Business Management: Leadership in Action, Steve Jobs and Apple Report

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Added on 2021/04/05

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This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Steve Jobs' leadership, focusing on his vision for Apple and its impact on the company's success. The report begins with a brief history of Apple Inc., highlighting its evolution and key milestones. It then delves into the leadership qualities of Steve Jobs, emphasizing his ability to inspire, lead, explore, develop, improve, and care for his team. The report examines Jobs' leadership styles, including his autocratic approach, and leadership habits, such as his obsession with success and ability to learn from failures. The author offers their perspective on the power of vision in driving Apple's achievements. The report also evaluates Jobs' leadership role in the business and includes a personal development plan, incorporating a SWOT analysis, career mission definition, goal setting, skill audit, and an action plan for achieving career goals. The report incorporates examples and findings from the provided text and supporting materials.

Leadership in action
ASSIGNMENT
Course Title
Business
Management
Acumen Program
Student Name Sureshkumar prediksha
Unit No. &Title Unit 23: Leadership
in Action Pearson No.
Semester/Batch
No. B-Mac 15 Centre Ref. No 1018426
Learning
Outcomes
LO1, LO2, LO3 &
LO4
Student’s Contact
No. 0768104301
Assignment Title Leadership in Organization
Assessor Jayani
Hewavitharana
Issued
Date 06.04.2020 Submissi
on Date
T1- 25 May
2020
T2- 14 June
2020
Assessment Feedback
Criteria Comments Achievement
(Y / N)
PASSMERITDISTINCTION
General Comments
Final Grade
Awarded Assessor Signature: Date:
IV Signature: Date:
Student Agreement: I understand the feedback given to me and agree to carry out the
actions in future works as required and indicated.
Student Signature: Date:

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Declaration of Academic Honesty
Students Name: sureshkumar prediksha
Edexcel No. Centre Ref. No. 1018426
1. I confirm that this assignment is my own work.
(Y/N): Y
2. I confirm that where ever I have used someone else’s words, concepts, graphics or data in
my work, I have clearly indicated exactly where I have done so, using the Harvard
Referencing System. (Y/N): Y
3. I confirm that I have clearly indicated, by Harvard Referencing, where I have used
someone else’s graphics or data, concepts, words, irrespective of whether I have quoted or I
have paraphrased in my own words.(Y/N) : Y
4. I have clearly indicated in my assignment any work that has been contributed by another
student.(Y/N) : Y
5. I have clearly indicated in my assignment any work that has been carried out
collaboratively with another student/s.(Y/N): Y
Student Signature: Date:
Task Assessment Evidence Issue Date Submission Date
1 Report 06.04.2020 25 May 2020
2 Report 06.04.2020 14 June 2020

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LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
Task Type Weight
1. Understand the Power of Vision.
2. Identify the different leadership styles and habits of great leaders.
3. Evaluate the role of Leadership in business, social enterprises and politics.
Steve Jobs & the Importance of Vision to Leadership
Why is that one word so important to the success of Apple?
Whether you run a company or a division, or even a department, a leader has to have a clear
idea of where they want their people to be marching. In the early days of the highly competitive
computer industry, Apple wasn't taken seriously by its competitors. However, Jobs was able
to chart a vision for the organization. One that gave it an identity and a purpose: Be Different.
It was simple and clear, but it spoke volumes to the organization, giving them the confidence
to explore and to create some of the most innovative and revolutionary technologies of our
time.
Today, Apple's competitors not only take Apple seriously, they're straining to catch up as Apple
speeds by them. With Job's leadership, Apple has grown to become one of the most exciting,
interesting, and, of course, profitable companies in the world, supported by a near-religious
following of customers. That's what vision does for leadership; it gives the team direction, and
helps them to focus on understanding what it really takes to get the job done. It inspires. It
creates. Like the player on a team who makes others around him better, vision helps make
everyone see the same picture clearly.
The biggest lesson that today's business can learn from Steve Jobs is not just that he was
innovative and driven. His brilliance was in how he used his vision to inspire other people to
be innovative and driven. And in the end, when everyone shares it, good things happen.
That's true leadership.
Source: Zate, K. (2011) Steve Jobs & the importance of vision to leadership, available
at:
http://www.eyesonsales.com/content/article/steve_jobs_the_importance_of_vision_to_leader
ship/
Prepare a Report on the visionary leadership of Steve
Jobs and his vision for the success of Apple
incorporating the followings:
Report 50%

