Introduction
Leadership is an important trait that influences personal and organizational success. It relates to the ability to establish a vision and set the direction for other people. Leadership is not always about creating what a team should do to win, but it is a dynamic and inspiring concept. Leaders should also use their management skills to guide other people in an efficient way towards the right direction (Allio 4). It is important to note that leadership has a different meaning to different people in the many areas around the world. It can be defined by the various spectrums such as politics, religion, business or community. Steve Jobs is renowned personality and leader in the tech world. Under his leadership, the company invented some revolutionary technologies that include the iPhone, MacBook, iPod and Apple smartwatch among many others (Howard 33). Steve had specific characteristics that made him be on a different plane from many of the current business leaders. Under his watch, Apple became one of the most successful companies of the 21st century. Jobs displayed a wide range of leadership qualities that included simplicity, innovation, focus, responsibility, and positivity.
Who is a Leader?
People in a position of authority do not always possess the skills that are necessary for one to be called a leader. For someone to be classified as an effective leader, he/she should be able to create an inspiring vision for the future, motivate other people to adopt the concept, guide them, and build a team that will be effective in delivering the idea (Dickson et al. 485). The mental picture created should help to provide direction and set priorities that will be used to evaluate the achievements made by the team. This makes leadership to be a proactive procedure that does not require one to be satisfied with the current position of things. One’s ability to motivate others using natural charisma and appeal will also help in the delivery of vision. Management is also an important aspect that defines a leader and their ability to delegate duties to their juniors. Finally, understanding team dynamics is also a crucial aspect that an individual must understand to be in a position where they can successfully lead a group with long-term achievements.
Leadership Traits and Ethics
The focus is one of the essential traits that a person in a leadership position should possess. Steve Jobs was a focused individual, and this led to him achieving many objectives with the Apple Company that he had started in his garage....
Jobs identified a need in the society, and he developed a product to suit the specifications of the demand. Additionally, he spent every most of his energy in making sure that the products and software he developed were perfect (Isaacson 100). Jobs picked the field of technology especially computers, phones, and software and he made this area to be his life. The ability to establish objectives and to stay committed to them lead to the tremendous success that he enjoyed.
Another trait that is important in leadership is the ability to take responsibility. This can be defined as the state of being accountable for specific consequences or decisions. The life of Steve Jobs was driven by an obsession for perfection as he took the responsibility to make the Apple products to be faultless. Unlike many people, he focused more on the products of the company other than how much profit the organization was making. Some of the employees referred to him as a control freak that was personally involved in all the procedures that involved manufacturing of their products (Lunenburg 8). Jobs never blamed anyone for any misfortunes that had occurred along the building of the company. At some point, he purchased a vehicle for one of the employees who was late to work because of difficulty in accessing public transport. He had felt that it was his fault that the employee had been late for work and he took the responsibility to correct the mistake.
Concerning ethics, it is challenging to decide whether Steve Jobs was an ethical leader. From the business ethics point of view, ethics can be defined as having the viewpoint of enhancing the goals of the corporation without and ensuring that the brand is viable without acting in a manner to profit oneself. As seen from the definition, Jobs was an embodiment of ethics. He acted in a way that was consistent with the expectation of the society, and he always showed the excellent values (Hunter et al. 424). Additionally, he demonstrated respect for the fundamental principles that are used to determine an ethical entity which are honesty, equality, individual rights, dignity, and diversity. Therefore, Jobs was a leader with ethics, and this contributed to the success that Apple enjoyed during his tenure as the CEO.
Leadership Behaviors and Motivations
Leadership behavior entails the trait that an individual has that makes other people act and follow their guidance. An example of a leadership behavior is…
