Managing a Global Team:

Greg James at Sun

Microsystems, Inc. (A) & (B)
Managing a Global Team
Context
Greg James at Sun Microsystems, Inc. (A)
Greg James, a global manager at Sun Microsystems
To resolve a serious customer system outage as required by a
service agreement
Sets out to meet with his entire member in customer
implementation team spread across India, France, UAE, and US
Rather than finding a immediate solution to the rapidly escalating
customer situation that motivated his trip, he finds himself facing
distributed work.
Interpersonal Conflict and management issues in global
collaboration are threatening to unravel his team.
Greg James at Sun Microsystems, Inc. (B)
This case updates the steps Greg James took to solve the
problems that instigated the crisis.
Greg James solves the problems involved in his team's breakdown
and creates team cohesion to help them function together
Questions to Address
A. What instances of leadership do you see (or want
to see) in Gregs behavior?
B. Are there instances of managerial behavior in
Greg?
C. How are the two different?
D. Are there any commonalities?
E. What are your Learning?
Managers and Leaders: Are They Different?
by Abraham Zaleznik
What Makes a Leader?
by Daniel Goleman
Our References The Work of Leadership
by Ronald A. Heifetz and Donald L.
Laurie
Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?
by Robert Goffee and Gareth Jones
Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups
by V U Druskat and S B Wolff
 Assessing Effectiveness Fit
4RC - Four Resonance Check on Leaders / Managers
Every Organization needs
Leaders / Managers for
Driving their strategic Organization Sun Microsystems
Objective.

It is imperative to Check the

4 Resonance of a leader /
manager with the
Employee
Other elements of Perception Leader / Belief/
to wards
Interactions for their Customer Manager Attitudes/
Values
Fit with the Organizational
Objective/Strategy.
HS Holdings 45 Member Global Team
We shall try to see Banking System 7-France, 16-India
In the next slide we made 11-UAE & 11-US
Alignment
an attempt to at least with External
assess Source

The resonance fit Between

Suns Emerging Strategy TIC, Technology Integration Company
And Gregs ability and
Resonance Fit between
Organization & Leader/Manager
Organization
[Strategy & Industry]
1. Sun Controlled all of the
elements (Technology,
Product, Services etc). Global
Talent:- Choses employees
based on talent or leadership
rather than location.
2. Industry characterized by high
product turnover, Heavy
Investment in R&D, Price war,
Cost Cut i.e., Business need
Adaption, Aggregation &
Arbitrage.
Greg James
1. Specialized in technology, a
star engineer in technical elite.
Rose through development
projects to managing teams.
2. Suns pursuit for a global
presence, James identified for
high profile team management
at implementing enterprise wide
solutions. Adaptive to Open
Work: Applied for him & his
team.
 Top Possible Prevailing
Leadership/Managerial Traits in
Greg (From Case-A)-1/2
A. What instances of leadership do you see (or want to see) in Gregs behav
B. Are there instances of managerial behavior in Greg?
C. How are the two different?
D. Are there any commonalities?
01) Managers and Leaders: Are They

ATTRIBUTE MANAGERS LEADERS EVIDENCE

- Recruitment: Efforts (Page

8, Para 2,3)

- Opportunity identified by
Lawry (Page-5, Last 2 Para)
by Abraham Zaleznik

- Recruitment: Global Team

& Open Work (Page 8, Para
Different?

2,3,4)
Commonality of a Leader & Manager in the Attribute
Uniqueness of a Leader or Manager in the Attribute
 Top Possible Prevailing
Leadership/Managerial Traits in
Greg (From Case-A)-2/2
A. What instances of leadership do you see (or want to see) in Gregs behav
B. Are there instances of managerial behavior in Greg? How are the two diffe
C. Are there any commonalities?
01) Managers and Leaders: Are They

ATTRIBUTE MANAGERS LEADERS EVIDENCE

- Time Zone and Work:

Directing (Page 8, Para
5,6,7,8)
& Exhibit 4.

- Adjective Rich Feedbacks

from India, US, UAE &
by Abraham Zaleznik

France Directing (Page 9-10)

- Greg James: Desire to

work with SUN (Page 5, Last
Different?

