Qualities of Effective Business Leaders - Research Paper Example

Discuss The Qualities Of Effective Business Leaders. Reference At Least Two Business Leaders. What Methods Do They Use To Create A Culture Of Motivation And High Performance? Table of Contents Overview 3 Qualities of Effective Business Leaders 3 Methods Used to Have a Culture of Motivation and High Performance at Microsoft and Bill Gates’ Leadership Methods 4 Methods Used to Have a Culture of Motivation and High Performance at Apple and Steve Jobs’ Leadership Methods 6 Background of Bill Gates and Microsoft 7 Background of Steve Jobs and Apple Computers 8 References 9 Bibliography 11 Overview The success of every organization depends on its leaders. In the words of Peter F. Drucker, “A business leader is the basic and not easily available source of a business enterprise. The chief factor in the failure of many business enterprises has been inefficient leadership”. Leadership exists because employees need a person who can direct them. An effective leader does not need to coerce his employees; rather he inspires and motivates them to bring out their best. Qualities of Effective Business Leaders The emotional intelligence of a leader is extremely vital for effective leadership. Leaders should have the capability of understanding their subordinates. They should have the ability to influence their subordinates in a positive manner with the aim that they are motivated to perform much better. A democratic working style is much better than an authoritarian working style for the leader. A leader with a democratic outlook will strive towards the betterment of the organization rather than his personal benefits. Effective business leaders are usually self-starters and they themselves always strive to improve their performance. They make themselves always available in their organization (Harvard Business School, “Becoming an effective leader”). Leaders should be visionaries and they should have the capability to articulate their vision to their employees. They should have good communication skills; they should be willing to take risks and always should have the willingness to learn (Holbeche, L., “Motivating People in Lean Organizations”). Methods Used to Have a Culture of Motivation and High Performance at Microsoft and Bill Gates’ Leadership Methods Bill Gates has been described many a times as a fierce competitor but no one can deny the fact that he is a great visionary who has always been a step ahead of his times. Microsoft has certain practices that contribute in motivating their employees. The product designers of Microsoft work in small teams. They are provided assignments that are challenging and they are also given recognition for their work. Performance assessment is carried out twice a year in Microsoft. Certain performance objectives are set and employees may compare themselves against those objectives. These self-evaluations are rated by their managers. The rating ranges from exceptional to a very low level. The low level of performance means that it is not matching up to a certain minimum standard. The good performance is rewarded by increase in salary. Bill Gates personally visits those employees who have performed exceedingly well and they are honored for their achievement. The employees are awarded by giving shares of the company to them (Tsang, D., “The Entrepreneurial Culture: Network Advantage within Chinese and Irish Software Firms”). Methods Used to Have a Culture of Motivation and High Performance at Apple and Steve Jobs’ Leadership Methods Steve Jobs has been considered as a charismatic and inspiring leader. He works as a guide to his subordinates and provides them proper direction. Employees can never perform well without a purpose or direction. He as a leader always stressed on the importance of focus. He has a somewhat autocratic management style (Rumelt, R. P., “Management Profiles”). At Apple, the stress is on enhancing the creativity of their employees rather than just stressing on their product benefits. Steve Jobs said, “Apple is about people who think ‘outside the box’ people who want to use computers to help them change the world, to help them make a difference and not just get a job done.” (Chernatony, L. D., “From Brand Vision To Brand Evaluation: The Strategic Process Of Growing And Strengthening Brands”). The work culture in Apple is dynamic and casual. The work environment is informal and individuals have the freedom to express themselves differently and bring out their best. The management structure in Apple is flexible and they acclimatize to changes easily. The employees at Apple are not treated just as human resource but are valued as human beings (Bolton, B. K. & Thompson, J., “Entrepreneurs: Talent, Temperament, Technique”). Background of