I. Identify and discuss the primary leadership style of Michael Brown in his handling of this crisis.

The primary leadership style that Michael Brown demonstrated in this particular crisis was autocratic leadership. This is more so the case given that Michael Brown largely exercised individual control over key decisions following the crisis. Although he makes an observation to the effect that he reached out to his managers, he clearly points out that the said consultative forum was to inform them about his decision to halt all Echinacea sales going forward. Also, this is a crucial decision that ought to have roped in Alexandria Marvel, the President and CEO. The firing of the Assistant Director of Purchasing also appears to have been done unilaterally.

II. Discuss an alternative leadership style that could have been used by Michael Brown that could have been better suited than the one he used.

In my opinion, the alternative leadership style that ought to have been used in this case by Michael Brown is transformational leadership. This particular approach to leadership is instrumental in efforts to not only inspire but also motivate others towards the desired courses of action. In the present scenario, some hard decisions might have to be made to ensure that the crisis the company finds itself in does not spiral out of control. However, the relevance of ensuring that all key stakeholders are motivated or inspired to participate in tough courses of action cannot be overstated. This is a role that could be played effectively by a transformational leader.

III. What leadership competencies did Michael Brown present in the recent Echinacea crisis?

In the present scenario, Michael Brown presented a number of leadership competencies. One such competency, which also happens to be one of the sub-competencies (under leading the organization) highlighted by the Society for Human Resource Management SHRM (2021), is solving problems and making decisions. Michael Brown was quick to get to the bottom of the issue, identify the source of the problem, and rally his team behind solid decisions in an attempt to reign in the problem. Also, Michael Brown demonstrated an ability to lead self, i.e. in relation to the demonstration of integrity and ethics (SHRM, 2021). This is more so the case given that when Happy and Healthy Foodmart executives reached out to him, he set in motion specific actions to help diffuse the situation without necessarily attempting to engage in any cover-up. In the absence of integrity and ethics, Michael Brown could have sought to ensure that the information did not leak out for fear of negative publicity and perhaps loss of market share. In this case, Michael Brown even came up with an immediate recall plan.

IV. Identify the leadership competencies beneficial for a crisis-ready culture.

Some of the leadership competencies that could come in handy in this case are inclusive of, but they are not limited to; decisiveness, credibility and trustworthiness, and long-sightedness.

To begin with, one of the principles for the effective management of the unexpected happens to be decisiveness (Wall Street Journal, 2015). For a crisis-ready culture, a leader ought to be decisive and bold in his decision-making efforts. This is more so the case given that crisis situations could be highly uncertain.

With regard to credibility and trustworthiness, there is need to ensure that the courses of action set in motion are rooted in honesty, truthfulness and principle. This is what George (2021) refers to as the ability to follow the true north.

When it comes to long-sightedness, leaders ought to ensure that they are in for the long haul. This is one of the crucial lessons...

…deliberate decisions are made to craft an overall organizational culture aligned with these ideals. Only then can LSN succeed in its efforts to have in place an ideal and functional mechanism to respond effectively to crises.

XI. Give three specific and actionable recommendations that could be implemented to develop a crisis-ready culture for LSN. (Each recommendation should be supported by course materials).

a) Leadership

For the effective development of a crisis-ready culture, there is need to ensure that the capabilities and competencies of leaders are aligned with this course of action. Some of the essential leadership competencies that could be instrumental in this case, and which have been listed by SHRM (2021), include; integrity and ethics, the ability to solve problems and make decisions, the ability to set vision as well as strategy, etc.

b) Training and Development

Members of staff also need to be equipped with the skills necessary to effectively respond to, and escalate (to supervisor) situations likely to have a negative impact on company reputation and ability to fulfill its mandate to customers. Training could also cover key aspects of emotional intelligence so as to ensure that employees approach issues from a united front. Some of the components of emotional intelligence, which could be covered in this case, and which have been highlighted by Cherry (2020), are inclusive of; managing emotions and understanding emotions.

c) Promotion of Teamwork

Teamwork is also crucial on this front. In the absence of teamwork, we are likely to have uncoordinated efforts in the event of a crisis as has been the case in LSN. Aldrin and Gayatri (2014) indicate that although many so called leaders call their organization, department, section, etc. a team; they are not really teams... they are just a group of people doing their jobs (361). Teamwork could be promoted via the further enhancement of available…