A true leader recognizes the invaluable contributions the people around him can give towards the success of the company or organization. He will work to make the hiring process one that is laser-focused on securing talented, driven, and committed individuals who display top-notch skills and the hunger to learn more. The ideal team consists of members who each have their own strengths and unique skills to contribute. An effective leader recognizes how to harness these varied skills toward a common goal.
He also encourages questions and arguments that push each team member to deliver their best at all times, knowing that the others in the group will expect nothing less. Why is it important to hire the best? You will be spending a lot of time with your team: conversations, planning sessions, proposal meetings, and product launches. Circumstances will either bring out the best in each of you, or hinder you from moving forward as a team towards bigger goals.
They balanced each other, and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. Steve Jobs thought otherwise. Hiring the best of employees is integral for improving the overall productivity of the company. Accurate hiring also helps in employee retention and engagement. In the end, it pays to surround yourself with people who have positive attitudes, and are anxious to grab the next opportunity or discover the next big thing.
Their energy will rub off on everyone in the team, and that excitement can be translated positively into effective action that keeps your group a step ahead of the pack. Leaders should not be scared or intimidated by people who seem too confident, or have the potential to overshadow their own abilities.
Rather, a wise leader, such as Steve Jobs, knows that the more he is able to work with the best, the higher his chances will be in improvement, innovation, and becoming the industry leader. History is full of stories of trailblazers who dared to dream bigger than their peers and did not stop until they fulfilled their ambition for change.
When it comes to innovation in modern times, Steve Jobs is credited with shaking up the way we now communicate, consume information, and spend our leisure time. His groundbreaking ideas about smart phones, animated films, and the musical listening experience have dominated the last couple of decades. His vision made Apple and Pixar household names and entrenched the iPod and iPhone as benchmarks for mobile technology.
Where did Steve Jobs get the inspiration for his products? Walter Isaacson, the biographer of Jobs, notes that he drew from a wide range of influences in the humanities harking back to his college years. Early on, Jobs had an intense fascination with Eastern religion, philosophy, design, art, culture and literature. These interests had an impact on the way Jobs viewed technology and how it relates to the human experience. One of the reasons why Steve Jobs found immense success with the products he released was he somehow found a formula that made these products click with all kinds of people, regardless of age, background, cultural nuances, and geographic location.
He knew that no matter how functional a device may be, if it did not speak to the human experience, it would not be a success.
This philosophy became his passion for innovation and creativity. When Jobs came back to Apple in , the company was already producing computers that, while functional, were not seeing much mass-market success. Apple was already on the verge of bankruptcy. However, Jobs somehow found a way to turn things around, and he did this by just going with his gut feel about what would work. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.
In , the world already had computers, cellular phones, CD players, and portable media players. However, Steve Jobs had something else in mind: what if these devices could do more? Then the iPod came along and this totally changed the way people consumed music.
Instead of lugging their CD collections everywhere, the iPod allowed users to carry hundreds of hours of music on a pocket-sized device. It was an instant hit. When the iPod came out in , the digital music revolution was already in full swing but in danger of being cut short as the music industry threatened to clamp down on piracy. With the iPod and iTunes, Jobs introduced a compromise that made both music producers and consumers happy: users still paid for the music, but could now choose only the songs they liked and in the mp3 format which they now preferred.
His innovation did not stop there. Once again, it was a resounding success and a game-changer in the crowded mobile phone market. To this day, iPhones are the leader in the smartphone market. Despite the myriad of features and functions present in Apple devices, Jobs borrowed heavily from the Eastern philosophy of simplicity.
This was one reason why so many users were drawn to the user-friendly designs of iPods and iPhones. Simple can be harder than complex; you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. While Jobs certainly had many hits, some of his attempts at innovation also produced misses. He was always ready to admit those failures and move past them. What he did was to learn from those failures, and capitalize on other products that were successful.
As a result, he is remembered more for the products that did make it big. Innovation in leadership requires risk-taking and a willingness to buck the trend, banking on intensive research and careful study, while having the patience to test various methods and learn from them. In the very words of Steve Jobs:. They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones, who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.
With all the different media platforms available today — Internet, TV, print, radio, mobile, outdoor — the average person is exposed to all sorts of marketing tactics and strategies.
At times be difficult to tell one product, service, or company from the other. This is where branding comes into play. Beyond just advertising messages, branding seeks to firmly establish a presence by cleverly packaging a lifestyle or experience around a person, company, product, or service. In a bid to set itself apart from the rest of the fold, branding aims to build a unique relationship with the consumer and become instantly recognizable.
He was also brilliant at marketing and in thinking of strategies that would make his products — Apple, in particular — part of a brand that would be globally recognizable. Jobs was a master of promotion and knew how to build up hype around his product launches. But more than that, he built a brand based on quality, market-leading features, and forward-thinking ideas that challenged the norms of the day. Jobs was a stickler for quality in everything — from the hiring process, to research and development, to production facilities and the manufacturing process, and the distribution and marketing of his products.
