Leadership Characteristics of Steve Jobs - Coursework Example

? LEADERSHIP – Steve Jobs Why Steve Jobs? In the words of Northouse, leadership is “a highly sought-after and highly valued commodity” (Northouse Steve Jobs is one of the burning examples of a true leader. Not only was he another prominent American business tycoon, but also was a pioneer in personal computer revolution. The cofounder of Apple Inc, Jobs, was one of the CEOs there. The man with profound charismatic leadership potentials and extraordinary vision laid the foundation stones for Apple. He took it to an immensely high stature in the global business rankings. Jobs has not only made innumerable contributions towards the success of Apple, but he also stands as one of the legendary leaders to the world at large with his unique insight, creativity and inspirations (Steve Jobs Leadership Case Study). Background - experience, past and present - impact on the current organization Born in the year 1955, Steve Jobs was in Homestead school, in California. He often visited companies like Hewlett-Packard, after his lectures. Jobs first assignment was at Atari, as a technician where he created a circuit board for a game. Finally Wayne, Wozniak and Jobs founded Apple computers and used to sell it in the garage of Jobs’ parents in the year 1971. As a company Apple started its existence in 1976 with much of funding from investors. (Steve Jobs Leadership Case Study) Apple was expanded over the years until it became huge. It was Jobs who observed the commercial potentials from mouse driven GUI belonging to Xerox PARC and this inspired the creation of Apple Lisa. Based on this a year later, Macintosh was invented in 1984. Due to some incidents of dispute Jobs retired from Apple in 1985, and in that year only formed NeXT Inc. (Steve Jobs Leadership Case Study). NeXT Inc was later was absorbed by Apple in 1996 bringing back Jobs. It was in 1997, when he once again became the CEO of Apple. Under Jobs’ supervision, the invention of i-Pod, i- Mac, i-Tunes, and subsequently i-Pad ensued. Fighting with cancer since 2003 he finally resigned from his duties as a CEO in August 2011. Finally he was elected as a chairman in Apple (Lomas). Jobs never limited himself to Apple or NeXT only. He bought Pixar, and merged with Disney, produced innumerable computer animated pictures such as “Toy Story”, “A Bug’s Life” and others (Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple) Six leadership characteristics Jobs exhibited Few traits of quality leadership that Steve jobs possessed are enumerated and analyzed below- “Look-ahead” mindset He set precise goals and had a clear and concise vision of the future. He ensured that the vision got inculcated in the minds of everyone throughout the organization. Effective leaders like him have always envisioned exactly what they want and how they are going to achieve their goals in order to get what they want. (Lomas) Jobs always focused on what Apple should do next in the future. He always invited employee’s suggestions about the future actions. His each and every week started with having a three or four hour discussion regarding the scenario they would foresee in the world in the coming days. In a statement he commented, "We are inventing the future... Come down here and make a dent in the universe" (Jobs). His unfathomable and unparalleled obsession with brightening the future with technological advancements paved the way for Apple to be the first name uttered amongst many, when it comes to everyday gadgets, be it mobiles or digital music players or PCs or even OSs. (Hyatt) Persistence - Steve Jobs epitomizes the virtue persistence and it was most exemplified through his exit from Apple. He refused to give up, and in fact, went on to start NeXT computers which would eventually be acquired by Apple Computers Inc. It would have been obvious for a common person to give up at this point and regret the loss. As a leader, one has to be prepared to encounter and conquer hindrance. It is all the more important to show this character, especially if one would like to form a never-say-die team (Steve Jobs Leadership Case Study). Inspiring - After his birth on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco, his unmarried mother thought to put him for adoption since she wanted a girl. He went to college but decided to drop out because it was too expensive. Recalling his time there he said “I didn’t have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends’ rooms. I returned coke bottles for the 5? deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple.” (Steve Jobs inspirational story) These stories of Steve Jobs are themselves, immaculate examples of motivating and stirring tales, enough to light a fire inside his employees. His moving advices like “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma-which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” and “Stay hungry. Stay foolish” worked wonders in providing encouragement and inspiration to his employees. He was a great motivator, which every successful leader needs to be (Lomas). Courageous - Leaders should always be brave enough to take the plunge in order to achieve their goals regardless of any kind of obstacles or hindrances they could face along the way. As per the situational demands calmness has to be maintained under much stress, while being bold, so that the mind works optimally (Bennis). Steve Jobs was a very courageous leader. