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Discuss Steve Job and explain how you believe that he exhibits authentic leadership and provide specific examples. Describe the role of authentic leadership in creating trust and followership in this example, including how it can improve organizations. Additionally, consider the four characteristics of conscious capitalism and indicate how each of these can be applied in the example you have provided.
Steve Jobs exhibited authentic leadership through his unwavering commitment to his core values and vision for Apple. He was known for being brutally honest, a perfectionist, and a visionary who was unafraid to challenge the status quo. These traits, while sometimes perceived as abrasive, were a consistent and genuine expression of his true self.
Honesty and Transparency: Jobs was famously transparent about his failures, including his ousting from Apple and the struggles of his other ventures, like NeXT. In his 2005 Stanford Commencement address, he openly shared his personal and professional setbacks, which is a key tenet of authentic leadership.
Mission-Driven Focus: Jobs believed in a higher purpose for Apple beyond just making a profit. He saw technology as a tool to "put a bicycle for the mind into the hands of everyday people." This vision was not just a business strategy; it was a deeply held personal belief that drove his passion and his work.
Consistency: Whether he was at the helm of Apple, NeXT, or Pixar, Jobs' core principles remained the same: a relentless pursuit of excellence, an obsession with design, and a focus on simplicity. This consistency, even in the face of setbacks, made his leadership feel genuine to his employees and the public.
Jobs' authentic leadership was crucial in creating both trust and followership, despite his demanding nature. Because his passion and principles were so clearly and consistently expressed, followers knew exactly where he stood. This predictability, or "consistency," built a powerful form of trust. Employees may not have always liked his methods, but they trusted his vision and his commitment to the product.
This trust, in turn, fueled followership. People were willing to follow Jobs because they believed he was leading them toward a meaningful goal. He was a transformational leader who connected everyday tasks to a bigger purpose, inspiring employees to achieve what they initially thought was impossible. For instance, engineers working on the iPhone's internal components, which customers would never see, were motivated by the belief that they were crafting an experience that would delight millions of people. This sense of shared purpose improved the organization by fostering a culture of innovation, creativity, and uncompromising quality that ultimately led to groundbreaking products and market dominance.
Conscious capitalism is a business philosophy based on four key principles. Jobs' leadership and Apple's business model can be seen to embody these principles in the following ways:
Higher Purpose: Apple's higher purpose, as envisioned by Jobs, was not just to sell computers but to create tools that would empower human creativity and change the world. This purpose, "a bicycle for the mind," transcended the mere pursuit of profit and inspired stakeholders.
Stakeholder Orientation: While Jobs' approach to employees was not always conventional, he was deeply invested in his core team of "A-players." He also had a strong orientation toward customers, believing that they didn't know what they wanted until he showed them. The whole-widget thinking, controlling the entire user experience from design to retail stores, demonstrated a deep commitment to the customer as a key stakeholder.
Conscious Leadership: Jobs was the embodiment of conscious leadership. His passion, dedication, and clear vision guided the organization. He led with his heart, often pushing his teams to do what seemed impossible, which in turn inspired them to deliver extraordinary results.