Leadership Case Study of Mark Zuckerberg

This case study analyzes the leadership style of Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder and CEO of Facebook. It discusses his biography, the circumstances that gave rise to him, the sources of power and influence he used, and his leadership style. The study concludes with lessons on leadership that can be learned from Zuckerberg's example.

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Mark Zuckerberg
Leadership Case Study
Institutional Affiliation(S)
Student Name

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Provide a biography of the leader.
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is one of the most famous American computer programmers and an
internet entrepreneur who was born on 14th May, 1984. He is also best known as one of the
co-founders of a popular social media website named Facebook. Presently, he is CEO of
Facebook and considered as one of the youngest richest billionaires in the world having a
personal wealth estimated around $81.6 billion (Bloomberg, 2018). After graduation,
Zuckerberg went to Harvard University and developed a reputation of ingenious software
developer in the campus. Zuckerberg along with his few friends developed a dating software
which later developed into Facebook. Zuckerberg dropped himself out of the University to
devote his entire time to Facebook and soon his website became one of the most influential
and successful sites in the world. In 2004, Facebook set its first office during which
Zuckerberg had even rejected proposals made by many investors to buy his company. He
showed disinterest to sell his company not only because he did not had interest in money, but
also because he was motivated by his passion to build a strong network that could connect
people from all over the world under a strong platform. Zuckerberg is well known for his
goal-oriented mindset and is fully focused while leading his team for producing best social
media website in the globe. Zuckerberg’s leadership style can be defined as aggressive and
encouraging which demands constant growth and innovation. Even his subordinates are very
frank to him and speaks to him for getting improvement related suggestions on everyday
basis while Zuckerberg always keep collaborating with his associates to foster relationships
with them (Biography.com , 2018).

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What were the circumstances that gave rise to the leader? What theories are evident in the
emergence of this leader?
Effective business leaders according to Alllen (2018) must poses “people skills” and the
nature of this phrase implies that leaders must get along with their subordinates’ beliefs,
backgrounds and origins. To understand leader’s personality, it becomes significant to
understand leaders’ personal traits and characteristics along with knowing the circumstances
that gave rise to the leader. Zuckerberg’s emergence as a strong leader can be associated with
various theories and since he had to face many challenging circumstances along with
opportunities, he gives a good example of a talented and ambitious leader. From very initial
stage, Zuckerberg showed interest in computers for which his parents hired a computer tutor
for him named David Newman. In one of the reports, Newman said that Zuckerberg
possessed natural talent as at very early age he approached graduation course in the nearby
college. Besides being a good leader, Zuckerberg can also be related to a highly ambitioned
person who with skilled coding and programming talent was able to develop a website that
became an instant hit in the University he studied in. He also has a strong vision due to which
Zuckerberg was able to see outside the usual frame of computer and what people actually
demanded. Challenges faced by Zuckerberg, especially during the initial stages of the site
development needed him to take advice from skilled people. And since nature supported him
to take the power, he was able to get support from many influential people and his friends.
Zuckerberg have faced many criticisms during his leadership journey and most of the times
he admits if a mistake is made from his side. This makes evident that this leader uses self-
awareness theory which have emerged him in this contemporary business world as a strong
leader.

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What were/are the sources of power and influence the leader used?
According to Goncalves (2013), for any person, possessing all sources of power is not
possible and most of the successful leaders have power sources that mainly includes five
forms. Three of them emerges from organisational powers like legitimate, coercive and
reward. Other two are personal powers like referent and expert. Every source of power
remains interrelated, but an expert leader like Zuckerberg always remains influenced to poses
legitimate power as other people in the organisation accepts this expertise as basis for the
leader’s authority. Due to his strong visionary power, Zuckerberg has always shown interest
in recruiting and hiring talented and qualified people in his company along with providing
many good opportunities for existing employees to work on different projects. Strong
managerial power of Zuckerberg can be seen in his managing capabilities as he has kept
himself in top of the organisational structure hierarchy. Even, Facebook’s organisational
culture shows how narrow span of control can work best in which only few subordinates are
accountable to the managers. Since Zuckerberg’s life history shows that he has always done
what he desired starting from his early age, it can be said that he is highly influenced by
expert powers that he possesses under which he is able to perform outstandingly in technical
and managerial fields. Zuckerberg’s charismatic power has always influenced other people
follow him and thus he is able to execute in composed, confident and in authoritative manner.
Besides having formal rights as a person to occupy a position, Zuckerberg uses his influential
powers wisely to flourish his company in goal-oriented manner (Baldonado, 2015).

