Case Study: A Remarkable Turnaround

1. Using the OCEAN (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, and Neuroticism) Model

(Lim, 2020) of describing leadership traits, Carol is someone who possesses the qualities

of an efficient and empathetic leader. Her openness to change and experience is

evidenced by the interview she conducted with current and former employees of Baines

company. Getting ideas and feedback from employees provides Carol with insight and

knowledge on the inner working of the company. Unlike new leaders, she is organized

and detailed when it comes to being conscientious about running the business. Carol

knows what she wants to do with the company both in the short-term and in the long-

term. By setting goals, she slowly saw her vision for the company come to life.

Carol is shown to care for employees as seen by her devotion to them. She supported

their interests while being a figure that they can look up to. Carol’s battle with Cancer

and her management with the business inspired employees around her to contribute for

the betterment of the company. She is a person who embodied the saying “grace under

pressure.” Despite battling Cancer, Carol ran the Baines company and made it grow

through the years while keeping employees motivated and happy. In fact, they trust her

with how she ran the company. There are very few leaders who are capable of achieving

what Carol did. Some leaders often lose themselves or even the business when under the

pressure that Carol was under in. And yet, she has shown that with dedication to her

visions, support for her employees, and openness to the changing market of the business,

the company will grow and thrive.

2. Leadership is a vital aspect for development and success of any business organization

(Hamdan). As the one who helms the business, leaders serve as the compass, both moral

and directional, in determining where the company goes and what it wants to be. This is

why leadership traits can make or break the success of a business. In Carol’s case, her

leadership traits saved a company that otherwise would’ve failed after her husband’s

death. She was far from a perfect leader yet she exhibited mostly positive traits of a

leader. She had a clear vision of what she wanted to do with Baines Company. She laid a

plan out a plan for the business, talked and supported employees, and took on a hands-on

approach on the company. It is evidenced by the exponential growth of the company, less

1|Page
 employee turnover, and increase in the competitiveness of Baines company in their target

market.

If Carol fell under the pressure of her circumstances, being diagnosed with Cancer while

having to run the business that her husband left, the company would’ve failed. Early on,

she recognized the value of taking the helm of the business even if she was previously

indirectly involved with its inner workings. Coupled with her leadership traits, Carol was

not only able to save their business but managed to make it grow and thrive all the while

battling Cancer and keeping the employees of the company happy and motivated.

3. According to an article published in American Express (Newlands, 2017), managing

multiple businesses requires one to learn how to prioritize, how to not sweat the small

stuff, and how to work closely with the employees to name a few are essential. In the

case at hand, Carol has exhibited these requirements efficiently despite her medical

issues.

In fact, if she was able to handle Baines during her battle with the big C, how much more

if she was already in good health. This is why Carol would certainly make a good leader

in other business contexts. Her overall traits as a leader while running Baines company

shows how flexible she is in handling countless aspects of the business. What’s more, is

that despite having a hands-on approach with her business, she still leaves room to

provide support and even establish a good relationship with her employees. Carol is fully

capable of not only running multiple businesses but even handle any business context

properly too.

2|Page
Sources:

Ackerman, Courtney, E. (n.d.). Big Five Personality Traits: The OCEAN Model

Explained. https://www.positivepsychology.com/big-five-personality-theory/

Lim, Annabelle, G.Y. (2020, June, 15). The Big Five Personality Traits.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/big-five-personality.html#author

Hamdan, Asma, Talal. (n.d.). Leadership Traits for Organizational Success.

https://www.ligsuniveristy.com/en/blogspot/leadership-traits-for-organizational-success/

Duggan, Tara. (n.d.) Factors that Affect Business Leadership.

https://www.yourbusiness.azcentral.com/factors-affect-business-leadership-8791.html/

Newlands, Murray. (2017, July, 18). 9 Ways You Can Successfully Oversee Multiple

Businesses. https://www.amreicanexpress.com/articles/9-ways-you-can-successfully-

oversee-multiple-businesses/

3|Page