Challenging Tasks of a Leader

Challenging Tasks of a Leader

Jackie Olney

BUS 660 Contemporary Issues in Organizational Leadership

Dr. Karen Lynne-Daniels Ivy

December 9, 2013

Abstract

Leaders face many challenges when developing, starting, and maintaining a successful organization. There are many expectations put on an organization by stakeholders, investors, employees, and customers accelerating the importance to meet or exceed expectations. The Alberto-Culver Company is one such organization. They have had difficulties meeting the simplest of expectations. The Alberto-Culver leadership is constantly facing barriers and challenges and before the company gets into a situation they cannot recover from they must identify and resolve those issues. The acquisition of Alberto-Culver by Unilever positioned them to become a powerhouse in the hair care and product industry. However, the acquisition has been met with many obstacles and leadership challenges but both companies are working hard to resolve them for the best interest of everyone.

Challenging Tasks of a Leader

Leonard H. Lavin, business person, racehorse owner and breeder, and philanthropist founded the Alberto-Culver Company in 1955 (Alberto, 2001). The company opened its first plant in the Illinois community of Melrose Park. The Alberto-Culver company is a family own business that makes and distributes reasonably priced name brand products (Alberto-Culver, 2001). The products have been priced and designed to sell in any demographic area. Alberto-Culver’s success has been their ability to diversify with making and selling beauty products. Sally’s Beauty is the world’s largest distributor of beauty supplies to salons and Alberto-Culver claims 60% of those sales and 70% of the profits. Alberto-Culver is the second largest seller of hair-care products geared toward the African American population. The company also does more than hair care products, included in the list of products are Static Guard spray and Mrs. Dash food...