Question

Business Strategic Management:

Make a Leadership Handbook of Apple Inc. and Apple's CEO Company 'Five Strategy Slides'

Answer 1

LEADERSHIP OF APPLE INC.

Leadershipstyle includes:

1.AUTOCRATIC

2.DEMOCRATIC

3.PARTICIPATIVE

4.LAISSER FIARE

   AUTOCRATIC LEADERSHIP

Autocratic leaders tend to tells subordinates what to do and expect them to do it. The subordinates of an autocratic leader are not involved in decision making and have little if any autonomy.

The classical leadership style that exemplifies this company is the autocratic leadership style. Apple Inc is very closely associated with the leadership of Steve Jobs. He behaved unconventionally. He did not consult or build consensus. He demanded excellence from his staff and got it. He was able to communicate his vision to the employees, investors, and even customers.

The added value of this style is that even though he made decisions, he conveyed and sold his vision very effectively to the employees. The employees felt inspired and energized by his enthusiasm. The employees loved his unconventional approach and supported him in his endeavors.

The autocratic or authoritarian leadership style had a positive effect on Apple's overall image.

STRATEGY OF APPLE CEO COMPANY

1.Perhaps surprisingly, Apple’s jobs focus still leans toward hardware engineering.:

This throws a wrench into the theory that Apple is increasingly focused on services over hardware.Even at 80,000 strong, Apple is continuing to shore up its hardware and software engineering. Despite the company’s increasing emphasis on AI, services, and software, it’s still hiring for more open jobs in hardware than software divisions.

2.AI is an Achilles’ heel for Apple. : Despite some sizable recent acquisitions of AI companies at a valuation of $200M or more and an initial lead with Apple’s 2011 launch of its virtual assistant Siri, Apple has ceded ground in the fields of machine learning, natural language processing, and more to Google, Amazon, and others. Apple also has a relatively weak patent portfolio in this area.That said, Apple has made 12 AI-related acquisitions in the last 5 years, and has the capacity to design its own AI-optimized GPU chips, as it proved in the iPhone X. This is important for long term strategies for AR, AI, and strengthening its supply chain.

3.Apple faces another uphill battle in media and entertainment.:Even as services and media (including the app store, iCloud, and Apple Music) become the company’s fastest-growing business segment, Apple faces competition in one priority area: original content. Apple is late to the original content game in comparison to Netflix, Amazon, and even Hulu. And given Apple’s $1B content budget, barring a mega-acquisition, key hires may not be enough to catch up.