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before anyone in Pixar could. Steve courageously took a chance on Pixar and believed in their dream of making computer animated films. Jobs purchased Pixar in 1986. Following collaboration with Disney, “Toy Story” was made and released in 1995, with Jobs credited as the Executive Producer. Later on, many other box-office hits like A Bug's Life (1998), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Cars (2006), WALL-E (2008), etc were produced( ibtimes, n.d). Another courageous move on Jobs’ part was when he started NeXT Computers Inc. in 1985, immediately post resignation from Apple in 1984 ( Hyatt) Imaginative and Innovative - Creativity and innovation are very important basic tools that a leader should preferably possess. These traits are required to bring in something new to our lives which might be immensely beneficial for us and based on which much advancement can be made. Also, to stay ahead of the competitors in the market, a business must come up with something innovative; a business must improvise articulately. The best way a business can come up with new ideas, new innovations, is through their leader coming up with the same; because the leader setting the example is the best motivational fire which can ignite a team (Bennis). Steve Jobs envisioned the power of innovation as the biggest boost to his business’ profit. Jobs is listed as either primary inventor or co-inventor in 342 United States patents or patent applications associated with a number of different technologies (Causevik). Most of these are design patents (specific product designs) as opposed to utility patents (inventions). Focus It is the ability to concentrate on what one aims to achieve. After Jobs’ return in Apple he primarily focused on just two or three priority products at one time instead of groups of product lines. Thus, "Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do"(Jobs) as remarked by Jobs resulted in engineers and managers becoming sharply focused on few selected areas. Narrowing down on a few particular goals helps immensely in achieving the goals as much time can be devoted to strategizing the precise moves that need to be employed in order to so. Whereas, if the number of goals is too many, the moves may become inter-dependent and hence not precise, and subsequently not much time can be devoted to orchestrating the moves (Hyatt). The Organization Brief background / history Apple Computers was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in the year 1976. The size of the organization increased when Apple III got released. On December, 1980 it first started its initial Public Offering of Stock to the investing public. Hence at that point more capital got generated which helped it to expand further (Brief history of Apple inc). In the year 1981 Steve Jobs became the chairman of Apple. 1984 was most remarkable as it saw the invention of Macintosh. But in early 1985, Apple witnessed a power struggle between Jobs and Sculley, which resulted in Jobs resigning from the organization and he went on to found NeXT Inc (Brief history of Apple inc). On August 15, 1998, Apple brought in a new all-in-one computer suggestive of the Macintosh, the iMac. The iMac design team was led by Jonathan Ive, who would later design the iPod and the iPhone. In 1991 PowerBooks as well as OS, SYSTEM 7 was launched in the markets. Apple at this period tried to experiment with products like digital camera, video consoles, TV appliance and others but all failed miserably (Brief history of Apple inc). In 1996, Apple decided to buy NeXT Inc, bringing back Steve Jobs as an advisor. In 1997, Steve Jobs was appointed interim CEO, and in 2000, the title became permanent. It was during this time that Jobs decided that, instead of dealing with too many product lines simultaneously, Apple should concentrate on a few so that the focus will be more penetrative in nature. In 2001 Apple opened the first online store to attract customers all around the world. The years 2007 onwards saw the inventions of immensely popular gadgets like i-phone, i-pod touch and ipad and others and the profit incurred due to selling all these products, saw the company reaching the zenith of success. Jobs finally decided to retire as CEO in the year 2011 (Brief history of Apple inc) Mission statement Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, Mac OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also leading in the digital music uprising comprising its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings (Apple Mission Statement). “Think Different” was the slogan adopted by the company (Apple Mission Statement). So Apple is dedicated to being innovative in its mission to come up with technological advancements. Size (e.g. sales, number of employees, etc) As per the latest statistics in 2011, Apple operates with 60,400 full-time employees worldwide. The area covered by retail outlets is 3 million square feet. The company’s total sales turnover accounts for about $188 billion dollars till date (Jones). Products / Services Apple Inc started in 1976 with Apple I, a low cost model, and then the invention of Apple II revolutionized the entire market. Lisa was the first computer where GUI was implemented. It inspired and paved the way for Macintosh in 1984. After that came the Portables which heavily failed to capture the market. In 1993 came Color Classic with large ROM and restyled case. In 1997 Power Mac 9600 was launched in the market followed by Power book G3. It continued with G4, G4 Cube, Titanium G4 PowerBook and lastly iMac G5 in 2004 (The Scream Online). The other important products by Apple are i-Pod, i-Phones, i-Pad, i-OS app stores and many others (The Scream