INDIVIDUAL PORTFOLIO &

REFLECTION
A350CGE A

ARJUN GOPALAKRISHNAN
9041778
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Element One: Portfolio

1.0. LEARNING OUTCOME 1 & 2

1.1 TRAVIS KALANICK (UBER)

Uber was founded by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp. It is a technological-based
transportation platform that is currently headquartered in California, San Francisco. The company was
valued at US$ 82.4 billion and while being branded as the first mover in International markets (de la
Merced & Conger, 2019). The transportation giant had to face a series of problems and a leadership
crisis due to the incompetency of Kalanick. Mr. Kalanick’s leadership style was authoritative and was
criticized by the board of directors (CNN, 2019).
Travis Kalanick was aggressive with his goals and was ready to achieve them unethically if that is
what it took. Regardless of Uber’s legal affairs, it achieved global domination with its presence in 900
cities and 71 countries (Uber Estimator, 2020). In terms of organizational structure, Uber operates on a
functional hierarchical basis (Chen, 2007)
Leaders exhibit various versions of their leadership styles and capabilities. Mr. Kalanick’s
leadership style was flickering and never constant. He proved that he is a transformational leader by
continuously innovating his services, leading his company into high-grade technology, and continually
trying to infiltrate into new potential markets. As a charismatic leader, he inspired and motivated his
employees to undertake any strategy that would help Uber dominate the market, even if it was
unethical.

1.2 LEADERSHIP ISSUES OF UBER

The prime issues in Uber under CEO Travis Kalanick were low organizational culture, lack of
critical positions within the company, and unethical competition in the market. Other issues identified
within Uber include corrupt practices such as sexual harassment and lack of diversity.
 Leadership Style of the CEO Travis Kalanick
According to Kleinman (2017), Mr. Kalanick indulged in a series of avoidable issues that pulled
him down from his reign (Kleinman, 2017). The authors highlight that some of the Uber operations have
to exercise destructive behaviors under Travis Kalanick. For example, the New York Times that the
company’s employees have been using a “secret program” called Greyball to hide from regulators (The
New York Times, 2017). Based on this analysis, Travis Kalanick’s leadership falls under transformational
leadership, which focuses on organization, performance, and supervision. Hook (2017) supports that
poor leadership is the reason why Uber has put into practice low organizational culture (Hook (2017).
For example, sexual harassment issues that have been raised over the company and CEO Kalanick being
caught on camera arguing with employee overpayments and other issues depict poor leadership skills.
In this case, there is a gap between present culture and future goals, and leadership is the main issue
that has contributed to low corporate or organizational culture. For example, some values of the
corporation support workers to report and betray each other to succeed.
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 Poor Organizational Culture

Uber follows a strict value system that emphasizes growth at all costs disregarding possible
outcomes of incorporating values on cult personality and sexism (Todd (2019). The culture does not
follow the hierarchy system. According to Todd (2019), Uber has a toxic organizational culture
characterized by mismanagement, harassment of employees, and discrimination based on gender
alongside the support of other harmful behaviors. The general rule is that leaders are expected to guide
employees towards achieving the goals of the company. Still, as it is, CEO Travis Kalanick played a more
significant role in allowing toxic cultures to fester at Uber.
 Sexual harassments and rape cases at Uber
Winsor (2021) highlights more than 6000 incidents of reported sexual assault in 2017 and 2018
related to Uber in its new safety report. These are unethical issues that would affect the company's
reputation in one way or the other (Winsor, 2021). This explains why the company has high employee
turnover due to reports of rape. Based on the information, 92% of the victims are the riders which 7%
are the drivers, where women and females are of higher numbers with a percentage of 89%, while men
were 8%.  
1.2 Effect of Kalanick’s leadership on its followers
Transactional leaders enhance compliance using punishments and rewards, and Uber’s
situation explains the contribution of Kalanick to be what it is currently. He is described as an aggressive
leader who fought to ensure that those working in the corporation did not deviate from predetermined
goals and objectives. Hook (2017) reiterates that CEO Travis Kalanick would do anything to ensure that
the company's goals and objectives are achieved (Hook, 2017). However, the employees' effect includes
pressure, demotivation, and lack of morale to undertake tasks. For example, more than 20 executives
resigned during his leadership because of leadership issues within the company.

