Critically analysis the leadership vs management practices by Steve Jobs (GC01556)
Executive Summary
The finding of this study discloses that Steve Jobs was a great leader, rather than a great manager. He was inspirational and able to motivate the followers, without being a good manager in traditional senses. However, Steve Jobs had various management skills (even though poor), which gave success to Apple in the technology industry of the world. In a word, on balance, Steve Jobs achieves the scale more on the leader, rather than a manager.
Steve Jobs was able to apply different leadership styles (including autocratic, democratic, and laissez-fair) in different situations. Steve Jobs was a charismatic leader who could easily predict the markets and build creative teams, and could incredibly drive the bottom line with his motivation, brutally honest and wisdom. Steve Jobs was always a visionary leader. Therefore, he applied transformational leadership styles in bringing major changes, product design and innovation.
However, Steve Jobs practiced some bad leadership traits. Steve Jobs did not share his ideas or clarify goals with the followers very often; rather he publicly humiliated, abused. Steve Jobs never provided formal training to any of his followers. In addition, he was very mean to align attractive rewards and recognition systems for the followers. Then, Steve Jobs failed to engage his follower in decision-making. He always ignored the follower feedbacks. Steve Jobs never listened to his followers. Most of the time, he practiced autocratic leadership without giving freedom of employee voices. Steve Jobs always neglected the staff. He never gave power to the followers. He fired much staff on the spot due to taking initiative. Therefore, these characteristics are not suggested for leaders in other companies.
Executive Summary.
1.0 Introduction.
2.0 Do you consider Jobs to be a manager, a leader, or both?.
2.1 What is leadership?.
2.2 What is Management?.
2.3 Leadership vs. Management
2.4 Is Steve Jobs a manager, a leader, or both?.
3.0 The characteristics that helped Jobs drive Apple forward.
3.1 Characteristics of an effective leader
3.2 How Steve Jobs’ characteristics helped him drive Apple forward.
3.3 Characteristics of Steve Jobs that are bad in the eyes of followers.
3.4 Traits of good leaders that Steve Jobs does not have.
4.0 What could be the consequences of taking his style too far?.
4.1 Leadership theories and styles.
4.2 Leadership practiced by Steve Jobs.
4.3 Consequences if another leader of a company takes Steve Jobs’s leadership style.
5.0 Would Jobs have been the right person for Apple during the times ahead, or does the company now require more of a ‘manager’ than a ‘leader’?.
6.0 Conclusion.
References.
1.0 Introduction
Leadership is an important factor in the current business world, most importantly in the case of reputed and good brands like Apple. This paper evaluates and analyzed the leadership vs. management in the case of Apple’s former CEO, Steve Jobs. The first section of this paper discusses the difference between leadership and management and evaluates whether Steve Jobs is a leader or manager. The second part of this paper evaluates the characteristics that help a leader to drive success. The third section focuses on different leadership theories and styles and their practices by Steve Jobs at Apple. The last section of this report assesses how Apple’s present CEO, Tim Cook, is performing in comparison to Steve Jobs.
2.0 Do you consider Jobs to be a manager, a leader, or both?
2.1 What is leadership?
The term “leadership” is defined by different experts in different ways. Mullins (2016) defined leadership as the capacity to translate vision into reality. Briton and Gold (2015) said a leader is someone who has followers and empowers others. Torrington et al. (2015) stated leaders step up in critical time and can think creatively in critical situations. Brown (2011) said a leader provides the vision and sets the direction of a business.
2.2 What is Management?
The term “management” is also defined by experts in different ways. Mullins (2016) defined management as the coordination and organization of business activities to gain defined objectives. Torrington et al. (2015) said management has the power and responsibility to oversee an organization and make decisions for the business. Brown (2011) stated that a manager carries out the mission to meet the vision defined by the leader.
2.3 Leadership vs. Management
Although both leadership and management play the same roles, leadership quite differs from management (Kim, 2013). Therefore, a person with both leadership and management skills can perform the best in the workplace. According to Stephen (2014), leadership sets up the ladder of success with the right wall, whereas management efficiently climbs the ladder of success. Management professor Warren Bennis in Kim (2013) distinguished leaders from managers in different ways that are discussed in the table below……..
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