Steve Jobs’ Role at Apple

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Abstract

The field of management is intriguing. Business entities often look for ways to dominate in the industries they ply their trade. Such underscores the idea that competition is inherent in the world of business. As a result, business owners seek the best talented individuals to manage or lead their organizations.

Although a difficult task, organisations hire the individuals that meet the qualifications that are set. However, people move or step aside from leadership/management positions due to various reasons. Such presents a dilemma as replacing top leaders is even more arduous. Based on this evidence, management is an important field to review.

This paper focuses on the role of Steve Jobs as the leader of Apple. Steve Jobs is highly regarded based on his role in the rise of the company. However, Steve Jobs stepped aside due to health reasons before eventually succumbing to cancer. His exit from the company elicited divided opinion on the future of Apple.

This paper responds to the question whether Apple would decline in the absence of Steve Jobs. In the end, I conclude that Apple had structures that protect the company from declining. Precisely, although Steve was phenomenal to Apple, the success the company enjoyed was not solely attributable to him as an individual.

Introduction

Leadership is a critical attribute in the world of business. Every keen observer appreciates the influence of a leader regarding the success or failure a business venture registers. Since the business environment is overly competitive, different leaders develop various approaches that they perceive would give the business entities they lead a competitive edge.

The leadership style leaders adopt may endear or distance themselves from the workers. Such notwithstanding, the role of leadership in business is indispensable. As the case of Steve Jobs reveals, leadership heavily influences success.

Purpose of the work

The main purpose of this paper is to highlight whether the loss of Steve Jobs would lead to the decline of the Apple Company. As the paper progresses, it becomes clear that Steve Jobs was a great talent who aided the company from confines of extinction to its current position.

Based on this observation, the paper captures the important personal attributes that made Steve Jobs stand out and in the process propel the Apple Group to its dominant position.

By doing this, in a way, the paper underscores the view that certain individuals have abilities that are difficult to match. In connection to that, the paper proceeds to review whether once a company has gained a strong presence in an industry, there are chances of such a company crumbling immediately the main leader exits.

Towards getting a clear view on how leadership influences progression in business, the paper reviews literature on leadership in general. Such reviews are critical as they help in creating an understanding on how the leadership fraternity affects organisations. The same review also helps in assessing the worth of individuals who are assigned leadership duties.

Since the paper focuses on how the loss of Steve Jobs would affect the Apple group, the role of institutionalisation also takes a peripheral stage. If the Apple company is to progress, such would rest on appointing an able successor or the level of institutionalisation the company has. Thus, the paper underlies the need to put power in institutions rather than individuals.

Nature of the problem

Leaders or managers occupy important positions in business organisations. While the leaders do not guarantee success, the extent to which an organisation goes towards attaining its goals is a function of leadership.

Hence, the value of leadership is that critical such that when a phenomenal leader dies or retires organisations often struggle to find able replacements. Death or retirement of the leader could potentially undermine the success of an entity. In most instances organisations struggle initially before establishing a right candidate for the job.

As it becomes clear, leaders hold different attributes. As the case of Steve Jobs depict, strong leaders often work hard to enforce the way they think into the workforce. Since leaders are different, there is a possibility that replacing one leader with another would hinder the progress of a business.

Such hindrances may however be short-lived or inexperienced in instances where the organisations have well crafted structures. A well structured organisation does not need a strong leader in order to succeed. This does not however imply that well structured organisations do not need strong leadership.

The implication is that institutionalisation is critical in the leadership of organisations. However, some leaders such as Steve Jobs have different personal characteristics that make them difficult to replace.

It is not surprising that the return of Steve Jobs proved the turning point for Apple. In this regard, reviewing leadership and the personal leadership contribution of Steve is an important step towards unravelling whether his death would herald the end of Apple.

Justification

The role of leadership is critical in business. Thus studying it is invaluable. The dynamic nature of business implies that leadership must change. Failure to change would not augur well with the development agenda of businesses.

Hence, a study that highlights how changes within the leadership fraternity affect business is of indisputable value to business. Closely connected to the issue of leadership is the role of individual leaders. In some instances, individual leaders have single-handedly produced success for business entities.

Such assertions are questionable. As such, reviewing the influence of individual leaders is important in a bid to establish how individuals lay grounds for success. In the same breadth, it would be clear if the leadership organisations enjoy under given leaders is based on individual attributes or if the success is attributable to prevailing circumstances.