Online). Names of the management team The present management team of Apple comprises of Tim Cook (CEO). The Senior Vice Presidents are Eddy Cue (Internet software and services), Scott Forstall (iOS Software), Jonathan Ive (Industrial Design), Bob Mansfield (Hardware Engineering), Philip W. Schiller (Marketing), Bruce Scewell (General Counsel), Peter Oppenheimer (CFO) and Jeff Williams (Operations) (Executive profile). Organization's Corporate Social Responsibility Apple Computers is committed to protect the environment and health of the employees, customers and the global communities where it operates. Apple is dedicated to continually ensure that its products are technologically improved and upgraded in order to incorporate implementation of sound environmental, health and safety management practices (Apple, Inc). My perspective of being an employee in this organization Given an opportunity definitely I would like to work in an organization like Apple which has been built up the principles of great persons like Steve Jobs and Wozniak. Their determination, dedication, perseverance, persistence and courage, especially Jobs, inspire me and lights a fire inside me. It urges me to transcend all barriers and obstacles and strive hard to donate my contribution to the advancement and betterment of human life and prove my worth. Apple is a company where the employee suggestions are encouraged, welcome, taken into consideration and highly regarded if they are of positive value (Steve Jobs inspirational story). This is another reason why I feel the desire to be a part of the Apple family, as I know that my ingenuity will be taken into consideration and will be appreciated highly is found useful. Concluding remarks - lessons Proper team management requires proper implementation of proper leadership qualities. Jobs was an exemplary leader, possessing all the traits that a successful leader should possess. He possessed a “look-ahead” mindset, setting clear and concise goals for the future following rigorous analysis of the probable state of future world in the coming days. He was persistent in his endeavors to carry on with his work using his own ideals, and did not sit back in the comfort of his home being bitter about the past. He was a great motivator and his motivational speeches worked wonders in firing up his employees and this went a long way in them giving their best efforts for the benefit of the company. Jobs were also courageous and did not hesitate to take calculated risks. He was innovative and came up with new initiatives and inventions time and again. Seeing him coming up with inventions so very often ignited a fire inside his employees and they strived hard to prove their worth. These traits that Steve Jobs possessed should be studied thoroughly by every leader or budding leader and subsequently implemented appropriately. They should not be followed blindly, because one’s own ingenuity must always be retained, which is another important message that Jobs always used to convey to all (Steve Jobs inspirational story; Truong). References 1. Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple, Apple, August, 2011, December 3, 2011 from: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/08/24Steve-Jobs-Resigns-as-CEO-of-Apple.html 2. Northouse , Peter G Leadership: Theory and Practice, London: SAGE, 2003 3. Bennis, Warren. Character and Traits in Leadership, 2011, December 3, 2011from: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadchr.html 4. Causevik, Elvir, Quality of issued patents bear out claim that Steve Jobs was a leading innovator, Ocean Tomo, 2011, December 3, 2011: http://www.oceantomo.com/node/292 5. Steve Jobs Leadership Case Study, leadership-with-you, March 2011, December 3, 2011 from: http://www.leadership-with-you.com/steve-jobs-leadership.html 6. Hyatt, Michael. FIVE LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM STEVE JOBS,(2011), michaelhyatt , December 3, 2011from : http://michaelhyatt.com/five-leadership-lessons-from-steve-jobs.html 7. Lomas, Natasha. Ten leadership lessons from the Steve Jobs School of management, November, 2011, December 3, 2011from: http://www.silicon.com/management/ceo-essentials/2011/11/18/ten-leadership-lessons-from-the-steve-jobs-school-of-management-39748225/ 8. Brief history of Apple inc, April 2007, December 3, 2011from: http://arblog.wordpress.com/2007/04/12/brief-history-of-apple-inc/ 9. My-Inspirational- Quotes, my-inspirational-quotes, December 3, 2011 from: http://www.my-inspirational-quotes.com/inspirational-stories/steve-jobs-inspirational-story/ 10. Apple Mission Statement, January, 2009, December 3, 2011from: http://www.soopertutorials.com/business/strategic-management/1952-apple-mission-statement.html 11. The Scream Online, apple-history, October, 2002 , December 3, 2011from: http://thescreamonline.com/technology/applehistory/applehistory.html 12. Imagine what you could do here, Apple, December 3, 2011from: http://www.apple.com/jobs/us/corporate.html 13. Jones, Ben Cam. October, Apply by the Numbers: sales, Stores, Staff all grew in 2011, 2011, December 3, 2011 from: http://www.pcworld.com/article/242785/apple_by_the_numbers_sales_stores_staff_all_grew_in_2011.html 14. Executive profile, Apple, December 3, 2011from: http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/ 15. Truong, Peter, Steve Jobs and his Pixar, Ib Times, October 2011, December 3, 2011 from: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/226478/20111006/steve-jobs-pixar.htm 16. Apple, Inc, socialfunds, December 3, 2011from: http://www.socialfunds.com/csr/profile.cgi?id=138 Read More