It was his belief that customers appreciate quality, and good quality builds a brand in a much more effective way than any sleek marketing campaign can achieve. He knew that if he delivered products with superior quality, anticipated consumer needs, and backed it up with exceptional customer service, users would become loyal followers. These loyal followers would then become his customer base for the next few years, essentially building a brand through positive word-of-mouth and a remarkable track record.
He designed and packaged his products in such a way that these products would help people fulfill these goals. The brand he created was focused on a certain lifestyle, a feeling of individuality, achievement and self-worth.
The products became the tools to reach this lifestyle instead of just the focus of his marketing strategies. Jobs wanted his products to be accessible even for those who were not as tech-savvy as others. At the same time, he did not want to appear to be dumbing things down or alienating his more sophisticated target audience. He achieved this balance by simplifying everything, from the designs of his laptops, phones, and mobile devices, to easy-to-use graphic user interfaces and interconnected apps across Apple devices.
Even the iconic minimalism of Apple stores were part of his branding strategy to showcase quality, high-tech products in a way which was not intimidating to potential customers. He then marketed them in such a way that they seemed completely new and unique. As a leader, learning from Steve Jobs on branding would involve analyzing your audience and knowing their needs, preferences, and goals.
What is it they are striving for? How are they working towards their personal dreams and ambitions? More importantly, how can you relate to their life goals and position yourself and your organization to help people achieve what they want in life? It is offering a better way of doing things; a departure from what has always seemed the best way. Why are many consumers today willing to pay top dollar for Macbooks, iPhones, and iPads?
These devices are often more expensive than their non-Apple counterparts, and yet they continue to sell out because they have become symbols of top quality, superior design, and durability.
When a Windows computer sometimes freezes or gets bogged down, you can count on your Mac to just keep working.
Customers already know what to expect from the brand. Steve Jobs believed in giving his market more than just a tech gadget for work or play. He tied everything to a superior lifestyle that was fast-paced but enjoyable, productive but relational, effective but with room for new experiences.
The result was brand recognition that remains unequaled to this day, resonating in every variation of Apple products that roll out. Because Jobs believed in the power of doing more:. Go the extra mile in everything, and the value of your brand will make itself evident to your clients and partners.
Steve Jobs faced various setbacks throughout his life, from dropping out of college and lacking a clear sense of direction in his younger years, to being kicked out of Apple in by the CEO Jobs himself hired.
Throughout the many failures Jobs went through in his storied career, the one leadership trait that stands out is his persistence and determination to keep going no matter what. To be a strong leader, you have to be unwavering in achieving the end goal you have set for yourself and the organization you are leading. People will look to you for direction, especially when the going gets tough, and it seems easier to just throw in the towel and abandon everything.
Jobs taught us to practice perseverance in the midst of insurmountable difficulties, building character and finding ways around the problem in order to reach a workable solution. There is much to learn from this nugget of wisdom from Jobs. He mentions passion as a key to perseverance, and rightfully so. Passion fuels determination and wills the body to keep pushing even when the mind has doubts or fears.
Passion is what keeps a competitive athlete waking up early each morning, training hard and following a strict meal plan in preparation for a major competition. Because the athlete already has that goal of Olympic glory in his mindset, any of the distractions or fatigue that can hinder his dedication are set aside.
This passion also moves the doctor who works round-the-clock to find a cure for a yet-incurable disease, or the lawyer who must exhaust all possible legal means to save the life of his wrongfully-accused client facing death row. Because he had this passion, he viewed any setbacks as temporary, and instead looked for ways to get around roadblocks and reach his destination by whatever means necessary. Jobs recognized the revolutionary, life-changing power of passion.
The most persistent individuals you will find in any industry are the ones who are, slowly but surely, causing ripples of change in their respective homes, communities, workplaces, and social circles. They have tapped into their passion and are using that to drive their determination towards making a positive impact in the world.
Calls were dropping, WiFi connectivity problems kept popping up, and other design issues were being discovered right up to the day of the launch.
Jobs kept pushing and striving for his goal even when he was removed from his own company, turning his efforts to NeXT Computers and Pixar. He knew just what consumers wanted, and how to tap into those expectations with just the right products and customer experience.
Setbacks can either make or break you. A weaker individual who found himself suddenly kicked out by his own board of directors, orchestrated by the CEO he himself recruited, would have given up. Not Jobs.
When he found himself in this position, he looked at it as an opportunity to grow and learn more. How do you react to sudden upheavals or hardships? A mature leader looks at obstacles as building blocks to greater success, rather than hindrances that should just be accepted with resignation. Just like what Jobs did, true leaders recognize that not everything goes according to plan all the time. It is in the difficult situations that test your character as a leader.