How businesses manage the issue

As already observed, leadership is central to the success of businesses. Consequently, the loss of mercurial leaders poses serious concerns to concerned stakeholders. Although business entities often dislike being in situations of replacing top leaders, replacement is mandatory.

Such is especially necessary when a leader passes on. In the case of Apple, Steve Jobs had already stepped aside due to health concerns. Hence, the company had a chance to find a replacement. Based on this observation, when business entities lose their leaders, the only option is to replace them.

Replacement is either done by appointing individuals from within or outside the company. When replacements are done from within, companies have a better chance of progressing since such individuals have prior knowledge on operations within the company.

More precisely, internally groomed leaders already have a good grasp of company culture and work ethos. However, if the company has no ready replacement from within the institution, then outsourcing a leader is commendable.

Relevant literature review

In order to understand whether the death of Steve Jobs could negatively influence the levels of success that he guaranteed while working at Apple, reviewing his role and leadership style is critical.

Back in 1987, Steve Jobs was a hated figure at Apple (Imbimbo 2009). Even the senior management at the company had to deal with Job’s temperament. Jobs created resent amongst employees by converting some into stars while taking issues with others regarding the conduct of business.

The rough approach Jobs took left him bruised as he occasionally rubbed shoulders against top management within the company.

Imbimbo (2009) observes that after two decades, Jobs had changed the way people viewed him. As once remarked by Michael Wolff, Jobs had become more mercurial as exhibited in his tantrums, long working hours, issuance of dictator-like speeches, etc.

These characteristics contributed to the success of Jobs, as he was able to transact business deals with improved ease. The rise of Jobs was clear since after the two decades at Apple over ninety seven percent of the workers approved his work ethic (Imbimbo 2009).

Unlike most Silicon Valley CEOs, Steve Jobs was different. Steve Jobs did not possess technological skills as a high number of technology-based companies’ founders did (Imbimbo 2009). Jobs dropped out of college only after one semester. At the first time in the company, Steve Jobs did not occupy the CEO role.

Instead, he worked as an assistant to executives and investors. In particular, Steve was instrumental in hiring John Sculley as CEO in 1983. Two years later, John Sculley dismissed Jobs from the company. Jobs then watched as John Sculley brought the company down (Imbimbo 2009).

After the debacle, Jobs learned that to succeed, paying attention to personal values, instincts, beliefs and trust was important in achieving success within any business. As such, one should disregard conventional views regarding how a company is managed.

Based on this perspective, Steve Jobs delegated most duties to the executive team. Such delegation allowed executive members to use individuals’ talent and skills in taking the business forward.

Leadership qualities

Managing people is one of the most difficult aspects. Leaders of business entities are charged with the duty to guide workers. Unlike other tasks such as managing inventory provision of work facilities and controlling books of accounts, leadership offers a different dimension (Hill 2008).

Such views hold in regards to the idea that managers find difficulties in attempting to force workers to carry out activities as desired.

In the technology industry, various barriers may weaken the pursuit of goals. Such would include physical barriers, time barriers, wherewithal barriers, expertise barriers, etc as observed by Hill (2008).

Hence, the leadership can only succeed if its leadership is able to separate legitimate from illegitimate barriers. Such ability to draw a distinction is essential as it helps leaders to determine why some workers are able to attain set targets when others fail to meet desired objectives.

This underlies the point that leadership is a decisive component in the search for success within business organizations. Equally valuable, a leader needs to understand the barriers that lower productivity by allowing a free flow of information. Communicating freely permits the led to express what they feel is important to help to improve productivity.

Leadership/management in business organisation

Closely related to the above point, workers who enjoy such freedom are in vantage points in reference to innovations. The role of innovation in the technology industry is of unquestionable value. An innovative approach in business offers assurance of growth and expansion as Hill (2008) notes.

Since businesses pursue growth and expansion, providing workers the freedom to participate is necessary. This holds in respect to the notion that freed workers offer innovative ideas to leaders and in the process they help businesses expand.

When workers make these contributions, business leaders also need extend rewards as such offers encouragement that paves way for improved performance. Put differently, the leadership guides in the elimination of barriers to success and therefore encourages free communication in organisations.

From time to time, employees outgrow their usefulness to organisations (Foster 2004). Technology-based organisations are not exceptions. Consequently, leaders should closely monitor the performance levels of workers and separate those who deliver from those who do not.

This underscores the appraisal element in business organisations. Appraising performance is a role of the leadership. Using appraisals, leaders are able to establish which workers are discharging duties of an organisation in the expected way.