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 Brief history about the company
 Leadership qualities of Steve Jobs
 His leadership styles and habits
 Your views on the power of vision for the
success of Apple.
 Evaluate his leadership role on his business.
4. Develop personal development plan of action.
Write a self-review report including the followings:
 Do personal SWOT analysis
 Define your career mission
 Determine your 4 major career goals and
identify the skills, qualification and experience
need to pursue those goals.
 Conduct a skill audit to assess the skills and
strengths you currently possess, compared to
with those that you need.
 Create an action plan including your short-term
development goals and actions step to achieve
your major career goals.
Report 50%
**You can use the worksheet templates given to you in the class or any format you find suitable
to develop your personal development plan.
Review Plan

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Task Assessment Type Comment Review Date/
Signature
1 Report
 The explanation is not sufficient
 More use of subjective forms.
 Ex: we, you
 Use appropriate company
names. Apple incorporating?
 Should explain more impotence
linking organizational success
Task 03
 Explanation was based on the
authority based leadership style.
 Answer is appropriate
Task 05
 Have not done
2 Personal Development
Plan

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APPLE INC.
Name: Sureshkumar Prediksha
Batch: IFBM-15
Student No:1018426

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all those who helped me to complete this report.
And my special thanks to Mrs. Jayani Hewavitharana, the lecture of “Leadership in action” of Bcas
Campus for making the subject more interesting and giving a great support to finish the report
successfully.
Further thanks to my colleagues who have been sharing knowledge and helping each other to clear
the doubts.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report provides the information on Apple Inc. and the person who led the company to a success.
Apple is a software company that was established in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Ronald Wayne and Steve
Wozniak. This company has a headquarters in Cupertino, California and some of the product that it
produces including iphone smartphone, ipad tablet etc.
This organization has emerged among the largest because of its quality. Steve Jobs plays the main
role for the success of Apple. The author has concluded the Steve Jobs leadership qualities, styles
and habits and the roles he used to lead the employees and to achieve his vision. Also author has
given his views of the success of Apple.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Brief history about the apple Inc………………………………………………………………11-12
2.0 Leadership qualities of Steve Jobs……………………………………………………………12
2.1 Good leaders have to inspire……………………………………………………………..12
2.2 Good leaders have to lead and execute…………………………………………………12
2.3 Good leaders have to explore and grow…………………………………………………13
2.4 Good leaders have to develop…………………………………………………………….13
2.5 Good leaders have to improve and innovate…………………………………………….13
2.6 Good leaders have to care…………………………………………………………………13
3.0 Leadership styles and habits of Steve Jobs…………………………………………………..14
3.1 Leadership style of Steve Job………………………………………………………………14
3.1.1 Autocratic leadership style of Steve job……………………………………14-15
3.1.2 Based on task versus………………………………………………………..15-16
3.1.3 Based on Mc Gregory’s theory………………………………………………16
3.2 Leadership habits of Steve Jobs………………………………………………………….16
3.2.1 Obsession in success………………………………………………………….17
3.2.2 He learned from failures……………………………………………………….17
3.2.3 He never gave up……………………………………………………………….17
4.0 The authors’ view on the power of vision for the success of Apple………………………17-18
4.1 The achievements of Apple Inc…………………………………………………………….18
5.0 Steve Jobs leadership roles on his business…………………………………………………19
6.0 References………………………………………………………………………………………….20

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 3.1.2- task versus people……………………………………………………………………15
Figure 3.1.3- Mc gregor’s theory…………………………………………………………………….16
Figure 4.0- vision……………………………………………………………………………………...17

