Question

Questions 12-33 think about what you though you knew about Steve Jobs prior to reading this Case Application. How would you have describe his leadership style?

12-34 After reading this Cane Application, how would you describe his leadership style.

12 35 what were you most surprised about after reading this Case Application

12-36 Would Seve Jobs’s leadership approach work for others?

Answer 1

Q 12 - 33

It’s very difficult to assign one term to his approach to leading globally. His approach is actually a blend of delegative, participative and authoritative. He had really let the situation decide which approach he should take. However, it’s mostly delegative and participative. At times, urgency of the situation or need of the hour may force him to go autocratic, but those instances are far and fewer.
Usually, he is task oriented. He splits a bigger problem into a series of smaller problem and then discuss the same with his team. Based on their inputs and thoughts, he creates a strategic structure around it. He will then delegate the smaller problems to leading members in the team and assign them a moderately harsh timeline. He will eventually spend time integrating the work done by my team members around smaller problems into one output or deliverable and then let it go out, after a quality check. He usually doesn’t chase people. He usually doesn’t micro-manage. He lets team members take their own path, approach and thought process. he keeps checking though occasionally how they are doing.

Q 12 - 34

His leadership can be described as Democratic or Participative; People Oriented. He is in such a marketplace that being intolerant or authoritative is just not going to work. His leadership style leads to

1. The team feeling included in the decision making
2. The team feeling respected
3. You may end up doing what you may think but people get to speak their minds
4. You come across lots of thoughts, ideas and even humor
5. You eventually get work done without micromanagement or rigorous follow up, because people feel being included.
6. The leader gets the full support.
7. People orientation makes team feel they are important than the task.

Q 12 - 35

I was surprised by the complexity of being leading a workforce in the current global marketplace. Leading a workforce in the current global marketplace had never been so challenging in the past as it is today. There are multiple reasons behind this:
•   Changing business environment: Becoming more complex and dynamic – requires quick decision making in complex situations
•   Globalization: No restriction; no barriers to expansion – requires leaders to think globally and internationally
•   Information technology and data analytics: Information flow is fast and excellent – lack of data, information can’t be an excuse now; leads to scientific decision making supported by data, trends and predictive models
•   Diversified work force: From various geographies, having various preferences, career choices and options available with them – requires leaders to think through retention policies, vibrant compensation structures
•   Rising aspirations of the mid and junior managers: Need or rather demand for work life balance, flat organization structure – leaders have not seen this kind of aspirations in the past
•   Disruptive technology – forces leader to be on the toes all the time, think ahead of curve otherwise you will be killed
Because of interplay of the changes listed above, leading a workforce has really become very challenging but at the same time interesting. It involves strategic thinking, leadership from the front and leadership by example, to really lead a team now.

Q 12 - 36

May or may not be. I personally believe one's leadership style can't be copied or replicated. But his leadership approach should work for others.