After establishing the appropriate workers, leaders also need to know which workers should face replacement. Replacing workers is a major challenge that leaders are obliged to handle. In spite of the possibility of displeasing a section of workers, leaders should desist from the temptation of letting slack workers continue offering services to their organisations.

Such actions are crucial as they aid business organisations since a combination of committed and dispirited employees do not bode well with organisational endeavours. More precisely, disinterested employees are likely to demoralise other workers.

Therefore, each organisation should eliminate those workers seen as contributing to demoralisation in order to protect organisational goals.

Leaders teach those individuals working under them (Foster 2004). In regard to this, leaders, regardless of the place or industry of work should mould their followers.

Using more precise terms, leaders should assemble a team that has a winning mentality. In this regard, strategising takes centre stage. Strategies often differ from one leader to another the same way they do from organisation to organisation.

Sometimes, observers question the methods a leader employs in a bid to attain set objectives. As a leader, remaining focused and firm after making decisions regarding the strategies to use in pursuing business goals is invaluable. Nevertheless, the leader must be convicted that at the end of a given period, the results attributable to such decisions vindicate the leader’s position.

Leadership supports the development of competence and allows for higher levels of individual devotion to organisational goals among the led. Foster (2004) correctly observed that by broadening and uplifting employee interests, transformational managers guarantee generation of awareness and acceptance of the goals of a group.

The amalgamation of improved capacity and commitment paves way for further effort by the employees. As a consequence, improvement in productivity is possible (Foster 2004).

Good leadership is obliged to design strategies that people readily employ (Foster 2004). In instances when the followers are not persuaded by the strategy as anticipated, the leadership should take steps to ensure that the employees understand the necessity to observe the organisational or business requirements.

Nevertheless, the leadership needs to allow the led an opportunity to voice any concern they have. Permitting the led to share the views they possess is valuable as it prevents potential conflicts associated with disagreements.

In addition to that, allowing the workers to raise opinions facilitates a participative approach that guarantees that workers own the leadership resolutions. The ability of a leader to unite the workers is perhaps one of the biggest assets that an organisation needs.

As already observed, businesses organisations pursue specific goals. Such places big responsibilities on the leadership. Put differently, a good leader ensures that all stakeholders’ demands are satisfied in reference to goal attainment.

Towards that end, the leadership erects a long-term arrangement that aids the attainment of organisational aims. In regards to stakeholders, in the technology industry, focus is on customers, business owners and workers.

Lussier & Achua (2009) observe that charisma entails a leadership style between a leader and the led. Charisma serves as inspiration to the led. As such, a charismatic leader is the one who is able to inspire the led. Concisely, charisma is an important leadership attribute.

Steve Jobs had the ability to deliver captivating speeches. He could use the power f speech to motivate his employees and audiences. Based on this, Steve was in a position to convey his ideas to the workers effortlessly. In the process, the workers would push forward the organisation’s agenda.

When Steve presented the iPad, Apple’s new product, he sat down on a couch (Lussier & Achua 2009). This clearly demonstrates the genius in Steve. Steve was creating a scene that would arrest the attention of a viewer and listener alike. Steve was a master when it came to marketing. This was aided by his charismatic nature.

Jobs’ deep understanding of the technology industry aided the charismatic approach that he employed. Although, Jobs was not the best gifted technology expert, together with his co-founder, they developed the first hardware. Further, his charisma combined with his visionary instincts enabled him to convey efficiently his ideas to the Apple’s team.

Steve was able to personalize his charismatic leadership style. Personalized charisma implies that the bearer exercises limited restraints on using the power. However, the bearer makes more use of the leadership attribute for individual gain.

Jobs was a forceful user of power as he did not give room to anything that could derail the pursuit of organizational success. Using the hard approach ensured that employees always sought to offer the best that met the requirements of the company.

Critical reflection

Steve Jobs was an instrumental figure as demonstrated by his stewardship at Apple. As the paper establishes, Steve was a hands-on man who put his executive powers aside and frequented production rooms to find out the progress of workers. It is rare to find executives of this nature in the world of business.

In practice, most executives would prefer to send those below them to establish what is happening. A hands-on person takes credit for work well done, the same way he takes blame for work poorly done.

However, the hands-on approach did not bar Steve from delegating duties. It was established that Steve delegated a sizable portion of work to company executives. The executives then got ample time to help execute various tasks.

Delegation is an important approach that helps business entities carry out more tasks within a limited time as work is broken into small tasks that are spread among workers. Delegation is also invaluable in grooming up other workers to take leadership positions.

