Steve Jobs’ vs. Indra Nooyi’s Leadership Comparison

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Nobody loves a fraudulent article, something that pretends to be what it is not, something that tries to be what it is not. In this day and time of brand labels, there is such great emphasis put on buying the genuine article that the buyer would rather spend thousands of dollars on the real thing than get an exact imitation for a couple of hundred bucks. Everyone clamors for the ‘authentic’.

The irony is, we put a lot of emphasis on the authenticity of material goods, yet we are master fraudsters, playing at an endless game of pretense. Time and again, we sell ourselves short, trading our values for a lie because we are afraid of what other people will think or say.

More so, for our leaders, they must be true. They are our compass and a wavering compass without a true north is worse than no compass at all since it may lull one into a false sense of security.

Authenticity, according to Avolio and Gardner, is ‘the states of being self-sufficient and interpersonal relationships are not required to become authentic’ (Avolio and Gardner, 2005, 332). A true leader, therefore, not only needs to master how to remain true to himself but also how to be true to those around him and in this way, being able to learn from them, understand them and guide them in the best possible way.

Cashman (1997) tells us that the success of a leader within organizations is measured in terms of how well the leader has control of the external environment with an on-point delivery of positive results, which are measured in revenues, profits, the launch of new products cutting down on production costs and an increase in market shares.

However, he goes ahead to clarify that it is not enough to judge the success of leadership by external results alone. He articulates that there are abstract but just as inherently important factors that are the essence of a good leader.

He concludes that we cannot boil down leadership to simply being what we do, but as something, that comes from deep inside us. He thinks that leadership is a process and a personal expression of the people we are that it is the ‘…authentic self-expression that creates value’ Cashman (1997).

Sharma (2003) seems to share the same opinion with Cashman, telling us that authentic leadership is breaking away from your fears and embracing that ‘person you know in your heart you have always been destined to be’. He further adds like Cashman, that authentic leadership is not measured by material success but by how true one remains to oneself.

Steven Paul Jobs, who was born on 24^th February 1955, is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple INC (Moritz, 1984).

Indra Nooyi is a remarkable woman. In a country where women are still trapped in a psychological, if not physical time warp, with the role they are meant to play cut out for them, she has broken out of the mold to create her own impressive identity and cut a niche for herself (Beauty with Brains, undated article). She created space for herself in a society dominated by her male counterparts.

Born in the southern Indian city of Chennai on the 28^th of October 1955, her unconventionality was seen early on when she joined Madras Christian College and decided to specialize in mathematics and the sciences (physics and chemistry), which were normally seen as subjects meant for men. Women were meant to do the less taxing arts subjects. This was an indication that she was cut out for greater things. Upon graduating, she joined the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta where she did her master’s in finance and marketing. (Beauty with Brains, undated article).

She has worked with several big companies such as Johnson $ Johnson, Boston Consulting Group, and Motorola. She joined Pepsi in 1994 and after twelve years of dedicated service, her commitment and industry were rewarded with being appointed the chief executive officer(C.E.O) of PepsiCo(Beauty with Brains, undated article).

Leaders are endowed with certain strengths that they can develop to make them outstanding people, thus be put in leadership positions. Both Jobs and Nooyi have strengths that have been the backbone of their overwhelming success. These qualities enable them to become great leaders in their societies.

Nooyi has been described as a woman who knows her mind. She is very quick in making her decisions, which she states succinctly and firmly. She is not one to dilly dally, thinking over what has to be done for hours on end. She does not beat about the bush when it comes to making decisions of great importance and this is what makes her a great leader. She has been reputed to be a good decision-maker who can think fast on her feet and act fast when the situation warrants (Beauty with Brains, undated article).

It has also been said that she is good at follow-up. Once she picks up a project, she will doggedly keep up with it until she sees that it has been successfully carried out. She is not one to leave things half done; rather she sees them all through to the end. This clearly illustrates her keen sense of accountability.

She believes that any task can be accomplished no matter how hard it seems, once a person sets one’s mind to it. In her circles of operation, such boldness of character, let alone form a woman, is more often than not, unheard of. She has a go-getting attitude that lets no obstacles stand in her way. This can be seen clearly because she had so many factors stacked against her when she was setting out: she was a woman, not just a woman but a woman of color, venturing into a predominantly male domain. Yet she was still able to cut it, she made it through all the obstacles.