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1.0 BRIEF HISTORY ABOUT THE APPLE INC.
Apple Inc is an American Multinational Corporation that designs and manufactures consumer
electronics and computer software products (Paul suggett, 2019). The Apple Inc Co-founder,
Chairman and CEO is Steve Jobs. Apple Inc has achieved and officially become the first trillion
companies in history with its innovative products and services. But in the beginning there were many
struggles and failures. If we explore the history of the Apple Inc it was started only in a garage in
California to the present it is the most successful company in history (Fesmina Faizal, 2019).
In April 1, 1976, Apple was started by three college dropout men- Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and
Ronald Wayne. Jobs and Wozniak are highlighted as the most visible founders, but without their friend
Wayne. We would have not used the extraordinary products (Nik Rawlinson, 2017). Jobs and Wozniak
was the people involved in making computers small enough for people so they can use it in homes or
offices as a user-friendly product. Later, Jobs and Wozniak started to sell the Apple I in Jobs’ garage
without a monitor, keyboard, or casing in 1977. The Apple II computer with the first ever introduction of
colour graphics came to the industry and then the Apple II sales rapidly went high from $ 7.8 million in
1978 to $117 million in 1980. This is the year Apple went public.
In 1983, Wozniak left Apple due to lack of interest in the day to day running of Apple computers. Jobs
then hired PepsiCo’s John to be the president of the company. But because of some disagreement
Jobs left the company in 1985, and went on to new and bigger innovative products. He founded a new
company called NeXT SOFTWARE and also bought PIXAR from George Lucas. This later became a
huge success in computer animation movies such as Toy Story, Monsters, and Finding Nemo etc…
Later, in 1990 Apple was still doing good and posted its highest profits. This was mostly due to the
Jobs plans that he already set a vision before he leaves the company, most probably the deal between
small companies called Adobe, creator of the Adobe Portable Document Format. Together with the
company they named it Desktop Publishing. Also due to the request of Sculley in 1985, from Microsoft
founder Bill Gates to license the software. But later, this became a trouble to the Apple company
because Microsoft, whose windows operating systems graphical features are similar to the Apples’
software, became the toughest competition in the market in 1980’s to 1990’s.
In 1996, the Apple experts believed that the company would be doomed. So they were in need of an
Operating System so the board of directors decided to request Steve Jobs for help and they bought
NeXT Software from him. Also Steve Jobs helped the company to rise and became the Interim CEO

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and made some changes in Apple. Jobs forged an alliance with Microsoft and created the Mac
version. Jobs also introduced the iBook (personal laptop), mp3 player (iPod) and media player
software (iTunes). Both players became the company's most profitable product. Later, he released
iPhones, a cellular phone and the Apple TV. while Jobs died in October 5, 2011. But still Apple is
running with his legacy with some developments (Angelique Richardson, 2008).
2.0 LEADERSHIP QUALITIES OF STEVE JOBS
Leader is the person who has the ability to change the behaviour of an individual or group of people to
get things done. Jobs led Apple Inc into one of the top companies in history. This was done because
of his concept of vision and his unique leadership style (accordingly, Achieve iconic team). He never
gives up on innovating new things. Even when he left Apple Inc in the beginning he started to produce
another new product to the market.
2.1 GOOD LEADERS HAVE TO INSPIRE
Steve Jobs is an inspirational leader; an individual can learn a number of lessons from him. Jobs
motivate, inspire and share the vision and sets clear goals for his team. His courage and confidence
gives inspiration to the employees and this drove them to act within a confidence on themselves. Jobs
always care about his future goals than thinking of his past failures. Jobs make a positive vibration in
the working place to make employees inspired.
“The power of questioning” (case study). According to Steve Jobs point of view questioning makes a
person more confident and encourages them to overcome the failures and to give a good result. Steve
Jobs was a risk taker after becoming the CEO of the company he shutdown the most sales revenue
company without thinking back because it didn’t fit his vision. After that he achieved the vision as he
dreamt. Through this it gives inspiration to the followers.
2.2 GOOD LEADERS HAVE TO LEAD AND EXECUTE
Steve Jobs leads and executes the employees towards its goals without significant deviations. This
accomplishes a great result of achievements of vision and objective of the Apple incorporation. He
executes more new versions of ideas to improve the company.
Jobs deliver motivational speech to his employees to get a better result. He led the company by
setting a vision and dealing with the challenges along the way. Jobs say his idea to his team and get a
better solution from his team. This way it creates a good relationship between the employees and also
better solutions. This makes the employee act loyal to his leader.