In this paper, I will analyze the case of a leading American company. Aluminum Company of America, or Alcoa has embraced the leadership imperative of identifying, mentoring, and developing the talent to fuel sustainable innovation. Alcoa has worked extensively on the development of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education, talent development and acquisition, with a focus on diversity. Advancing Initiatives Alcoa is advancing several of the leadership initiatives, for this paper I will only discuss a few. Each initiative ties into the overall company strategy to build a sustainable innovative workforce. Each shows the company is dedicated to improving the global workforce availability and overall education base and technical …show more content…
Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) 2.0 was formed as a continuing effort to maintain Unites States leadership in the world in emerging technologies, create high quality manufacturing jobs and enhance America’s global competitiveness. Alcoa has also collaborated with Dow Chemical Company and Siemens to create a mentoring playbook for corporations and educational facilities to develop apprenticeship programs. Alcoa is also working on certification programs and advanced manufacturing programs with other groups. The American Lightweight and Modern Metals Innovation Institute (ALMMII) is a group of sixty companies working together with Alcoa to establish STEM curricula to educate the next generation of manufacturing operators and engineers by streamlining certificates and training (Hudson, …show more content…
The three areas which need the strongest leadership are the mentoring, educational and partnership endeavors. Each of these areas require a strong, and motivated leader. The leaders for these projects will need to guide team members with a well thought out plan. Effective leaders steer their followers, rather than manage them. By communicating the vision, helping the team to connect the vision to their own work and finally motivating and enticing employees and recruits with the new and interesting technologies (Zheng, Khoury, & Grobmeier, 2010). They can help streamline education and training to employment pathways, increase awareness about technological careers, and contribute to and develop government-funded training programs (Hudson, 2014). An experienced leader will know the key to leading, is to help the team arrive at the answer without completely directing each decision, a hands-off approach is beneficial to allow the individual and team to reach their own goals and ideas and increases innovation (Zheng et al., 2010). Occasionally with partnerships, leading requires directing individuals who are above the leader in the hierarchy, this requires a confident, experienced, and skilled individual. Lastly, strong leaders work to protect and promote their teams, by buffering the unnecessary administrative duties and rainmaking or making external connections for the team and promoting