Since I was too much of a knucklehead to complete college when I started, I am now back in school at the age of forty. Crap.

Anyway, we are required to write different reports/blogs and post them for other students to read and comment upon. This was to write about a leader (in business, politics, etc.) that we respect. My professor for this class was very impressed by the report, and found my analysis of Bill Schultz to be inspiring. As short as it is, I wrote much more than what was required.

Tell me what you think about the report...I'd really like your opinions.

Also, note the small bit of self-promotion in the first paragraph.

My chosen leader is not well-known by name or reputation outside of his field, but he affected the way all of us (musicians or not) make or enjoy music. If you have ever listened to music by artists ranging from Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix to Buck Owens to the Screamin' Armadillos, you have been affected by Fender guitars and amplifiers. During a crucial period in the company's history (1985 to 2005), Bill Schultz was the CEO of Fender Musical Instruments.

To provide some background, in 1946 Leo Fender started the corporation that made Fender guitars, amplifiers, PA systems and effects. In 1965, he sold Fender Musical Instruments to CBS (who had controlling interest in everything from television and radio stations to Westinghouse appliances to the ownership of the New York Yankees). As cost-cutting measures were adopted and artisans were replaced by line production workers, the quality of iconic instruments such as the Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster began to slip. By the late 1970s, most musicians agree that the appearance, playability, sound and reliability of Fender instruments were abominable.

In 1981, Schultz was hired from Yamaha to help a struggling and dismal Fender company. By returning to what had made Fender instruments great in the first place—attractive, playable and affordable instruments that sounded good—the company slowly started to turn around. In 1985, he led an employee-based buyout of CBS. Equipped with a small amount of remaining parts in stock and limited manufacturing equipment, Shultz planned a return to glory for Fender. (Wheeler, 2004)

Schultz led with passion, vision and belief in the company. (Anonymous, 2006) Through hits (the Vintage Reissue instruments and amplifiers; the signature models based on the specifications of performers such as Eric Clapton) and misses (the “Two Knob Stratocaster”; the infamous red-knob solid state amplifiers), the company moved forward. Schultz also was known for listening to people’s suggestions and ideas—no matter what position the person held or what their appearance was. John Page, a Fender employee at the time, stated, “I was this young, freaky, long-haired, Mohawk-looking dude…and Bill Shultz is asking me how to improve things. And he listened.” (Wheeler, 2004)

Through his tireless efforts and his inspiration of others to complete the nearly impossible task of turning the manufacturer around, Schultz showed Transformational Leadership and Visionary Ability Leadership skills. Transformational leadership is idealized influence, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation, and intellectual stimulation. He showed those traits by depending upon experts in luthiery as well as taking sound business advice. He also listened to what musicians (a notoriously hard-to-please group) wanted, and delivered.

He also was able to inspire others to re-build a formerly grand enterprise by promoting his vision for the products--and the company. The ability to share and promote a vision (Visionary Ability) is defined in the text thus: “Such a vision cannot be generated by a mechanical formula. Judgment and analytical ability are needed to synthesize the vision, but intuition and creativity are important as well. To develop an appealing vision, it is essential to have a good understanding of the organization (its operations, products, services, markets, competitors, and social-political environment), its culture (shared beliefs and assumptions about the world and the organization’s place in it), and the underlying needs and values of employees and other stakeholders.” (Yukl, 2010) My favorite picture of Schultz shows him standing on a machine on the production floor, delivering an animated pep talk to the workers in the factory...sharing his vision.



Without Bill Schultz there would probably be no Fender Musical Instruments Incorporated today, and the world would be a worse place for it.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Very cool Bro! Thanks for posting!

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Great to hear! Thanks for the post and good luck with school.

Gridlok