As workers discharge delegated work, they improve their understanding of operations. Such improvements facilitate the preparation of a new crop of leaders who understand the firm. These individuals are thus in positions to step up and take senior positions when vacancies emerge.

In current times, companies give preference to technologically gifted or trained personnel. Put differently, employers prefer top experts in the fields of operation. Clearly, Steve Jobs did not possess high levels skills. He dropped out of college after a very short stint.

The short spell at college did not present Steve Jobs the best chance to develop his technological acumen. Hence, Steve was barely qualified for the leadership job.

The implication of this realisation has far-reaching ramifications. The ability of Jobs to lead appears to have been internally ingrained. Even those individuals who went ahead and completed studies could rarely match his leadership mantra.

Despite the often touted maxim that belief in oneself is important in attaining success, most individual do not act based on self-belief. This is an attribute that Steve scores highly unlike most leaders. Steve learnt earlier on the value of working on the basis of personal belief.

Through such, Steve was able to scale high levels of success wherever he worked. At Apple he was at pains arguing with other executives on the way forward for the company. Jobs’ high-handedness saw him dismissed from the company early on.

However, the dismissal did not dampen Steve’s spirits as he moved and came back a stronger person. On coming back, Steve introduced a raft of changes hitherto un-witnessed in the industry. The manner in which Steve went about limiting production items proved drastic.

Although many analysts thought that Steve was on the verge of oblivion, in the end, he was vindicated. Although leaders are expected to be decisive, few are able to take stern actions and stick by them in the face of high level opposition.

The role of Steve Jobs in product design was apparent within the company. Steve used the hands-on approach in regards to designing of products (Deutschman 2000). Steve could go to the Industrial Design Lab, spend considerable time with designers, and present his opinion and direction on the products being prepared.

Steve embraced this approach on the production of software at Apple as well. This served as a review of what employers did at the company. Hence, the employers felt motivated to go ahead to produce products that enjoyed the approval of the CEO. Steve took reasonable time reviewing products of the company (Deutschman 2000).

It is often remarked that Jobs knew he was always right. He made himself the ultimate user of the company’s products. In this regard, Jobs often drew associations with Henry Ford in reference to the preference of a faster horse. This was aimed at justifying the company’s limited use of focus groups. Instead, Steve was the ultimate focus group within the company.

Steve meticulously analysed new products and came up with suitable feedback which he passed to development teams. To offer a clearer illustration, the stall in the development of Xserve and spreadsheet products was attributable to the reluctance of Steve to approve them.

This underscores the assertion that Steve Jobs often laid emphasis on three to four projects over a given period. As a leader, Steve often ensured that only those projects that fell within the time frame were pursued (Deutschman 2000).

Public image has an influence on how a company progresses. Steve Jobs placed emphasis on marketing. The notion that he had a unique skill in marketing and advertising enhanced the success chances of a company.

Steve had an ability to anticipate the different needs and wants of customers. Similarly, Steve guessed right regarding the development of marketing and advertising messages.

This talent came to the fore as early as 1984 when he played a leading role in the use of the Macintosh advert despite stiff resistance from the board (Deutschman 2000). Later, the advert was dubbed the best in the twentieth century.

When Steve went back to Apple for the second time, he used to hold weekly meetings with the top marketing people and all heads of various subdivisions (Deutschman 2000). This presented a departure from conventional practice since no CEO apart from Jobs took the marketing role in this regard.

Steve used to approve all commercials, billboards and print adverts every Wednesday. Such demonstrates the levels of obsession Steve had with marketing. The marketing approach did not cease at that point, Steve often called journalists to offer opinion on articles about Apple. Jobs also sought the services of leading artists to perform during Apple functions.

Worth noting is the idea that Steve took time to establish what was wrong with the company before initiating changes. After establishing the state of affairs, Steve made difficult decisions for the benefit of the company. Particularly, Steve observed that the company was working on several projects at a time.

This aspect made it difficult for the company to produce first class products that met consumer needs. In order to re-introduce efficiency, Steve took the decision to reduce the number of products to be produced. Steve cut the products from forty to four. This is a drastic decision that was seen by critical observers as suicidal.

Although the above decision highlights his career, Steve took several other important decisions from the beginning. As an illustration Steve personally took up the dispute between Apple and Microsoft. The solution to the dispute demonstrates the personal influence of Jobs in Apple.