Seeing your goals through to the very end is a habit that is consistent with everyone who has ever been successful. It is this level of persistence that lifts someone from a life of mediocrity to extraordinary success. Persistence is rewarded with results. The leader who perseveres, despite the odds, will inspire those he works with to push their own limits. But what was his particular leadership style that made him such a huge success? Did he honestly even hone leadership skills or did he just run things based on his personality alone?
He was considered dictatorial, controlling every step along during the product design phase, and often reprimanded and humiliated staff in front of others de Silva, But indeed, he really did see himself as a leader as opposed to just a manager, director, or CEO Arlen, He was incredibly hard on his employees yet showered them with praise when they fulfilled what he wanted.
A study out of Cornell University, University of Notre Dame, and University of Western Ontario found that disagreeable leaders were more highly regarded and received higher salaries than agreeable ones Badass-Boss, Trait Leadership If we take a look at the trait theory of leadership which was developed in the s, Steve Jobs definitely had a tremendous amount of charisma going for him.
His style is a mixture of several traits, with some unconventional and unpopular ones thrown in for added impression. Although his social graces are in question, Jobs certainly seemed to have no fear of people and was very proactive in meeting and working with them.
He believed in face-to-face meetings and spontaneous meetings and discussions Isaacson, The second trait of conscientiousness certainly applied to him. He was driven by his vision and held true to his self and his beliefs despite criticism.
His Zen training taught him how to focus and he often overlooked ordinary day-to-day things that his family and friends deemed important, even his health issues Isaacson, An amazing product line and giving customers what they wanted is what mattered most and falls in line with his high integrity.
In fact, he was often criticized for plagiarizing new ideas presented by his competitors and followers Evans, He was known to be neurotic due to his worry, contempt and envy of competitors, and extreme obsession even with the smallest of details Evans, Northhouse points out that another way to assess the effectiveness of trait leadership is by considering emotional intelligence.
It is considered by many researchers to be comprised of both personal and social competencies. Personal competencies being self-awareness, self- confidence, self-regulation, conscientiousness, and motivation.
We have already pointed out that Jobs was conscientious and motivated to certain degrees, yet his self-awareness and self- regulation were certainly lacking through evidence of his often abusive and obsessive behaviour.
It was only when the company was in trouble was when he was invited to return. One wonders if Jobs could have accomplished just as much if he had only treated people with a little more decency. He admitted that he might have, but that he would have betrayed his true nature by suppressing his unpleasant personality traits Isaacson, Behavioural Leadership As laid out by Doyle and Smith, behavioural leadership dominated the s and s and the focus moved from traits to how leaders behaved.
Further research and development into the area of behavioural theories discovered more distinct categories based on original research. In this style, leaders offer contingent rewards depending on the successful completion of tasks, as well as punishment for failure of achievement.
They are directive in that they make decisions and expect subordinates to follow, generally without question. There is evidence to show he engaged in a strong transactional approach. He was referred to as being obsessive, narcissistic, impatient and tough with those around him Isaacson, In fact, he preferred to work with only those who could rival his vision and intelligence and with these followers, he was able to generate a deep loyalty from many that may have clouded their vision of his abusive personality.
Relational-oriented behaviours: This is a form of participative leadership style where the leader is concerned about the welfare of followers and is interested in earning their trust and respect Derue et al. It is also democratic in allowing followers to be part of decision- making. There may have been times where Jobs engaged in this form simply because creativity from others was needed in order to meet objectives; however, in general, he was not known for this type of leadership as his particular traits usually dominated his approach.
Despite strong transactional influences, in many ways Steve Jobs was also the embodiment of a transformational leader. In contrast with his negative attributes, he was still regarded as both charismatic and transformational DeGrosky, Under transformational leadership, a leader holds a higher vision of change and encourages innovation and risk taking Derue et al.
He infused Apple employees with an abiding passion to create groundbreaking products and a belief that they could accomplish what seemed impossible. And we have to judge him by the outcome. In his D8 conference interview, he stated that when he returned to Apple in after a twelve year hiatus, he was surprised to see some of the same people there D8, Thus, his vision of creating amazing products remained with the company during his absence.
He described his company as collaborative and organized like a startup. Rather than explore many directions Steve Jobs is known for his unconventional and creative leadership style that brought an evolutionary phase in personal computers.
The paper would make an attempt to introspect the leadership style of he co-founder and ex-CEO of Apple Steve Jobs by applying various leadership theories and concepts. Steve Jobs was an unconventional leader. His management style wasn't the stuff of university textbooks - he wasn't known for his consultative or Steve Jobs. Credit:AFP Photo. But it was his sheer genius combined with his ability to articulate his vision and bring staff, investors and customers Steve Jobs was famously fired from his own company in after a clash with John Sculley, Apple's CEO at the time.
This moment in Jobs's life, which was depicted in the Aaron Sorkin Steve Jobs biopic, has been cited as an example of his belligerent management style. Steve Jobs. Walter Isaacson. Download pdf, 4. For written sources, this can usually be found on the title page. It is not always required, depending on the style.
0コメント