1. Blake Mycoskie’s
Leadership Analysis
Team M & Y
Yahya Abdulqader
Minyu Huang
Mustafa Shaik
Dr. Joseph Martelli
MBA 610.01
Fall 2014
The University of Findlay

2. Mycoskie’s Book
 The idea that inspired Mycoskie to create the TOMS.
 Advices on how to start in establishing an
organization or company.
“You don’t have to be rich to
give back and you don’t have
to retire to spend every day
doing what you love. You can
find profit, passion, and
meaning all at once-right
now.”

3. Mycoskie’s Biography
 Born in August 26, 1976 in
Arlington, Texas, USA.
 Attended Southern Methodist
University on a partial tennis
scholarship.
 Career: 1996-2006, EZ Laundry,
Mycoskie Media, Cable
Network Reality Central.

4. TOM’S Story
 2006. Argentina.
 American woman on a shoe-drive.
 “Create a for-profit business to help provide shoes for these children.”

5. One for One Movement
♥ Pair of shoes.
♥ Book
♥ Pair of sunglasses or eye wear.

6. PART 1. Introduction to Mycoskie’s Leadership
The reality for Mycoskie’s Leadership
 The ability to change
 Flexible and a good follower for new trends and
respond to them quickly.
 “We are also quick to use ideas that come
from our supporters, rather than our own
brainstorming.”

7. The reality for Mycoskie’s Leadership
 Empowerment
 “You can’t motivate someone by giving him
or her the position but not the power
to do the job.”
PART 1. Introduction to Mycoskie’s Leadership

8.  Cooperation
 Cooperation between employees and their managers or
among employees themselves.
 Cooperation between the organization itself and the
other organizations.
 “A company can enjoy valuable contributions from all
levels of employees at all locations.”
 “AT&T benefited from their connection to our story-
TOMS gave them an inspiring, human-scale way to
connect to people, and TOMS benefited from the
exposure of being a part of a global brand’s massive ad
buy.”
PART 1. Introduction to Mycoskie’s Leadership
The reality for Mycoskie’s Leadership

9. Mycoskie Integrates between Management and Leadership
PART 1. Introduction to Mycoskie’s Leadership
Direction. Planning and budgeting as a manager and creating vision
and strategy as a leader.
Alignment. He tends to be a leader rather than manager as he
created shared culture (TOMS’ story), values, high ethical
standards, and helped other to grow, as well as reduced boundaries
and built trust among customers and employees alike.
Relationship. He focuses on people, inspires and motivates
followers, as well as focuses on the products and services. He
acting as a coach or servant rather than acting as a boss.
Outcomes. He created a culture of efficiency and integrity at the
same time.
Personal qualities. Mycoskie is an open-minded leader. He loves to
talk as well as listen to others especially those he give to.

10. PART 2. Research Perspective on Mycoskie’s Leadership
Behavior Approach of Mycoskie’s Leadership
Democratic Style: ”Delegates authority to others, encourages
participation, relies on subordinates’ knowledge for
completion of tasks, and depends on subordinates respect for
influence.”
 “The contemporary workplace is much flatter: A company
can enjoy valuable contributions from all levels of employees
at all locations.”
 “Have a group of enthusiastic people around you.”
 “Thrive on interns, who can challenge your ideas and make
you feel young and confident, no matter how old and scared
you are.”

11. PART 2. Research Perspective on Mycoskie’s Leadership
Contingency Approach to Mycoskie’s Leadership
Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Theory: Selling Style, “high
concern for both relationship and tasks.”
 “We look at our vendors as partners.”
 “I am convinced that there is a direct correlation between
job satisfaction and how empowered people are to fully
execute their job without someone shadowing them every
step of the way.”
 “I realized that TOMS was a story as much as it was a
product.”

12. PART 3. The Personal Side of Mycoskie’s Leadership
Mycoskie as an Individual
Problem Solving Style: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
ENFJ: Extravert (89%), iNtuitive (50%), Feeling (25%), Judging (33%).
• Tremendous charisma.
• Tremendous power to manipulate others.
• Believe in their dreams, and see themselves as helpers and enablers.
• Global learners.
• Juggle an amazing number of responsibilities or projects at the same time.
• Tremendous entrepreneurial ability.
• Neglect themselves and their own needs for the needs of others.
• Know and appreciate people.
• See the big picture.
• Open-door policy.

13. PART 3. The Personal Side of Mycoskie’s Leadership
Mycoskie’s Mind and Emotions
Emotional Intelligence: Leading with Heart and Mind (EIQ Test)
Self-Awareness Self-Management Social-Awareness Relationship Management
9 9 10 9
People who score high on emotional intelligence tend to be:
- Skilled at interpreting, understanding, and acting upon
emotions.
- They are adept at dealing with social or emotional conflicts.
- Expressing their feelings.
- Dealing with emotional situations.

14. PART 3. The Personal Side of Mycoskie’s Leadership
The Courage and Moral Side in Mycoskie’s Leadership
 Mycoskie is a moral leader (spreads TOMS’ story as much as he can).
 Mycoskie deeply believe in servant leadership style.
 “Truly great servant leaders are inspiring.”
 “Your job is to help others do their jobs better.”
 “Two of the major executives at TOMS are both quintessential
servant leaders.”
 Mycoskie is leading with courage. (The ability to step forward through fear).
 “The six principles— Face Your Fears.”