Bill Gates and Microsoft Bill Gates was born in Seattle in 1955. He was born to William Gates and Mary Maxwell. He was a bright boy and eager to learn. He was brilliant academically and was particularly good at mathematics and science. He was a good reader and a thinker even in his childhood. He was involved in Scouts and other outdoor activities like camping and hiking. By the time Bill reached his fourth grade he was bored of school and was only interested in mathematics and science. Bill Gates was later sent to a boy’s school named Lakeside School in Seattle. He continues to be an avid reader and always performed well in mathematics and science. In 1968, Bill and his friends discovered a Teletype machine in McAlister Hall of Lakeside. This machine captured their interest. It had a printer, keyboard, reader and a paper tape punch. It could be connected to a telephone and communication could be established with a computer placed at the General Electric Office. There was limited knowledge related to computers at that time in Lakeside School. The computer was a challenge that Bill wanted to master. He made his first computer program then. At this point of time he learnt various programming languages. By the time Bill reached the ninth grade he was excelling in every subject. He had an intellectually enriching experience while at Harvard. In 1975, Bill gates and his friend Paul Allen formed a computer language. This was built for an early version of a personal computer and thus Microsoft was born. Operating systems like MS-DOS and various software programs were developed later (Lesinski, J. M., “Bill Gates Biography (A & E) A&E Biography”). Background of Steve Jobs and Apple Computers Steve Jobs was born in San Francisco in the year 1955. Joanne Schieble and Abdulfattah John Jandali were his biological parents but he was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs. Steve had to face economic problems in his childhood. He was an intelligent child but not much interested in studies. Rather he was interested in playing pranks in school. An engineer Larry Lang, who lived near his house, taught him how to build certain devices. The first computer he saw in his life was in a computer club sponsored by Hewlett Packard. He graduated from Homestead High School in 1972 in California. He was a dreamer, a visionary with a personality that could impress all. Steve had enrolled in Reed College in Portland, Oregon but he dropped out later (Gillam, S., “Steve Jobs: Apple & iPod Wizard Essential Lives Set 2 Essential Lives”). Steve Jobs and his friend Steve Wozniak realized their dream of a personal computer in a garage. They sold their first Apple in 1977. The Apple unlike other earlier computers could do much more. Steve Wozniak resigned from Apple in 1985. In that very year both of them had received the national medal of technology. Later in that year Steve Jobs left Apple after he was replaced from the position of chief executive. He started NeXT Computer Company which he was later forced to close down. In 1996 he returned to Apple and there was no looking back for the company since then. In 1998 he introduced iMac. He introduced the iPod in 2001. In 2007 the iPhone was introduced in the Macworld Conference and Expo. The Mac book Air was introduced in 2008 (Imbimbo, A., “Steve Jobs: The Brilliant Mind behind Apple Life Portraits”). References Bolton, Bill. K. & Thompson, John. Entrepreneurs: Talent, Temperament, Technique Butterworth-Heinemann, 2004. Chernatony, Leslie. D. From Brand Vision to Brand Evaluation: The Strategic Process of Growing and Strengthening Brands Butterworth-Heinemann, 2006. Gillam, Scott. Steve Jobs: Apple & iPod Wizard Essential Lives Set 2 Essential Lives Abdo Publishing Company, 2008. Harvard Business School. Becoming an Effective Leader Harvard Business Press, 2005. Holbeche, Linda. Motivating People in Lean Organizations Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998. Imbimbo, Anthony. Steve Jobs: The Brilliant Mind behind Apple Life Portraits Gareth Stevens, 2009. Lesinski, Jeanne. M. Bill Gates Biography (A & E) A&E Biography First Avenue Editions, 2007. Rurnelt, Richard P. “Steve Jobs”. December 07, 2010. Management Profiles, 2003. Tsang, Denise. The Entrepreneurial Culture: Network Advantage within Chinese and Irish Software Firms Edward Elgar Publishing, 2006. Bibliography Boy Scouts of America, Inc. Boys Life 1995. Corrigan, Jim. Business Leaders: Steve Jobs Myeongjinculpan Company, Limited, 2009. Goleman, Daniel. & Et. Al. Primal Leadership: Learning To Lead With Emotional Intelligence Harvard Business Press, 2004. Koestenbaum, Peter. Leadership: The Inner Side Of Greatness: A Philosophy For Leaders John Wiley and Sons, 2002. MacGregor Burns, James. Transforming Leadership Grove Press, 2004. Read More