Steve Jobs Leadership at Apple Essay Example for Free

Steve Jobs Leadership at Apple Essay The organization Apple Inc. has a flat hierarchy with six levels. This makes it possible for the CEO and the Board of Directors to have a larger overview of the company. The departments at Apple Inc. are functionally grouped. Some (e.g. Global Communication) are then grouped geographically. The organization is divided into specialized departments or teams, who all report to a team leader. All team leaders then meet with the CEO to discuss matters. Within theses teams are people who the CEO trusts to do their part. This means the CEO has a quite narrow span of control, as he does not have the responsibility for all departments, but he has selective influence on them. On a daily basis, Jobs had direct contact with about 50 people, out of the about 10.000 working at Apple Inc. For the organization to run as smoothly as possible, Jobs let those of a higher status (â€Å"A-players†) have a lower formalization, as he feared that if he did not let these very qualified people do their job, they would leave the company. Those of a lower status have higher formalization, as Steve has little trust in them. At the same time, it can be said that the organization has a centralized structure, as for instance, no product is ever released without it being approved by the CEO. In many situations though, decisions have to be made without his approval. A reason for this can be found in the wise words â€Å"No brain can effectively control more than 6-7 other brains† (General Sir Iain Hamilton) Who is Steve Jobs as a Leader? It is interesting to discuss whether Steve Jobs can be defined as a leader, or if he is in fact â€Å"just† a manager. Leaders can be said to be visionaries who drive new initiatives, which makes them likely to take risks. They seek to create positive or dramatic change. Managers on the other hand seek to achieve stability and predictability. It cannot be denied that Jobs has never hesitated to take a risk with his ideas and products, which would therefore make him a leader. â€Å"Managers do things right, leaders do the right thing† is another perception of the two terms. With undeniable success, Jobs has definitely done things right, which would make him a manager. Of course, there has been failure on his road to success, but if we take the firing from Apple (1998) as an example, his comeback only made him seem even more important in his role as CEO of the company. It is difficult to define him as one or the other. According to Mintzberg, management and leadership overlap. However, although most CEO’s must be a manager, not all posses the traits of a leader. The leadership ability to inspire is not easily acquired, and it was perhaps this trait, which made him not only a manager, but also an exceptional leader. Besides his inspirational qualities, there are other personality traits that define him as a leader. Through his commencement speech at the Stanford University graduation, he made use of his great rhetorical skills and charisma. According to Cannel (2008) typical traits of good leaders include ability to inspire and listening, sharing and delegating skills, and these boxes can therefore be checked off. In addition to this, an appealing trait is technical or professional knowledge and competence in a particular field. Jobs had an ability to connect art and technology, which led to e.g. the iPod. Taking the traits above into consideration, Jobs can be defined as what we call a Transformational leader, which is a term in new leadership. A such leader is typically charismatic, inspiring and motivates others to perform â€Å"beyond their contract†. According to Tichy and Devanna (1986) Transformational leaders have three main roles: Recognizing the need for revitalization Creating a new vision Institutionalizing change Jobs fulfils all three roles, as he had the ability to figure out what customers wanted, before they knew they wanted it. The creation of the iPod was on of the first examples of this. The iPhone and iPad kept Apple competitive on the market. Jobs has always been very involved in these inventions and has always aimed for the highest possible standards in his products. His way of incorporating art into technology, is what made the products of Apple unique and competitive. Examples of new ideas are the white iPods, Macs etc. and touch-screens. Even though other brands have attempted to use the same, it has now become a part of the Apple brand. The concept of New Transformational Superleader combines the ultimate traits of a leader in the 20th century. Such leaders must be in possession of specific traits, style-counselling and a context-fitting leadership. In the first category is appearance. In relation to this, it is interesting to notice that Steve Jobs always dresses in a black turtleneck, round glasses, jeans and sneakers. This characteristic outfit has become a symbol of his personality as it reflects his characteristic style. (Steve Jobs, p. 411 Walter Isaacson 2011) In the style-counselling category we again find that inspirational and visionary qualities together with risk-taking is valued. In an interview with ABC news, his former partner Steve Wozniak explained how Jobs was never afraid to take a chance on what he believed in, and he deliberates on the meaning of Jobs’ quote in the Stanford university commencement speech â€Å"Stay hungry, stay foolish†: â€Å"Like his other words (†¦) â€Å"follow your dreams, follow your internal passion, what’s in your heart, believe in yourself even when a lot of people are saying â€Å"No, this is not right, it’s not going to be worth anything, it’s not going to go anywhere, you’re off the right track,† and that’s very important.