1.3 Effect on Travis’s Leadership

As much as Travis Kalanick achieved a lot at Uber due to transformational leadership skills, he
suffered a great deal because of failing to solve issues that arose within the corporation (Newcomer
(2017). His leadership cost the company a great deal from reputation, losing customers to legal
settlements leading to loss of finances to lawsuits and poor performances. As highlighted, several issues
were raised concerning his leadership for engaging in unethical competition in the industry and
allegations supporting sexual harassment and discrimination within the company. For example,
Newcomer (2017) explains that Uber paid hackers to delete stolen data, which is one of the results of
poor leadership.  
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Learning Outcome 3:

2.1 Hofstede’s cultural dimension

Hofstede’s cultural dimension highlights the critical framework used to describe differences in
cultures across different countries. Its main cultural dimensions are power distance, individualism versus
collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and universalism versus particularism. Global leadership needs all
leaders to maintain the highest level of degree with a global mindset (Winsor, 2021). Leaders should be
able to work effectively and comfortably in different cultural environments. In the case of Uber, which
operates in the United States, which is well-known for its multiculturalism due to diverse cultures,
Kalanick was expected to value all cultures. However, his leadership was different because it did not
respect other cultures. Kalanick went wrong in his leadership because he did not accept status and
power differences among other executives alongside Uber leaders. This is depicted by the high-power
distance between him and other company leaders, which created inequalities and steep hierarchies.
Kalanick supported an organizational culture that did not follow the hierarchy system.

2.2 Leadership theory, skills, and traits

The trait theory identifies diverse personality traits and features associated with successful
leadership across various situations (Kleinman, 2017).  According to this theory, a leader is successful
because they possess specific characteristics such as self-confidence, adaptability to conditions, problem
solver, willingness to take responsibility and accountability, energy, and alertness to the social
environment. The leaders need to be visionary that is being able to manage through inspiration and
confidence.
MIT entrepreneurs (2015) highlights that Travis Kalanick was energetic, visionary, self-confident,
decisive, assertive, and dominant. Kalanick is described as an active leader because he understood the
purpose of the company and knew the purpose of the corporation was broader than making profits (MIT
entrepreneurs, 2015). He knew creating value by being visionary and confident was the only way to
influence employees towards achieving the company's goals. However, Kalanick failed in his leadership
because he could not take responsibility and accountability for the outcomes of his administration and
adjusting to every situation in the company.
2.3 Future skills that employers need beyond 2020
Future skills that employers would want to include emotional intelligence, tech-savviness,
conflict resolution, problem-solving capabilities, leadership skills, and written and verbal communication
(Winsor, 2021). Gender influence communication in one way or the other. Women consider
communication to create friendships and building relationships. At the same time, men view it as a way
to negotiate for power, avoid failure, offer advice, and seek wins and others.

2.4 Areas for Kalanick to improve

Kalanick should improve its leadership skills and organizational skills to promote unity among
management and employees, promoting reasonable power distance, collectivism, universalism, and
diffuse culture within the corporation (Kleinman, 2017). Also, a safer environment should be provided
where employees are free to air their views and problems. On the same note, organizational culture
needs to be improved to eliminate negative behaviors of sexism, harassment, and discrimination. Lastly,
there is a need to eradicate autocratic-like features in his leadership and adopt full transformational
leadership.
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2.5 My leadership in comparison to Kalanick’s leadership

Kalanick applies a transformational leadership style, but I would love to practice democratic
leadership, where democracy is observed across the corporation. Democracy has a strong correlation
with development and growth, especially in the facet of business (Winsor, 2021). Transformational
leadership style tends to overlook details and focus on the bigger picture creating gaps within the
organization. Applying a democratic leadership style will allow me to incorporate everyone in the
decision-making process, promoting collectivism rather than individualism. Unlike Kalanick, who does
not want to take responsibility and accountability for his leadership actions, I always take responsibility
for my actions.
Leadership styles vary across organizations ranging from transformational, transactional, democratic,
autocratic, affiliative, and authoritative to laisseiz-faire style. I believe a democratic leadership style is
the most effective leadership style (Newcomer (2017). Compared to Kalanick’s leadership style,
democratic leadership gives room for efficient problem solving, building team relations, enhances
workable management hierarchies, and facilitates a strong and clear vision for the future alongside
inviting higher commitment levels. I would encourage leaders to adopt this form of leadership because
of its advantages.

