RentRedi- Theories and Models Reflections #2

At RentRedi, I noticed that the leadership emulated many of the principles outlined by Gardner in Leading Minds. The executives did an excellent job of articulating a story and a vision, both to employees and to potential customers. At the end of the day, this is fundamental to a business: communicating a need and showing how you are capable of solving it. In this way, it transforms the business from simply a mechanism to provide a service into a way to solve a need. An example of this can be found in our weekly meetings. Executives constantly reminded us why we were working, and the greater issues we were working to solve. This leadership style allowed our work to feel more valuable and engaging. The central aspect of Gardner’s argument is that not only must a leader communicate a story, but they also must embody the story. Leaders at RentRedi made sure to focus on customer satisfaction, solving the central issue that the company aims to solve, and hard work in order to embody the mission which they communicated to employees.

Besides the communication and embodiment of a story, leaders also participate in direct and indirect leadership. They directly work with their employees to give them guidance and help them develop best practices. In team meetings, they help the team strategize and capitalize on market opportunities. At the same time, they are also responsible for indirectly leading and motivating the team. Part of this is setting a positive example in key aspects such as work ethic and commitment. Examples of this are found in the weekly update when the executives updated the team on their high-level work and the important meetings they took part in. Instead of simply working and staying isolated, they kept the team well-informed on important decisions and updates, thereby setting a high standard for the rest of the team and engaging in indirect leadership. While both direct and indirect leadership can be used individually, they are most successful when used in conjunction. Being able to directly influence employees while also being able to set a high standard of performance through indirect leadership is a skillset that emerging leaders should strive for.