† Last we find the context-fitting category. Jobs is a very situational leader. As the world changes the products need to change too. An example of his context-fitting style was the personalization of the computer or the invention of the iPod. He did not invent these, but his creations so fundamentally changed the market, he might as well have. Today, many people do not have mp3 players, they have iPods, and so he created a whole new concept for a whole new time. Again, Jobs’ way of seeing what people wanted before they knew they wanted it, paved the way for great success on a new market. Later on, as the iPod almost became a necessity, and smartphones became popular, Jobs again fitted his products with the situation and found a way to combine the iPod, the computer (Mac/iOS) and the smartphone into one – the iPhone. The future of Apple Inc. The death of Steve Jobs had great impact on the organization of Apple. Having identified what made him so successful as a leader, it has become obvious that the new CEO has much to live up to. The stocks of Apple fell the day Jobs died, which provokes the idea that people connect Jobs’ death with Apple Inc.’s failure. (See attachment 1) It has come to show that people have dreaded what will now happen to Apple. There is a fear that Cook lacks the creativity and innovativeness that Jobs possessed. When the iPhone 4s came out instead of an iPhone 5, it cannot be denied that many were disappointed. Even though Jobs was in on the development of the 4s, it was Cook who presented it to the world, and so many have linked this ‘lack of renewal’ with Cook. Cook has yet to prove to Apple customers that he too has the required skills to be as successful as Jobs. Even though people may have doubts about Jobs’ successor, he has in fact done a lot to make Cook as capable as himself: Weve got really capable people at Apple. I made Tim [Cook] COO and gave him the Mac division and hes done brilliantly. I mean, some people say, Oh, God, if [Jobs] got run over by a bus, Apple would be in trouble. And, you know, I think it wouldnt be a party, but there are really capable people at Apple. And the board would have some good choices about who to pick as CEO. My job is to make the whole executive team good enough to be successors, so thats what I try to do. Tim Cook may be a capable CEO, but he has yet to prove his creative skills. He was a perfectionist and may have had more passion for his products than Cook has. A great leader should always leave behind a company, which is independent of them, and will flourish without them. When Jobs was fired in 1985 the company proved to be dependent on him, and it most likely would have gone bankrupt, had he not been rehired. The last time Jobs ‘left Apple’ it all went downhill†¦ will it happen again? Conclusion In conclusion, the organization of Apple has a flat structure, which gives the CEO a possibility for a high level of involvement, while delegating responsibilities to teams he trusts to do their part. Steve Jobs has personally contributed a great deal to the success of Apple with his creativity and innovative mind. As a leader he has made the organisation very functional by attempting to create an independent company, but still staying as involved as possible. He can be defined as a New Transformational Superleader, who is an inspirational person with the anility to motivate followers to higher levels of achievement and at the same time lead others to lead themselves. His ability to know what customers want before they know it themselves has transformed Apple from a minor computer company to a worldwide brand. His role in the creation of unique products was big, and as a front figure of the company the success of Apple has been linked to him, and made him a memorable leader, who will very likely go down in history. The future of Apple is yet to be defined, but if his successor possesses some of the same qualities as himself, it is likely that the success of Apple will continue for many years to come. Stay hungry, stay foolish – Steve Jobs References Litterature: Andrzej A. Huczynski and David A. Buchanan, Organizational Behaviour (7th Ed.) Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs – En biografi om manden bag Apple, Gyldendal 2011 Webpages: Steve Wozniak on Steve Jobs’ risk taking: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/steve-wozniak-death-steve-jobs-146801955 Independent leadership: http://www.gordontraining.com/leadership-training/no-steve-jobs-at-apple-how-dependent-should-an-organization-be-on-a- single-charismatic-leader/ Steve Jobs at the D8 Conference 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrS7JQv-zgY Jobs on whether Apple could live without him: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0803/gallery.jobsqna.fortune/5.html The biography of Steve Jobs: http://allaboutstevejobs.com/bio/short/short.html : Steve Jobs as a leader: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/steve-jobs-proudest-achievement-14801246 Attachment 1: Organizational Chart: http://www.theofficialboard.com/org-chart/apple Attachment 2: Apple Stocks http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=AAPL+Interactive#chart6:symbol=aapl;range=20110701,20111209;indicator=volume;charttype=line;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=on Attachment 1 Attachment 2