She is firm with her decisions. She is not one to renege on her words once she has committed to them. She makes decisions and keeps to them. Because of this, she is good with employees since she is also an observer of the protocol. This character is highly admirable, especially in a leader as the subordinates, voluntarily or otherwise, take the decision made within an organization seriously and even emulate this trait.

She is insightful, a trait that is invaluable in any visionary leader. She foresaw that in a few years the demand for soft drinks in the market would diminish. That is why she pushed for the opening of new markets for Pepsi’s soft drinks in China, a market that had been previously ignored and that has been a rewarding investment. The company has made a lot of profit in that market, considering the superpower status that China boasts to date.

Steve Jobs can be described as a man with a singular passion. His vision and one dream, which has never wavered from the first, but has only grown, was to create computers that were not only effective but also aesthetically appealing. I believe that it is this singularity of focus that has pushed him to get as far as he has.

Jobs is a man of confidence; believing in himself and what he can do and, in his mastery of machines and designing. He projects this confidence onto his employees and onto the consumers such that they have absolute faith in whatever products that he tables for them. Once a leader is confident in his abilities, his subordinates are better placed to believe and share in the vision and goals of their leader. Jobs clearly understood this fact and played it to his absolute advantage.

He is a perfectionist, who pushes his employees to the utmost. He gives the best of what he has got and expects the same. He sets his standards very high because he knows that it takes nothing short of perfection to remain relevant in the very competitive world of information technology. He does not cut his employees any slack. This quality in him makes his employees do their very best in their work (Times, 2008).

What Jobs could improve on is his aggressiveness. His “no cutting slack “attitude is seen as ruthless by many of his employees and those who observe him. There are many ways of skinning a cat, and Jobs would be able to achieve the same results without necessarily being so antagonistic. He could be more approachable and amiable towards his employees. His style of doing things does indeed get results, but who knows if he used a different approach whether Apple would be twice as far as it is now?

The keyword in today’s business world is innovativeness. The rate at which change takes place is dizzying. If one stops to pause for a minute, he might look around and find that he is light-years behind. It calls for a creative mind to keep up with this killer pace to remain relevant. Both Jobs and Nooyi understand this and constantly work at staying ahead by keeping their products functional.

An analysis of both leaders based on Kouze’s and Posner’s criteria to see how well they fit into their leadership roles

Kouze’s and Posner’s worked outlive practices of leadership that they felt, after thorough research, were fundamental traits of a good and authentic leader. These were the leader’s ability to:

model the way
challenge the process
enable others to act
inspire a vision
encourage the heart

A leader is one person who should never preach water and drink wine. He should walk the talk. He should be able to understand his employees encourage them to do more to improve the work they do. He is perpetually in the limelight, thus, he has to mean not only what he says but acts it out, he should be able to do what he tells his employees to do. If, for example, a leader stresses the importance of punctuality, he cannot expect his team to observe punctuality if he personally never keeps time. If he is an exemplary model, he will inspire his employees to bring out the best they can out of themselves. Jobs and Nooyi both share the trait of being leaders in word and deed. They both have no scruples about getting down to the job, just as all other employees. Jobs was a co-founder of Apple, he started from the very bottom, fiddling with transistors and chips. Although he is now a C.E.O, this does not stop him from working with his team on the development of new projects. He still has a hand at the grassroots level. He is not afraid to do the tough jobs his employees do (Times, 2008).

When working with a team, the individual synergies must be harmonized, the different qualities of each member of a team are used to the fullest extent. Since every individual in the team has a personality, a character and a store of opinions that may differ, the only way that goals can be achieved is by driving home that these goals are of importance above all else. The leader has to instill in his team, not only by saying but also by how he acts, a commitment to their common vision. So much so, that they put aside any individual differences that they may have and pull together. The leader is charged with the task of injecting enthusiasm and boosting morale finding a way to keep them believing in their vision until it becomes realized. I think that Nooyi has more strength in this aspect. She relates more easily with her team, being more open to new ideas and not creating a large employee-employer gap. Jobs is looked upon as a tyrant.

