STEVE JOBS

Steve Jobs

[Institution Name]

Steve Jobs

Introduction

Steve Jobs is a difficult man to be indifferent about. People love him or hate him, and often that depends on the kind of relationship one has with him. As Apple's spokesman, he is a superstar; adored by his constituents, they hang on every word during his flawless and dynamic keynotes, and they analyze every letter published looking for hidden meaning. As a boss, he is critical, demanding, driving, and surprisingly inspirational. As a businessman, he is cold and cunning. His tactics are merciless and his business sense is impeccable. In all areas, he is never hesitant to speak what is on his mind (Apple, 2007).

Leadership Style

Steve Jobs is a strong charismatic leader. As a charismatic leader, he is exceedingly inspirational, likes using stories to motivate, and his passion for perfection is inspiring. When relying on behaviors that emphasize the directive style, Steve does not hold back his thoughts about the direction of a project or someone's ideas on how to resolve a problem (Apple, 2007).

Steve's charismatic personality has pulled Apple through crises, periods of change, and even compelled employees to work 90-hour weeks (joyfully) in order to meet seemingly impossible deadlines. His charisma, conviction, and dominating influence also caused him to be fired from Apple when he adamantly refused to change the course he believed Apple needed to go.

In the typical manner of a charismatic personality, Steve did have difficulties to overcome as a youth. He was an adopted child and struggled with identity issues in his early years. This quest for his personal identity was tied in with his devotion to Eastern philosophies, a quest for truth. Dan Kotke, a close friend of Steve Jobs in the 70s, said Steve Jobs “felt some kind of unresolved pain over being adopted. That was the period he hired a private investigator to try to track down his mother. He was obsessed with it for a while (Burrows, 2006).”

Steve's Interactions within and without Apple

Steve Jobs had a funny way of interacting with his employees. He could be exceedingly kind, rewarding, and motivational. At the same time, he could also be cruel, despondent, demanding, and thankless. His interaction with suppliers, other companies, and customers was equally unpredictable. No one ever knew what to expect from him (Burrows, 2006).

Steve Jobs had an amazing ability to get people to give him what he wanted. Young gives an example of a conflict with supplies and sales. Demand for the Apple II was putting a strain on the production of cases when machinery failed. The slowdown of product supply caused cash flow to diminish. The suppliers were demanding payment and Apple was juggling 60-day credit purchases with sales to customers on 30-day terms.

The Dark Side of Steve's Charisma

The drive and passion that consumed Steve about his company, which compelled his employees to believe in what they were doing, and that, gave him his informal and overpowering leadership at Apple as a member of the board is ...