IV. Application of Organizing Genius One of the latest books by Bennis, this book is targeted to the harried captain of industry. The book is divided into short, easily read chapters and it closes with 15 numbered conclusions, called ''Take-Home Lessons.'' According to Bennis the future belongs to Great Groups and not to ''the romantic idea that great things are usually accomplished by a larger-than-life individual working alone.” Organizing Genius is really about leading those Great Groups, not sharing the duties of those who staff them. Indeed, it is aimed at people suddenly entrusted with a corporate project that involves getting people to work together creatively. The idea of easyGroup began through one man’s vision but is now driven to the top of the charts by a fine group of VP’s and leaders. Hadjioannou realizes the need for a Great Group and the need for the proper staff for that group. “Groups become great only when everyone in them, leaders and members alike, is free to do his or her absolute best.” The book begins by mentioning the end of the Great Man and specifically refers to collaboration, Great Groups, talented recruitment and success. In our society leadership is too often seen as an inherently individual phenomenon. But cooperation and collaboration grow more important every day. Yet people even though they acknowledge collaboration, they strive to distinguish themselves as individuals. People think towards the Great Man or Great Woman instead of the Great Group. Bennis mentions various groups such as Walt Disney, Apple computers and the Manhattan Project. All these groups have altered our shared reality in some significant way. The Manhattan Project ushered in the Nuclear Age with all its benefits and horrors and Disney Feature Animation did more than create an enduring art form. Each one is made up of gifted people and each has sparked creative collaboration elsewhere. Creative collaboration is seen in all art forms from filmmaking to painting to technology. EasyGroup is a young company with a good understanding and excellent leadership functioning as a Great Group even though much of the attention and success is spotlighted on Stelios Hadjioannou. Hadjioannou knows what is needed for this Great Group to keep rising and is keeping the company together through constant success and popularity. A factor of success is something easyGroup is facing at large amounts in Europe and Bennis mentions his take on success. Members who usually succeed are pragmatic dreamers. They are people who get things done, but they are people with immortal longings. People with an original vision. Dreams are always at the heart of every Great Group. Such great leaders seem to incarnate the dream and become one with it. Failure does not exist amongst these groups. Failure is considered a learning experience. Failure is something that easyGroup has not faced. The staff and specifically Hadjioannou have not been faced with failure. Great groups believe they are on a mission from God to make a dent in the universe. Members of the group have a clear understanding of their roles and what they contribute to the group. All seem to start in dismal settings, whether it is in a garage or in an abandoned building. The leader brings talented people on board and often acts as a buffer between the creative people and the administration. The leader holds the vision for the group and challenges group members to stay on course. Great groups also have a common enemy: For Apple, it was IBM. For the Manhattan Project, it was Germany and Japan in World War II. For easyGroup it is emerging local airlines but time has not shown the seriousness since there is no immediate competition for this holding company. Closing his book, Bennis talks about the lessons drawn. The lessons from these stories include that Great Groups usually have strong, protective and well-respected leaders; that their members are the most talented team players in their fields; that they have strong, exclusive missions and cultures; and that they often operate on the fringes of their parent organizations. These lessons can apply to the ventures of easyGroup including easyEverything and easyJet. Both these companies are growing rapidly but are not necessarily operating on the fringes of easyGroup. For example, Hadjioannou formed easyJet before the easyGroup company was created. V. Conclusion EasyGroup is a company with unlimited potential that has been on the rise for the past 2-3 years and keeps expanding. It will be very important for this company to keep its standards and leadership qualities on top. Through lessons learned companies need to work for the needs of the people and that is one of the major elements of easyGroup’s success. Their business strategies are proven to work because easyGroup changes with the environment and the needs of the people and the company itself. Innovation will be very important in the near future and a plan to face potential enemies needs to be created. Also failure, if it occurs, needs to be looked at as a learning experience as Bennis states. This is what makes this Great Group work and is successful. |