They Call Me Anti-American :: essays research papers

Every time I have returned from Honduras I have gone into severe culture shock. It takes me many months to adjust to my native country. This may sound strange to many and others must surely think me insane for saying this thing. They probably wonder how one can experience culture shock in their homeland. To understand it one would have to open their eyes to some basic truths. Most do not want to admit to these truths. They exhibit all of the classic signs of those who have been indoctrinated into to the more controversial cults even down to the classic syndrome which CIA experts in the thought modification business term the â€Å"slide response.† In this response the person being confronted with the truth, or with the wrongness of their actions will attack desperately with illogical arguments. In severe cases they completely â€Å"shut down† mentally rather than face what their subconscious mind tells them to be true. One of the greatest ironies of today is the USA touting itself as the land of the free while individuals in many other nations – particularly some developing nations – enjoy more liberty than many Americans. The US is saturated with federal, state and local laws seeking to regulate and control individuals. That is not the case in many of the so-called third world nations I have visited. Politicians in this country would like for us to believe that the people would be like little lost children without their guidance and, more importantly, their protection. The latest tactics being used are trumped-up threats of terrorist bogeymen to frighten people into even greater submission.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perhaps they are right and we have lost the ability to care for ourselves. Americans have been softened by consumerism. Generations of children have been dumbed down through entertainment and the educational system. The latest generation of children is being raised in an environment of tight security. Schools are heavily monitored with cameras, metal detectors, frequent locker searches, police presence and even the new RFID tags. When they become adults, this will all seem normal to them. They will not even remember a time when it was not this way. The essence of liberty is the lack of restraint on the individual. Freedom thrives when individual liberty is unbound. In America, the gospel of security is preached as the defense of freedom but it is a false gospel. In the context of the so-called War on Terror, this new security is actually the greatest threat against our freedom.

Importance of Physical Fitness

English Assessment 2013 Importance of Physical Fitness Importance of Physical Fitness Physical fitness is one of the most important key to a healthy body. It is the basis of creative artistic activity. Physical fitness means the condition of being physically healthy, especially exercises and proper nutrition. It is the reason, a state of general well-being marked by physical health and mental stability. Physical fitness is not just bending our body.It is about having cardiovascular and overall muscular endurance, as well as a strong immunity system, and most importantly, a satisfied state of your mind. (Manohar, 2011) Past these days when physical exercises were meant for people who are serving in the armed forces or the people those who are having physically demanding jobs. Now a day’s most of the people believe that, having a physically fit body is the most important thing that a person can possess. The importance of physical fitness and exercise customized to the specific r equirements of both young and old. 3fatchicks, 2010) This has led to the quality and use of exercise equipment. The easy access to gyms and fitness centers helps to keep their body physically fit. This has resulted in people leading longer and healthier lives which their predecessors could not have dreamed of before. Physical fitness is important for everyone to stay active throughout their lives. Because of busy work and home lives, more than 60% do not get the best amount of physical fitness daily and these numbers are increase in day by day. Katherine, 2010) Experts recommend working out several times over the course of a week with varying exercises for the most benefit to your health. Collage of Islamic Studies Page 1 English Assessment 2013 Importance of Physical Fitness Health is one of the pre-requisites for a happy as much as well-balanced your life. There are many benefits, if a person becomes physically fit. There are some benefits of physical fitness like cardiovascular e ndurance is one of the advantages the person gets due to physically fit. This is the ability of the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues.As much as this will help to remove waste from over sustained period of time and also furthermore the strength deals with the ability of the muscle to exert force for a brief time period, while endurance is the ability of a muscle, or group of muscles, to sustain repeated contractions or to continue to apply force against an inert object. (. iaepa. us, 2009) Flexibility will denote the ability to move joints and use muscles through their full range of motion. Exercise and overall fitness helps you detoxify your body and thus lets your skin breathe. Katherine, 2010) It also helps to tone your body and thus enhances your overall appearance. So in short physical fitness keep you beautiful and glowing. 5. A healthy mind thinks in a healthy body. Any exercise included in your fitness regimen, it will lead to the production of endorphins in the body. Endorphins are the chemicals that make you feel happy and hence a healthy and physically fit body. (John, 2012) It is always accompanied by a healthy mind. Drive-away illness is also a benefit we will get from the physical fitness.Moderated and balanced workout in a fitness regimen helps to boost the immune system of the body. Fully functional and strong body immunity means that your body develops the strength to ward off diseases and infections. Body composition: this will help to consider the components of fitness. Composition refers to the body in terms of lean mass (muscle, bone, vital tissue, and organs) and fat mass. Actually, the optimal ratio of fat to lean mass is an indication of fitness. Performing the right set of exercises Collage of Islamic Studies Page 2 English Assessment 2013Importance of Physical Fitness can help people to get rid of body fat as well as to increase and maintain muscle mass. (Hardcastle, 2010) So, in short, to have great of satisfaction in our life, it is not just the materialistic things that we need, but it is our own physical fitness. This will help us in our life as a long run. It is rare to cause a disease if our body is healthy and mind is simply priceless. Even though we have everything like money, high education, family and peers if we are not physically fit we can’t engage and enjoy with them. Deh, 2012) Like our scheduled breakfast and lunch the physical exercise also must be a part of our day to day activities. Collage of Islamic Studies Page 3 English Assessment 2013 Importance of Physical Fitness Reference Iaepa. us. (2009, july 27). Retrieved july 27, 2009, from www. iaepa. us: http://www. iaepa. us/executive-protection-physical-fitness-requirements 3fatchicks. (2010). Retrieved 2010, from www. 3fatchicks. com: http://www. 3fatchicks. com/theimportance-of-physical-fitness-in-your-life/ Iaepa. us. (2012). Retrieved 2012, from www. iaepa. s/executive-protection-physical-fitnessrequirements: http ://www. iaepa. us/executive-protection-physical-fitness-requirements Buddy, T. ( 2012, October 25 ). studymode. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from www. studymode. com: http://www. studymode. com/essays/How-To-Improve-Physical-Fitness1160490. html Deh, T. (2012, October 8). saaraaalto. blogspot. Retrieved October 8, 2012, from www. saaraaalto. blogspot. com: http://saaraaalto. blogspot. com/2012_10_01_archive. html Hardcastle, J. ( 2010, October 4). ezinearticles. Retrieved October 4, 2010, from www. ezinearticles. com: http://ezinearticles. om/? The-Importance-of-PhysicalFitness&id=284434 John. (2012, August 2). witftennis. Retrieved August 2, 2012, from www. itftennis. com: http://www. itftennis. com/scienceandmedicine/conditioning/what-is-fitness. aspx Katherine. ( 2010). fitday. Retrieved 2010, from www. fitday. com: http://www. fitday. com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-importance-of-physicalfitness. html#b Manohar, U. (2011, september 30). buzzle. Retrieved septemb er 30, 2011, from www. buzzle. com: http://www. buzzle. com/articles/importance-of-physical-fitness. html Collage of Islamic Studies Page 4