Kouze and Posner (2002) think that for one to be an effective leader, one has to challenge constantly the norms of everyday practice. This is because if one allows himself or herself into a complacent acceptance of everyday routine, room for innovativeness is killed. Thus, in the blink of an eye, a company can find itself lagging in its field. A good leader has to be innovative and give room for new ideas. This seems to be a concept that Jobs has a firm grasp of. He is always driving towards producing new products that are a cut above what has been done in the past, looking for ways to improve on what is already on the market, and working at another product that will blow the mind of the consumer.

A leader has to take the responsibility for making sure that all the aspects of the vision remain cohesive, this means that he has to formulate a strategy that enables the team to feel as if they too own the vision. Though for some people delegation is difficult, a good leader has to be able to trust his team members with responsibilities. Giving individuals specific objectives to achieve endows them with a greater feeling of responsibility and empowers them to act. Kouze and Posner tell us that astonishing results are more likely to be achieved when individuals have extra discretion, authority, and information.

A misconception about leadership is that one has to be strong, almost to the point of invincibility. Being human and showing emotion and sentimentalism is sometimes looked upon as weakness. However, Kouze and Posner tell us that employees will perform better if they get the occasional pat on the back or a much-needed word of support. Employees should be appreciated when need be, consoled, encouraged because, like their leaders too, they are also human.

Given the opportunity, I would be thrilled to work with the Apple CEO, Steve Jobs. The mark of a true leader, as Sharma (2003) tells us that is the legacy left by him or her. However, one may achieve material success, but it is even more of an achievement for the memory of the leader to be carried on. Jobs has a legacy that cannot be denied. His achievements are those that will live on long after him.

Sharma also defines a true leader as one who leads from the heart. I like to think of this as one who is passionate and likes to share his passion. If there is one thing that is known of Jobs is that he has a burning passion for Apple and the innovative products that he works to produce, writing about him and his presentation methods.

An authentic leader, according to Sharma speaks his or her truth, one who lives by his values. He says that in today’s world, more often than not, people tend to say things that will please others. However, an authentic leader does not betray himself by choosing to say what others want to hear, choosing to stick with the truth, even if it might be a bitter pill to swallow. Jobs is a man who is respected for this quality of not mincing his words. He speaks the truth as he sees it and this trait has been misinterpreted and labeled (Times, 2008).

Authentic leaders are courageous, so Sharma tells us. It takes courage to break away from the cocoon of the accepted norm and assert one’s eccentricity. Jobs are known for taking the less beaten path, going places where other people are more cautious. It is indeed true that the greatest men of all times were risk takes, men who acted out of the box and comfort zones. That is probably the one reason as to why he has managed to remain ahead in the cut-throat competition, which easily degenerates into a rat race, of Silicon Valley. Interacting with a man like Steve Jobs would make me grow personally in that he has been in the business arena for over thirty years. He mastered his people skills and uses them to the fullest.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I can say that both Jobs and Nooyi exhibit amazing traits of being authentic leaders. They are passionate, principled, hardworking, tenacious, goal-oriented, confident and have a vision. There are profound and important lessons that one can learn from a keen study of their methodologies and ideologies.

References

Avolio, B. S., and Luthans, F., (2005). The High Impact Leader: Moments Matter in Accelerating Authentic Leadership Development. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional.

Beauty and Brains(undated): Indra Nooyi: Biography. 2008. Web.

Cashman, Kevin. (1997). Authentic Leadership. Innovative Leader, 6, 11. 2008. Web.

Crow Gary (1998). 101 Secrets to Leadership. Innovative Leader, 6, 11. 2008. Web.

Kouzes, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (2002). The leadership challenge (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Moritz Michael (1984) the Little Kingdom: The Private Story of Apple Computers. NY. William Morrow $ Co.

Sharma, Robin. (2003). Leadership: 10 Things Authentic Leaders Do. The Online Self Improvement Encyclopedia. Web.

Times (2008). Steve Jobs. Web.

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Steve Jobs’ vs. Indra Nooyi’s Leadership Comparison

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