Steve Jobs: Characteristics of Business Leadership - Assignment Example

? Characteristics of Business Leadership: Steve Jobs Characteristics of Business Leadership: Steve Jobs Describe the business leader's primary business or businesses, highlighting how the leader got started and analyze the leader’s 3 major business challenges in establishing and/or running the company The late Steve Jobs is one of the people who revolutionized the computing industry to become what it is today. “He was born on February 24, 1955 and died on October 5, 2011” (Lohr, 2002). After his birth, Jobs was adopted by Paul Jobs and his wife who he loved so much that he said were his real parents and refused to name his real parents even in his autobiography. Paul Jobs, his father, was a machinist who gave young Jobs hands on experience with electronics and helped to fuel his curiosity and passion to work with electronics. It is during this time that the seed was planted and grew to make Jobs who he was, a global icon. Just to mention, Jobs had an adopted sister, Patti. Jobs was a cofounder and pioneer of Apple Computer Inc., Chief Executive of Pixar animation studios and founder of NeXT. His passion for electronics that started early in his life propelled him to admired heights in previously uncharted waters. Jobs helped to design the world of computer technology as we know it today. In his career, like many other successful of his peers, he had many challenges, most of which he managed to elude until he succumbed in October this year to cancer he had been fighting for 8 years. Steve Jobs was an inspiration to many in Silicon Valley as he saw potential in changing the approach on computer production and design of devices and equipment for corporate and industrial use. On his death, the computer world lost a brilliant mind, inventor and businessperson (Vivek, 2009). Steve Jobs did three main businesses in his life and at the time of his death, he was registered as an inventor or co-inventor of 342 United States patents and pending patents. All of these were geared towards improvement of the computing experience. In 1970, he and others formed Apple Computer Inc., but on leaving Apple in 1985 due to power struggles, his creative genius did not dampen but he went on to form NeXT computer and Pixar. The two firms were later acquired by Apple and Disney respectively. When starting his businesses, Jobs did not have much but his creative genius and genuine commitment to his hard work. The major challenges that Jobs faced during his business days included competition, power struggles, and hardship in selling his high quality and expensive products. As a startup corporation, the major competitor to Apple was IBM which had monopolized the market, making it almost impossible to sell Apple’s computers, though they were of a higher quality (Kahney, 2004). Competition between Apple and Dell computers resulted into a war of words between Jobs and CEO of Dell computers, Michael dell. Later, after Apple was up and running, a new CEO who did not like Jobs’ habit of innovating got him stripped of his duties on allegations of wastage of resources. Steve moved on to form other successful companies; NeXT and Pixar, and Apple had to enlist his services again to save it from an imminent collapse in 1996 (Kahney, 2004). 2. Analyze this business leader's leadership style and discuss how he or she has adapted to cultural differences and how he or she operates the business effectively in global markets Jobs was an aggressive perfectionist who tolerated nothing but the best from colleagues. Though a good boss, if one was not up to his standards, Jobs did not hesitate to terminate the employment, thought he did so in the kindest words possible. Because of this, in 1993 he was termed by fortune magazine as America’s toughest boss. Employing only the best and being the best at what he did made him a trendsetter in innovation and style, in the growing computer world. Jobs had a hands-off policy when it came to his employees as he did not interfere with their innovation processes. He only communicated with them only when necessary. Overall, Jobs demanding personality made him a respectable boss as he produced the best products for his consumers and all participants in the production process felt the satisfaction of making an excellent product. Apple Inc. has many retail outlets internationally and an online business that includes sale of Apple products. To deal with the varied cultural differences in his employees, he ensured that he hired people to work in their localities. These employees ensured the success of business in these localities as they understood the market better than foreigners (Campbell, 2004). 3. Evaluate this business leader's theory of business leadership, management, and methods for motivating individual and group behavior Steve Jobs believed that everyone should do what they love, there being no need to do otherwise. He held that by so doing, one does the best at what they try as one is more creative at something for which they have a passion. Love for one’s job enables a person to unleash all the creative potential towards everything one decides to do. Jobs motivated his employees by allowing them work with minimum interference; a factor that contributed immensely to employee creativity, which had a considerable bearing on the finished product. Though individual innovation was encouraged, Jobs expected his employees to work in teams, in the various stages of the production process. This helped everyone to feel involved in all the successes of any firm Jobs worked (Colvin, 2007). Secondly, Jobs held that everyone should strive to make a difference in the world. He believed that when one does what they are passionate about, everything else falls into place; a fact demonstrated by the ease with which he founded his three companies. Jobs believed that people should adjust their thinking by breaking old and repetitive thought patterns that hinder them from reaching their highest potential. Jobs held his principles dearly that he would not compromise them even at the threat of losing his job at Apple Inc. or any other company. In these companies, academic certificates did not matter as much as long as one could prove they had the potential to deliver on high expectations pegged on a job. This went on to prove that he allowed his employees to do what they could do best with the least of inhibitions from the senior management (O'Grady, 2008). 4. Discuss how this business leader has made an impact on the world through his or her vision, business, and through other areas (e.g. philanthropy, environmentalism etc) Steve Jobs is not popular for his philanthropic activities unlike other personalities of his caliber including bill gates of Microsoft. However, he donated to various charitable causes, and he preferred keeping a low profile about it. In fact, in 1997, he abolished all philanthropic causes that Apple was participating in though he later registered with the Product Red Program whereby red versions of devices are sold, and proceeds donated to charity. This has made Apple the biggest contributor to the program so far (Appleyard, 2009). Conclusion Honesty, as Jobs was quoted saying, is essential for the success of any business venture. In addition, a good manager of the Steve Jobs standards should have firmly held philosophies and convictions that should not be compromised under any circumstances. True business people should be able to withstand changing business environments and different employees without compromising their closely held values. Innovation is the key to outdoing competition, as one has to do something that the competition cannot do or at least do what they can do, but differently. Another key value of an esteemed business leader is leading by example. Steve Jobs was an excellent computer programmer and engineer and this is why he led people to like him since he continuously developed innovative products. Finally, one vital value of a business leader is perseverance. In the face of all the challenges facing his young companies, Jobs was the primary constant in these ventures in those trying times. This is only true if the businessperson in question is passionate about the business where deep faith works to instill passion to succeed despite numerous and glaring hurdles. References Appleyard, B. (August 16, 2009). The Sunday Times, "Steve Jobs: The man who polished Apple". Retrieved on 1 Nov. 2011 from: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6797859.ece Campbell, D. (June 8, 2004). The Guardian (UK), "The Guardian Profile: Steve Jobs". Retrieved 3 Nov 2011. from: http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,11710,1241745,00.html) . Colvin, G. (2007). Fortune, "Steve Jobs' Bad Bet". Retrieved on 5 Nov. 2011 from: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/03/19/8402325/index.htm Kahney, L. (January 6, 2004). "Wired News: We're All Mac Users Now" Retrieved on 1 nov.2011 from: http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/news/2004/01/61730 Lohr, S. (January 12, 2002).The New York Times: "Creating Jobs". Retrieved on 1 Nov. 2011 from: http://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/12/magazine/creating-jobs.html O'Grady, J. (2008). Apple Inc. Greenwood Press. Vivek, K. (May 11, 2009). "What Steve Jobs did when he was fired from Apple". Retrieved on 3 Nov. 2011 from: http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_what-steve-jobs-did-when-he-was-fired-from-Apple_1254757 Read More