Comparing Relationships in Susan Glaspells Trifles and...

Female Relationships in Susan Glaspells Trifles and Cherrie Moragas Giving Up the Ghost The plays Trifles, by Susan Glaspell, and Giving Up the Ghost, by Cherrie Moraga, focus on womens interaction in various contexts. Despite the seventy-eight years between their performance dates and the drastic difference in settings and narrative content, the main female characters are comparable, as Mrs. Hale, in Trifles, points out, We all go through the same things -- its just a different kind of the same thing (Norton Anthology of Literature by Women, 1359). These plays show the varying degrees of closeness women can have in female relationships, and the role circumstances play. When Trifles opens, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters do not†¦show more content†¦Mrs. Hale uses the canary as a metaphor for Mrs. Wright, who once sang and, also like the bird, was kept in a cage. The county attorney telling Mrs. Peters, a sheriffs wife is married to the law (1359), causes her to think of herself as similar to Mrs. Wright, as she is in the figurative cage of morality, in which she must decide to stay confined or leave by disregarding the law. By interpreting the house, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters can discern Mrs. Wrights emotions and rationale for killing her husband. Just as Mrs. Hale thinks it is a crime to have not visited Mrs. Wright, Mrs. Peters acknowledges her previous criminal desire to hurt the boy who killed her kitten: the realization of their similarities brings Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters closer to the persona of Mrs. Wright they have imagined, and indirectly to each other. Because they can understand her, these women sympathize with Mrs. Wright and thus d o not condemn her, but instead rationalize her actions. Though not stated, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters probably think they are more suitable judges of Mrs. Wright since men are incapable of understanding her, and therefore conceal the evidence of her motive in an effort to declare her innocent. Despite this technically being obstruction of justice, audiences likely view the women as preventing a greater injustice; thus, Glaspell could be suggesting that together women can circumvent the constraints of society and/or government. At a time when women did not serve on juries,