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How would you characterise the type or style of leadership? How effective is/was this
person's leadership?
Mark Zuckerberg management style is almost similar to democratic management style and
his leadership style can be related to laissez faire style. According to Adair (2004), Laissez-
faire leadership style gives more authority to subordinates for making their own decisions
while the leader limits taking majority of decision, however, the authority lies fully on the
leader. Zuckerberg also believes in empowering his employees to act in more creative manner
and outside the confines of tradition and bureaucracy unlike most of the other companies that
makes him one of the most effective leaders in the world. Zuckerberg’s leadership style
actually moulded after Late Steve Jobs leadership style whom Zuckerberg admires a lot. His
aggressive and encouraging approach that demands constant growth and development have
always made other CO’s of the company take part in Facebook’s major affairs, but
Zuckerberg always makes sure that majority of control is kept with him. He also encourages
others to take lead in company projects where every employee gets fair chance to prove
themselves in front of the others. Here it can be said that sometimes Zuckerberg possess
democratic leadership style where he constantly assigns work to others, but at the same time
asks for providing feedback from them. One of the most effective characteristics seen in
Zuckerberg’s leadership style is that he does not follow traditional hierarchy and rather puts
people on different position according to their talent and intellect. According to Zuckerberg,
it is pointless to follow workplace traditions rather every leader must show respect to his
subordinates by measuring their qualities and not only picking up by the way they dress or
represent themselves. Zuckerberg also believes in giving rewards and perks along with
arranging free lunches and environmentally friendly working environment that makes his
employee de-stressed during work hours.

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What are the overall lessons of leadership you have learnt from this case study?
Zuckerberg’s case study has made me learnt that how a good leader with true passion and
talent can lead the world. The above case study shows that good and effective leaders are
unconventional because they create extraordinary things like Zuckerberg created Facebook.
His passion for making his dream come true has even helped him develop Facebook’s
mission statement which is to provide people with the power for sharing and making the
world an open place to live and to get connected. Zuckerberg have always shown keen
interest in technology and through his strong passion and leadership style, he is able to
achieve them both and thus have turned himself from an entrepreneur to a successful business
leader. Great leaders have great purposes starting from hiring to marketing and attracting
customers (Adair, 2004). Facebook under Zuckerberg’s leadership have created a strong
networking site which teaches us that strong and effective leaders always keep purpose in
mind while focussing on creating best work. I also learnt that innovative leaders allow their
employees develop interest and take part in company risks. Zuckerberg’s case shows that no
leader runs a business all by himself rather great success comes from great teams. During
controversies, Zuckerberg did not fail to admit his mistakes that shows he poses selfless and
composed nature, always trying to learn from circumstances. Here I learnt that strong leaders
make mistakes, listen to criticisms but they eventually learn from it and moves forward with
developed characteristics. Lastly, after evaluating entire case study, it can be said that despite
of many negative and positive traits present, Zuckerberg have always proved himself as a
good leader who moves steadily showing the world new possibilities along with raising his
leadership style into a higher level which we all aspire to do.

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References
Adair, J., 2004. The John Adair Handbook of Management and Leadership. London :
Thorogood.
Allen, W. E., 2018. Leadership Theory: A Different Conceptual Approach. Journal of
Leadership Education, 17(12), pp. 149-161.
Baldonado, A. M., 2015. What Can We Learn from Young Business Leaders Today?.
International Journal of Managerial Studies and Research , 03(06), pp. 40-43.
Biography.com , 2018. Mark Zuckerberg Biography. [Online]
Available at: https://www.biography.com/people/mark-zuckerberg-507402
[Accessed 24 10 2018].
Bloomberg, 2018. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Becomes the World’s 3rd Richest Person,
Passing Warren Buffett. [Online]
Available at: http://fortune.com/2018/07/06/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-net-worth-richest-
person-world/
[Accessed 24 10 2018].
Goncalves, M., 2013. Leadership Styles: The Power to Influence Others. International
Journal of Business and Social Science, 04(04), pp. 1-3.