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
Greg collaboration
James are threatening to unravel
at Sun Microsystems, his
Inc. (B)
team.
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
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?
Our References by Daniel Goleman
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
 Assessing Effectiveness Fit
4RC - Four Resonance Check on Leaders /
Managers
Every Organization needs
Leaders / Managers for
Organizati
Driving their strategic on Sun Microsystems
Objective.

It is imperative to Check es
am
the J
eg
4 Resonance of a leader / r
Leader G Employee
manager with the Perception / Belief/
to wards
Other elements of Customer Manag Attitudes/
Values
Interactions for their er
Fit with the Organizational
Objective/Strategy.HS Holdings 45 Member Global Team
Banking System 7-France, 16-India
We shall try to see 11-UAE & 11-US
Alignment
In the next slide we with
External
made an attempt to at Source
least assess
The resonance fit TIC, Technology Integration Company
Between
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 beha
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

ATTRIBUTE MANAGERS LEADERS EVIDENCE

- Recruitment: Efforts
(Page 8, Para 2,3)

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

Para)
They Different?

- Recruitment: Global
Team & Open Work (Page
Commonality of a Leader & Manager in 8, Para
the 2,3,4)
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 beha
B. Are there instances of managerial behavior in Greg? How are the two diff
C. Are there any commonalities?
01) Managers and Leaders: Are

ATTRIBUTE MANAGERS LEADERS EVIDENCE

- Time Zone and Work:

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

- Adjective Rich
by Abraham Zaleznik

Feedbacks from India,

US, UAE & France
They Different?

Directing (Page 9-10)

- Greg James: Desire to

work with SUN (Page 5,
Commonality of a Leader & Manager in the
LastAttribute
4 Para)
Uniqueness of a Leader or Manager in the Attribute
Debatable Commonality of a Leader & Manager in the Attribu
 What
Greg Missed
Refer (Case-A)

50
Exhibit-4: Surveys of Satisfaction
with Open Work for Greg James's

Fallacy with
Survey:-
Integrating Europe
& Middle East
Of Concern:-
Distance Collaboration
HR Practices
Employee Satisfaction
50
Management Support
WorkSpace Effectiveness

45 Member Global Team

11-US
Team

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

Viewed as Compensatio Want more Culture

India
US

France

UAE
Favorites. n Mismatch responsibility Influence
-30% less on customer (Developing
Water Cooler than US. technology relationship
Conversation customization requires more
(Non US Job Security & Innovation time).
Team). Because of than
LAW. maintenance. Feel
Unfair Work disconnected.
Load ( France Country Interpersonal
& US). Based Benefit Issue Rahul & Require more
Vacation. Ahmed. Face-to-Face.
Perceived as
Sub-group on
 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
to achieve for itself and for new
the sake of challenges
achievement Optimism in the face
02) What Makes a Leader?

of failure
Empathy Considering Expert in attracting
others and retaining talent
feelings, Sensitivity to cross
by Daniel Goleman

especially cultural differences

when
making
decisions
Social Skill Managing Effectiveness in leading
Uniqueness to be relationships
a Leader to change
move people in Efforts in building
Debatable Uniqueness to be a Leader
desired and leading teams
 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.

avoidance.
This high-level perspective helps you mobilize people to do
03) The Work of Leadership

adaptive work.
Protect leadership voices from below.
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.
Laurie

Leadership
Deepen Trait required
the debate to unlock by Greg James
polarized, superficial 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
Except over Exhibit-4
by Robert Goffee and Gareth Jones
04) Why Should Anyone Be Led by

Evidence: Case B
The way he
Responded
You?

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

Evidence:
Case-B
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 Lead

 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
(Debatab
le)
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLES
Thank
You