I recently applied to a job posting that stated the company needed experienced commercial sewers for the new boat line. I was thrilled because the pay looked good and I have always enjoyed sewing and think of myself as pretty skilled in that area. I am easily motivated if I know that someone else will admire what I do.
I became interested in the company more when they called me for an interview so I went online to find the companies website. I was thrilled to see that the website was put together very well and the company’s sales pitch is the boats of the “future” and I read on to be even more excited to see that they are the only company that makes pontoon boats in this unique style.
I was accepted into the position upon interview no questions asked after my sewing test. I was so happy. I thought, Wow I can do what I like and make a decent wage.
Then I met the owner. This man is the type of person that gets attention when he walks into the room. He is a very tall, strong looking man that just gleams of power and success. He walks with pride and it is easy to understand why. He and his brother designed a boat at home about 15 years ago or so that everyone local to them came familiar with. It was a new idea added to the traditional pontoon boat. The pontoons are smaller and placed specially to hold the boat higher from the water, and with less motion. As the boat became popular they were asked to build more. The brothers started a small business making boats as a hobby. This hobby has grown over the past 15 years to international. As a matter of fact I sewed a boat today that was going to South Africa.
So what is the importance of this story? It goes back to the owner and his pride. The brothers knew that the contemporary boats on the market lacked some very special details that people look for in their summer experiences. They have been able to take their ideas and build a boat line for almost every person’s needs. There are handicap, sportsman, leisure, and luxury boat lines and all can be custom made. They come in any size, color and design the customer desires. There are even paddle boat pontoons that have an electric motor if you decide you do not wish to paddle anymore. The brothers have so much confidence and pride that they will do almost anything to a boat that a customer requests and are now making almost 25 boats a week with the help of their workers.
People look up to these brothers as leaders not just because they are the masterminds behind the designs but because the vision they set for all of the workers to follow. As a worker I have learned first hand how making beautiful high quality products for customers can make a worker feel proud of their job. I am proud every time I make a piece of furniture that goes on the boat that will be viewed by thousands at boat shows and loved by its new owner.
I have never seen a company so strong on quality as this company and I truly value the way they are an honest and hard working company. I have to say that the waste in the company is out of control and that is because if there is the least bit of a flaw on any inch of the boat or even one skipped stitch the whole thing is rejected and rebuilt. This is what makes the brothers names so strong and why we as workers will do our best to go beyond what is asked, because as leaders as well they show great support to the employees.
The leaders of this company would be considered Transformational Leaders. They are very inspiring to their followers in the visions of boating future. According to Northouse (2013) transformational leaders will bond with followers and have a personalized leadership. The owner does this by presenting new ideas that everyone can be excited about, this is what Northouse explains as a transforational leadership characteristic known as rhetorical leadership behavior (2013) Lastly Northouse expresses another characteristic of these leaders as an image and trust builder. Because the workers understand that the consumers want these boats because of trust for the company and the high quality and luxurious style, we do not fear that we are going to weaken as an organization or risk losing our jobs. The company is still growing and is planning on expanding within the next month bringing in more jobs and making several more models to go to the show. It is exciting working for open minded and creative people that inspire your daily work in making everyone’s dreams come true.
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications