Was Bloomberg an effective leader?

1. Could he have dealt with situations differently?

Bloomberg was a very effective leader, one whom made decisions with considerable reasoning. However, although he desired to maintain the flat organizational structure of the company, I felt that it was too wide a span of control for any manager or head to manage. This may cause stress in the person managing the huge group of people and may even increase the risks of miscommunication occurring. A group of so many under only an individual could serve to demotivate the subordinates as they may feel left out under their superior since that superior may not have enough time on their hands to entertain too many people for too long a period of time. Maintaining a flat organizational structure for long is also wishful thinking since the company would sooner or later increase in population. A better idea would have been to attempt to maintain the flat organizational structure while making preparations and plans for the organizational structure in the future. This allows a smoother and better organizational transition from a flat structure to a tall one.

Another concern I would like to address lies in his workaholic nature. Like in any other situation, the company founded by the person would in most cases, reflect the personality of the person. As mentioned above, many Bloomberg LP employees complain of a punishing work schedule since Bloomberg is himself, a workaholic. As a superior, or most importantly, the head of a company, the most significant thing to know is what an employee needs. We as human beings require productivity, but we aren’t machines and we all require rest; Bloomberg should not implement requirements of long working hours on all employees as this not only serves to suppress them, but also prevent themselves from having a life out of work. It does not help if his motive is to increase productivity as this implementation would instead, cause his employees further fatigue and even impede their progress and productivity.

2. What was his best moment as a leader?

‘His best moment’ would entirely lie in the definition of these words. Assuming this question asks of the best decisions he made as a leader, I would say the way he drove and motivated the organisation. In my opinion, the idea of having transparent glass doors and having to sit in cubicles regardless of organisational status was excellent. These aspects really serve to reflect an employee-centered corporate culture where the common gap or distance between a boss and employee isn’t seen. The fact that he valued new ideas and open communication over job titles have definitely serve to motivate employees and aid in the success of the company as a whole. In situations like these, Bloomberg is seen to be an extremely balanced leader in terms that he provides his employees with cordiality and hospitality and ensures perks are given whenever deserved but ensures a certain limit to it. He makes the employees feel comfortable but tells them what is expected of them, illustrating a control-based culture reinforced by constant and consistent supervision. Bloomberg has definitely put a lot of thought into the management of Bloomberg L.P as a whole and has tweaked and altered several aspects of how it could be managed to better suit the needs and wants of his employees.