Steve had an eye for detail. This aided Steve’s pursuit of perfection and reluctance to accept his current achievements. As such, Steve continued to embrace new challenges. Although, sometimes failure was a possibility, when he achieved success, it was tremendous. This explains the utmost attention, Apple paid to image and design.

Since Steve understood the importance of relating well with customers, he worked towards ensuring that Apples’ products created the desired product experience to the customers.

Steve emphasized the need to make products simple instead of complicating matters for consumers. This approach could prove pivotal since under the leadership of Steve, Apple was able to extend the gap between its competitors.

Examining the role of Steve while he was away from the Apple group is equally important in highlighting his strengths. Steve bought Pixar and transformed it to an industry leader from a tiny entity. In addition, he started a computing firm, NeXT, an entity that was later sold to Apple (Deutschman 2000).

Although Jobs was an exceptional manger/leader, he was forced to step aside due to health grounds. The pancreatic cancer Jobs was fighting later took his life. The absence of Jobs was clear at the launch of iPhone coming a day after his death. Such underscores the levels of interconnectedness between Jobs and the Apple group.

Apples’ business model

Examining Apple’s business model shows that success at the company may not be down to the works of Steve Jobs on his own. Apple operates a unique business model that places the company in a different league of business. Apple began taking market leadership by redefining the competition basis. Over the years, Apple focused on differentiating its products through ease of use and design.

By contrast, its competitors laid emphasis on production of homely and non-intuitive products. In the face of this state of affairs, Apple was able to pull away from the chasing pack. Secondly, Apple fused hardware and software. On the other hand, the company’s competitors were focusing on either software or hardware.

By the integration of hardware and software, the company was in a position to optimise its system performance. This approach gave the customers a higher level of satisfaction. Thirdly, Apple was able to master a wider range of complementary technology. Samsung is possibly the only other company that embraced this model. However, Apple is the only company that integrated such competencies to good effect.

The mastery of the company in such aspects as semiconductor design, power management, advanced materials, industrial design, etc gave Apple an edge in the business of technology.

Having focused on meeting the demands and expectations of its customers, Apple was able to lock its customers. This also allowed the company to deny other companies an opportunity to make inroads into its market territory (Lussier & Achua 2009).

The Apple Company also put in place a big network comprising third-party developers. The success the company registered in the production and marketing of iPhone and iPad was partly attributable to the support from its passionate global community of developers.

This underscores the notion that Apple understands the influential role the environment plays. Another aspect of the Apple model is based on the company’s ability to extend its main competencies into emerging markets.

It is critical to note at this stage that Apple did not just define itself based on a specific product or market. Instead, the company did that using portfolio centred on deep competencies (Lussier & Achua 2009).

Company ideals

In my view, there is no evidence to suggest that one person or a business model is responsible for the success that Apple has registered in the technology industry. The success could be down to a set of ideals that the company has embraced. Such ideals as passion, leadership, surprise-orientation, innovation-focus, etc may form the basis upon which Apple has excelled.

In reference to being passionate, one notes that passion precedes success. Passion is exhibited by a tireless inventive pursuit of noble ideals. Regarding Apple, the passion gravitates around the virtue of beauty.

The company focuses on products that appeal to class. Since Apple has produced great products for a long time, the role of a passionate workforce must be viewed as an exceptional ideal that Apple has cultivated over the years (Esslinger 2009).

At Apple, the aim is to surprise (Esslinger 2009). Hence, the company always works towards exceeding expectations. Unlike the rigours of attaining success, sustaining success is a daunting task.

However, Apple seems to take the challenge by a storm. The company always aspires to produce products that exceed customer expectation. This helps in tying down customers as opposed to losing them to competitors.

The reputation of Jobs as a tech savy individual emanates from the stream of inventive products that Apple has produced in the last 10-15 years (Deutschman 2000). To get a clearer picture, observing Jobs’ close friends helps.

His close associates recount several occasions when Jobs took them by surprise by taking unexpected decisions. As an illustration, a former employee, Frederick Van Johnson underscores the notion that Jobs had unrivalled insight. Further, Bill Gates has acknowledged that Jobs had a great instinctual grasp in technological matters.

Selection of workers

The selection of workers to various roles within firms is important. Selection entails the identification of the right people to occupy different positions in firms (Michael 2006). This puts considerable pressure on firms, since they need to pick individuals who match expectations.

Towards choosing the right candidates, organisations must recognise the tasks that need to be done. Further firms needs to identify the right job credentials. Based on this, each organisation is obliged to invest substantial resources that can help in execution of the task.

