Research Paper on Leadership at Apple – Sample Assignment

Research Paper

Leadership at Apple

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the leadership of Apple and examine how it has led to the success of the company. Apple is a big name in the IT world and known for its innovative products. As a company, Apple invests tremendously in research and development so that it can understand the needs of the consumers and develop exceptional products for them. Apple is one of the Big Five Companies in the world. Big Five Companies include Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook. However, besides the focus of the company on research and development, Apple’s success is attributed to its leadership. The leaders at Apple including Steve Jobs and Tim Cook are the finest examples of efficient leadership in the world. This paper explores how leadership has led to the success of Apple and explains the leadership qualities of Steve Jobs.

About Apple

Apple is a leading technology company in the world which has its headquarters in California. The company develops and sells electronics, software and various other online services. Apple is being a giant in the industry and gives tough competition to companies, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook. Apple has given products such as the iPad, iPod, Mac and various other innovations to the world. The company has set an image among consumers that the products of Apple are seamless and have high-quality. The prices of Apple products may be highly-priced, but loyal customers of Apple are always curious about its products.

Leadership and success of Apple

Leadership is considered an important element of success in organizations. There is no specific leadership style that can enable an organisation to become successful or make leaders the best. There are several leadership styles and an organisation’s leadership strategy varies from one leadership style to another (Isaacson, 2014). It depends on the company and nature of the business that which leadership style will suit them best. It can be difficult for the managers of a company to define a proper plan, so they take deliberate steps for strengthening the leadership style of the company. Leadership style should be chosen to increase the efficiency of the company and also ensure that the staff in the firm is motivated. Employees and leadership should complement each other such that the style is beneficial for the entire firm.

 The success of Apple is attributed to its leadership. Research has indicated that the leadership of apple has provided a lesson to other companies that employees are crucial for the company as much as products. The former CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs was the face of Apple and known for his innovations. He believed in empowering his staff and providing them with a very clear path about what they should do (Yu, 2013). He had high expectations and also the capability to transform those ideas into realities. He was known for his transparent, effective teamwork and calm nature. It is due to the leadership of Apple that the giant has developed breathtaking products for the world. For instance, iPod, iPhone, iPad and various other Apple products have created a benchmark for themselves. After Steve Jobs, Tim Cook who preceded him has a different leadership style. However, the different Apple leadership styles have enabled the company to grow and become a giant in the world. Apple is a leader in the technology industry and has high competition. The stock performance of Apple is a clear indication of the success of Apple.

Leadership Traits of Steve Jobs

There are various reasons due to which Steve Jobs is considered the best leader. These reasons have led to the success of Apple. His leadership is an example for everyone as he has helped in taking Apple to huge heights (Bel, 2010). Steve Jobs during his tenure was said to be an autocratic leader as he micro-managed everything and took the final decisions himself. He did not put force on his employees, but he liked to control everything himself due to his leadership style. Everything in the firm flowed through him when he was the CEO. However, as he was preceded by Tim Cook, the leadership style changed to autocratic. However, some traits of Steve Jobs’ leadership are as follows.

• Appropriate Expectations: The first trait due to which Steve Jobs is considered as the best leader is his clear expectations. His expectations were clear, and he clearly defined the outlook of Apple and his desires from his staff. Steve provided a clear and specific direction to his employees so that they know what they need to do in the long run.
• Efficient Communication: Another trait is establishing efficient communication. He was an open leader, and he always said what he had in mind. He never believed in manipulating things and kept things straight.
• Living values: The third trait due to which Steve Jobs is considered as an excellent leader is his respect towards his values. He knew he wanted to make the best products in the market. He kept his valued intact and ensured that his attitude remains right for his company.
• Exceptional charisma: The fourth trait due to which Steve Jobs is considered as the best leader is his charisma for being successful.

 These are some of the traits due to which Steve jobs had been an exceptional leader. His attitude for transforming his company into the best technology world was reflected in his leadership and working ways. However, Tim Cook has a contrast leadership style which indicates that he is a democratic leader who has empowered the employees and includes them in decision making.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that leadership is a critical element and driver of the success of a company like Apple. The leadership of Apple has been a reason for its success. At Apple, the leadership style of its leaders has changed over the years. However, whoever be the leader, the company has always progressed and been able to engage its consumers.