Commonality of a Leader & Manager in the4 Attribute

Para)
Uniqueness of a Leader or Manager in the Attribute
Debatable Commonality of a Leader & Manager in the Attribute
 What
Greg Missed
Refer (Case-A)
50
Exhibit-4: Surveys of Satisfaction with Open

Fallacy with
Survey:-
Integrating Europe &
Middle East
Work for Greg James's Team

Of Concern:-
Distance Collaboration
HR Practices
Employee Satisfaction
50
Management Support
WorkSpace Effectiveness

45 Member Global Team

11-US
16-India
7-France
11-UAE
Conflict (Interpersonal) and
management issues in global
collaboration

Viewed as Compensation Want more Culture

US

UAE
France

India
Favorites. Mismatch -30% responsibility Influence
less than US. on customer (Developing
Water Cooler technology relationship
Conversation Job Security customization requires more
(Non US Because of & Innovation time).
Team). LAW. than
maintenance. Feel
Unfair Work Country Based disconnected.
Load ( France Benefit Interpersonal
& US). Vacation. Issue Rahul & Require more
Ahmed. Face-to-Face.
Perceived as
Sub-group on
India.
 What Trait of Leadership in Greg posses
(From Case-A) that showed the results in
Case-B
Self awareness Less evident in case substance (Debatable)
Self regulation Less evident in case substance (Debatable)
Motivation Being driven A passion for the work itself
to achieve for and for new challenges
the sake of Optimism in the face
achievement of failure
Empathy Considering Expert in attracting
others feelings, and retaining talent
especially when Sensitivity to cross cultural
02) What Makes a Leader?

making decisions differences

Social Skill Managing Effectiveness in leading
relationships to change
by Daniel Goleman

move people in Efforts in building

desired and leading teams
directions

Uniqueness to be a Leader
Debatable Uniqueness to be a Leader
 Our Thoughts on Case-A
What probably Greg need to do?
Get on the balcony.
Dont get swept up in the field of play.
Instead, move back and forth between the action and the balcony.
Youll spot emerging patterns, such as power struggles or work
by Ronald A. Heifetz and Donald L. Laurie

avoidance.
This high-level perspective helps you mobilize people to do adaptive
work.
Protect leadership voices from below.
03) The Work of Leadership

Listen to whistle-blowers, creative deviants, and others exposing

contradictions within your company.
Their perspectives can provoke fresh thinking. Ask, What is this guy
really talking about? Have we missed something?
Maintain disciplined attention.
Encourage managers to grapple with divisive (tending to cause
disagreement or hostility between people) issues, rather than indulging in
scapegoating or denial.
Deepen the debateTrait
Leadership to unlock polarized,
required superficial
by Greg James conflict.
Demonstrate collaboration to solve problems.
 Our Learning
What did Greg probably do as a
leader?
Evidence: Case A
The way Greg assessed &
Reflected on the issues
by Robert Goffee and Gareth Jones

Except over Exhibit-4

04) Why Should Anyone Be Led by You?

Evidence: Case B
The way he
Responded
on the issues
 Our Learning : Case-B
How did Greg Understood Emotions of
others?
04) Building the Emotional Intelligence of

Evidence:
Case-B
Groups by V U Druskat and S B Wolff

Page-1, Para 3
Page-2, Para
1,2,3

Case-B
Does not show
Evidence of
integrating
HS Holding or TIC
 Our Learning : Case-B
How did Greg create Awareness of
Emotions?
04) Building the Emotional Intelligence of
Groups by V U Druskat and S B Wolff

Evidence: Case-B
Page-1, Para 2,3
Page-2, Para 1,2,3

Possible steps Greg James took as a Leade

 Our Learning : Case-B
How did Greg help Regulate of
Emotions?
04) Building the Emotional Intelligence of
Groups by V U Druskat and S B Wolff

Evidence: Case-B
Page-1, Para 2,3
Page-2, Para 1,2,3

Possible steps Greg

James took as a Leader
 Our Learning
Questioning Leadership style adapted by
Greg?
India CONSULTING DIRECTIVE
France STYLE (Ideal) STYLE (Ideal)
*
LOW MOTIVATION LOW COMPETENCE
HIGH COMPETENCE HIGH MOTIVATION

DELEGATING SUPPORTIVE
US
STYLE (Ideal) STYLE (Ideal)
HIGH MOTIVATION LOW COMPETENCE
HIGH COMPETENCE LOW MOTIVATION
UAE
(Debatabl
e)
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLES
Thank
You