15. PART 3. The Personal Side of Mycoskie’s Leadership
The followers of Mycoskie’s Company
 “We would work hard and then play hard.”
• Collaborators, empowered.
• Have a passion for success and love to work efficiently.
• Participants in the noble mission of the company.
• They have unusual titles, such as Shoe Glue, Straight Shoeter, Shoe Chief, Shoe
Lace, Shoe Dude, And Cash Shoe.
 “Sometimes when I talk about our employees, people respond that TOMS can get
away with this kind of trust because we have such great people.”

16. PART 4. Mycoskie as a Relationship Builder
Mycoskie’s Leadership and Motivation
 The best theories of motivation that fit to Mycoskie’s leadership is Acquired Needs
Theory. (Need for achievement, need for affiliation, need for power).
 “I’d always been determined in my business ventures, hungry to succeed and challenge myself to
new levels. But I’m more hungry than ever now.”
 Mycoskie empower people to meet higher needs.
 “I am convinced that there is a direct correlation between job satisfaction and how empowered
people are to fully execute their job without someone shadowing them every step of the way.”
 Mycoskie give meaning to work thought engagement (TOMS’ Story).
 “An engaging, meaningful story, Blake observes, immediately clarifies your brand’s identity.”
 “Customers can become part of the story by simply buying your product.”

17. PART 4. Mycoskie as a Relationship Builder
Mycoskie’s Leadership Communication
 Mycoskie creates an open work-space environment/
climate.
 “TOMS’ current work space is essentially a
warehouse with no offices.
“This setup encourages easy and quick
communication— anyone can talk to anyone else at any
time; there is little division between the top executives
and the customer-service people.”
 The power of TOMS’ story.
 “Stories are the most primitive and purest form of
communication.”

18. PART 4. Mycoskie as a Relationship Builder
Mycoskie as a Team Leader
 Trust: one of the most effective characteristic of Mycoskie's team.
 “Trust is a fundamental part of a business.”
 “Trust works on various levels and includes employees, vendors, and customers.”
 Mycoskie was able to lead his team to high performance.
“The better your employees feel about their jobs, the better your business performs.”
 “Be sure that everyone on the team is performing to their fullest capabilities. So, as a leader, your
job is to help others do their jobs better.”
 Mycoskie was able to handle his team conflict.
“I have always had a zero-tolerance policy for bad-mouthing other employees.”
“If an employee makes a mistake, say so. Don’t tell other people, or pretend it didn’t happen.”
“Show some emotion when talking to your people.”

19. PART 4. Mycoskie as a Relationship Builder
Mycoskie’s Leadership and Diversity
 TOMS’ Story itself.
 TOMS Founders. (Mycoskie and his two Argentine friends).
 Multinational branches.
 TOMS’ employees are from different nationalities, ethnics,
backgrounds, and they have different experiences.
 Different partners.

20. PART 4. Mycoskie as a Relationship Builder
Mycoskie’s Leadership power and influence
 The best influential leadership that Mycoskie followed is
Coalitional Leadership.
- Using TOMS’ story to attract people towards the social initiative
and expanding the company.
- As a marketing strategy.
 Mycoskie uses soft power. (personal characteristics,
interpersonal relationship rather than position).

21. PART 5. Mycoskie as Social Architect
Mycoskie Creating Visions and Strategic Direction.
Mycoskie vision.
 “The work I’m doing isn’t only for myself and the TOMS
family but also for the millions of children around the world
whose feet sorely need shoes.”
 Mycoskie translates vision, values, and purpose
into action.

22. PART 5. Mycoskie as Social Architect
Mycoskie’s Company: Shaping Culture and values.
TOMS’ culture gives employees a sense of organizational identity and generates a
commitment to particular values and ways of doing things.
 “Everyone feels they are part of one team, and that helps create a great company culture from the start.”
 Mycoskie’s cultural leadership can be seen as he used TOMS’ story to illustrate the
company’s primary values to clients, costumers, and employees.
 Adaptability culture of TOMS: Mycoskie encourages values that support the company’s
ability to explain and translate signals from the environment into new behavior
responses.
 TOMS’ executives managers have the ability to act freely, take
decisions, and motivate employees.

23. Conclusion
• We know business leaders who took on bankrupt companies and brought them back to track. Also
some leaders grew within companies to become leaders. But Blake started everything form scratch
and made a profitable company out of a simple idea.
• He is a perfect social entrepreneur who gave an example that simple ideas can make big
changes.
• A social cause what he only had in the beginning but now it is worth a company which is as best
as others in the field. Doing good profits and charity.
• Many organizations now use charity as a marketing strategy to connect with people.
• We do not know our Fate but we can build our future and help others to their and make the world
a better place.

24. References
Blake Mycoskie (n.d.). IMDb.com. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1166547/bio
Blake Mycoskie (n.d.). TOMS.com. Retrieved from http://www.toms.com/blakes-bio
Blake Mycoskie (n.d.). Wikipedia.org. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blake_Mycoskie
Butt, J. (n.d.). ENFJ description. Humanmetrics.com. Retrieved from
http://www.humanmetrics.com/personality/enfj
Daft, R. (2011). The leadership experience. Masson, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Discover your level of EI. (2004). Maetrix.com. Retrieved from http://www.maetrix.com.au/cgi-
bin/eiscore.pl
Mycoskie, B. (2012). Start something that matters. New York, NY: Spiegel & Grau Trade Paperbacks.
What's Your EQ? (2014). About.com. Retrieved from
http://psychology.about.com/library/quiz/bl_eq_quiz_results.htm?cor=89