My country is Cuba

1. A Representative’s Introduction
             
Our leadership slogan is "Success at any cost”

Session 2. Today’s Leadership of the Country: an Expert Analysis
             
    There are several aspects to business leadership nowadays. Cuba is a totalitarian country which actually means that the people in power have taken leadership and rules the country by force. So the style of leadership of this country is autocratic. Cuba is strictly government regulated and it shows slow signs of becoming more open to other countries. I want also mention that Cuban economy is influenced by corruption. The next aspect is that In middle-sized companies, the CEO is very often the owner of the enterprise and even in very large firm a family name or connections may dominate the structure.
    In my opinion the autocratic style of leadership is appropriate for certain situations. For example, emergencies require a strong leader to keep order. This style of leadership leaves many employees unhappy and undervalued. So the relationships between leader and his employees must be changed to reach equity between them.
     I think good business leadership in the country should carry honorable character and selfless service to the people of the organization. Effective leadership should carry trust and confidence, openness and dedication, humility and creativity.

Session 3. Intercultural Business Leadership Framework:  a Conceptual Model of the Country

    It will be quite interesting to see in the coming years how the intercultural leadership is affected by the strong emergence of countries such as Ukraine. Even though cross-cultural thinking has been part of the corporate world for quite some time it will most likely be even more important to strengthen the existing relations with Ukraine. We will cooperate in transport, aviation, agriculture, tourism, health care, information and education sectors.


Session 4. The Most Prominent Business Leaders in the Country are Fidel and Raul Castro.
   
    Fidel Castro is the best example of an autocratic leader. He killed many of his opposition to rule the country. He nationalized private companies in Cuba, he took from the rich and redistributed wealth. Cubans became prisoners in their own country.
   Fidel Castro is action oriented, even if the action is dangerous. This characteristic is traceable to his childhood, has remained with him to the present, and is closely tied to a strong character, determination, and persistence. He claims the basic feature of a revolutionary is struggle.
Self assurance, strong will, is all accompanied by keen intelligence. Even opponents concede that Castro is bright, insightful, and well-read. Like any effective strategist or actor he has an uncanny sense of timing. His loyal and devoted followers see him as a man of integrity, personal courage and selflessness. His public speaking is the work of a craftsman who understands and uses well the psychology of Cubans. One author has called his ability a "rare oratorical virtuosity." He educates, instructs, explains, criticizes, and persuades, attacks. His oratory attempts to inspire confidence, to stir to action, to move.
   The Cuban political system set up by Castro is an uneasy balance of formal institutions and charismatic authority. His leadership is based not on constitutional rule but on the permanent reaffirmation of his authority he receives from the mobilization of the population. His contact with the population is his very claim to power.
    Castro is able to organize, even to delegate authority (on those he trusts rather than those who may be competent). He also has a unique quality: he integrates disparate views within revolutionary ranks, unifying diverse views and discovering common grounds. It is on that basis that he also leads, while providing all other revolutionaries the essential link they lack with the population. It is through his consensus building that a line is established -- although if the consensus is not joined, he then is intolerant of the dissenter. He then makes public the synthesis. In that sense Fidel Castro is the Great Synthesizer and the Great Communicator.

Session 5. Discussion-session
       
    All to often I hear stories of business leadership where a leader burns out after some years in that position. This usually arises from stress of different sorts. Reasons could include poor communication, high expectations, personal insecurity.

Closing Session

    Personally I think that the autocratic style of leadership has more bad sides than good ones. It is appropriate in certain situations. This style is good for the leader, but not for the employees. The autocratic style of leadership can decrease motivation and increase staff turnover because staff are not consulted and do not feel valued. The workforce may be mistrustful of their leader. But if you are part of an autocratic group, you can still use teams profitably and improve the morale of your employees if you do it wisely.

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