Week 4

So far, this week has been the most interesting yet. Although nothing particularly exciting happened, I was able to go tour the Detroit-Hamtramck manufacturing assembly this morning. The Detroit-Hamtramck (DHAM) plant builds four vehicles on a single production line, making it the largest and most complex of all of GM’s assembly plants.  Although the atmosphere in the plant was invigorating, I was most intrigued by the relationships among the workers, and was able to make connections with the contingency theory of leadership. This theory holds that one type of leader cannot exist for every situation, but rather certain people rise as leaders in certain situations. Unlike the those leaders in corporate offices, who are easily recognizable by their big offices and fancy suits, the leaders in the plant were more difficult to identify. The structure of leadership appeared fluid and almost nonexistent. New leaders emerged daily as those who were the most attentive and innovative on the production line. The workers seemed to have a mutual respect for one another, and there was absolutely no sense of any work-place hierarchy. This experience showed me firsthand that a leader is not necessarily the one with the biggest office or the most power over others, but can be whoever rises to the occasion at any given point. Like the contingency theory holds, there is not one single style of leadership- today’s leader was a man by the name of Paco who discovered a glitch in the horn of a son-to-be-released Chevvy Volt. With his discovery came praise and respect from all of his coworkers, giving him the confidence that any good leader should possess. While Paco’s role differs greatly from my supervisor’s role, they are both leaders in every sense of the word.