ELEMENT 2 – REFLECTION

3.0 LEARNING OUTCOME 4

In this section, a Leadership development plan and Personal reflection peace will be presented. The
theories that will be incorporated will be SWOT, SMART GOALS and Gibbs reflective cycle.

3.1 GIBBS REFLECTIVE CYCLE

a. Description – I chose Travis Kalanick, setting him as a bad leader. I further described his
leadership style and analyzed its impact on Uber and the CEO’s leadership. A brief discussion
about dimensions of culture, Travis’s leadership traits, future skills that employers want after
2020 and effect of gender on communication was carried out in element one.

b. Feelings – In my opinion, Travis Kalanick was a good leader but he allowed the worst side of him
to take over unnecessarily. Upon reading this case study on Uber, I was initially shocked to
discover that an International firm’s CEO made himself as an example for a bad leader.
c. Evaluation- On the positive side, this coursework enabled me to understand the importance of
organizational culture and to what extents it could affect a leader. On the negative side, I
discovered multiple defects with my leadership attitude and style. I was also able to understand
how poor leadership could affect a firm’s financial profitability quickly. As Under incurred at
least a Billion-dollar loss due to poor leadership.
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d. Analysis – Using the SWOT framework, I analyzed and compared myself to Travis Kalanick. I
believe my core strengths are honesty and integrity, delegation, empowerment, and I am an
effective communicator. My weaknesses are being too critical and micromanaging employees by
constantly checking on them. My threats are inability to manage conflicts and lack of self-
awareness. My opportunities are cross cultural experiences, practicing ethical means leadership
and ability to go again my own institutions if there are mistakes.
e. Conclusions – In conclusion, workers must be treated the same way you expect customers to
treat you. A strong morale and leadership vision can aid in avoiding blatant mistakes as what
Travis made. Uber’s model has been identified to be disruptive and divisive. A leader must
eradicate the existence of sexism and sexual harassment within the firm (Shereen Ali, 2017)
f. Action plan – Setting goals, plotting a plan to achieve them, and comparing performance are the
key parts of effective leadership. To improve my leadership skills and avoid following Mr.
Kalanick’s pathway I will be formulating goals using the SMART goals theory. My SMART goals
are as follows:

 Specific - Motivate my team better in future and provide adequate feedbacks. This can be
done by understanding and improving my communication skills. I have partaken in multiple
workshops and webinars on effective communication. I also aim to manage employees
better in the near future by giving them their space to work.
 Measurable – Attend 10 webinars and workshops on leadership as well as continuous
professional development. Hold nearly 5 public presentations to improve stage fright and
communication skills.
 Attainable – Provide constructive feedbacks through weekly basis to team workers. Adapt
laissez faire style of leadership to allow team workers to corroborate amongst themselves.
 Relevant – Public speaking can help aid in boosting confidence and improving clarity in
messages which would reduce time wastage in questions from the team.
 Timeliness – 35% improvement in communication skills, 50% improvement in general
leadership within 8 months.

3.2 NEEDS ANALYSIS –

Upon understanding the importance of leadership, I have concluded that leaders

commence as individuals who work and deal with fellow peer in the society. This plays
an important role in developing them as the leader they are. I believe that I need to
improve on practicing what I teach. I often find myself making statements and then
contradicting myself. Effective leaders must believe in their decisions which will aid in
gaining recognition amongst fellow team workers. I also understood that regardless of
my chosen leadership style, there will be certain issues that must be faced in a working
environment. I could handle this by handling the situations in a professional and ethical
way.
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References
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Billion. Technology jobs nyc. Retrieved 8 January 2021, from
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workplace-culture-is-a-risk-factor/.
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8 January 2021, from https://www.businessofapps.com/data/uber-statistics/.
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