The selection process comes in between and after recruitment. For this reason, it is a continuous process that binds firms’ resources in the long-term. In addition, it is discernable that after recruiting individuals some fail at the work place while others excel.

Since such takes place, the selection department should keep a close watch on the recruited individuals. In this regard, those who excel are selected for promotion while those who fail are corrected or replaced.

Such demands imply that investing in HRM functions is highly desirable. Identifying the right personnel in a customer contact centre is critical since such a facility influences views of customers.

Recruitment is closely connected to the selection function. The recruitment process involves selecting the right individuals from an identified list. The individuals who end up being recruited are those that possess the desired skills to do the tasks. In practice, several candidates apply for jobs.

Most applicants purport to possess the desired skills. However, in practice, few candidates prove to possess the right skills. As such, recruiting the right people for employment is a difficult task.

Such places a demand on firms to put in place a recruitment or HR department in firms. The realisation that recruitment affects the progress of firms underlies the need to increase investments in the HR function.

Within organizations, the role of employees is of unquestionable importance. Since Jobs was a hands-on oriented leader, he discharged the role adequately. Jobs sought the best workers since he believed that the best players were obliged to hire the best players also.

As established in this paper, Steve Jobs did not take the task of being CEO until proving his worth. He rejoined the company as an interim CEO and embarked on a reformation process. Jobs gets credit for selecting the right team charged with discharging the various responsibilities and roles within the company.

This is reflected in the act of replacing all board members apart from one person, Anderson Fred. By replacing the members, Steve was interested in working with people who added value to the organisation.

Conclusion

Based on this paper, interesting findings emerge. Individuals have different abilities. As the case of Steve Jobs reflects, personal attributes greatly influence the success levels that an individual achieves as well as the organisation that the individual serves.

At Apple, Steve Jobs appears to have played a leading role in re-inventing the company. Jobs made hard decisions in person and stood by them. At the time he took over in the second stint, Apple was on a decline. However, it did not take long before Steve brought Apple to the front in the technology industry.

Based on the obvious role that Steve played at Apple, one would summarily claim that the success Apple enjoyed was down to the works of Steve Jobs. If the work was down to Steve then failure to find an able replacement would dent the business fortunes of the company.

Since individuals are different, finding somebody who operates like Steve would be almost impossible. If the company fails to find an individual of the same calibre then the company would be on a free fall. However, as the paper establishes, it is ingenious to purport that success within an entity is solely attributable to one individual.

At Apple, the work ethic was appropriate. It served the company well. In addition, the company had a business model or structure that it followed. Moreover, Steve did not execute every task personally. Although he gave leadership, it is utter folly to assume that all progress was down to Jobs.

It is true, Jobs operated as an engine of the company. However, the lengthy time he spent at the company should have been enough to build a culture that permeates through the entire organisation. Based on this assertion, the death or exit of Jobs should not dampen spirits.

If the workers continue to operate by the same values, then it would be business as usual. However, if a different leader, in this case, Cook, alters the way things are done drastically then there are chances the fortunes of the company would change. However, it is difficult to determine whether they would change for better or for worse.

Further research

This study highlights a number of factors that affect business. Clearly, leadership emerges as an important aspect in business. The issue of individuals and structures within business entities also come to the fore. In the case of Apple, Steve Jobs was a dominant figure.

His return coincided with the upward trend of the company. Such occurrences imply that individuals have great influence on the success paths businesses take. Despite this realisation, individuals do not work in vacuums, there are supporting services as well as structures. The latter establishment makes it difficult to determine whether it is individual attributes or supporting services/structures that influence progression.

Roughly, both aspects influence the success of a business entity. This study does not separate the two aspects. Thus in the future, conducting studies to unravel the contribution of individuals without the role of supporting structures or services is welcome.

Although desirable, conducting such a study would pose problems since it is almost impossible to separate structures from business. In this regard, the most appropriate issue to focus on is how the leadership of Steve Jobs differs from those who led/lead the company before and after his spell.

Reference List

Deutschman, A 2000, The second coming of Steve Jobs, Broadway Books, Michigan.

Esslinger, H 2009, A fine line: how design strategies are shaping the future of business, John Wiley and Sons, New York.

Foster, T 2004, Managing Quality: An integrative Approach, Prentice Hall, New York.

Hill, L 2008, Where will we find tomorrow’s leaders? Harvard Business Review, 86 (4), pp. 123-129.

Imbimbo, A 2009, Steve Jobs: The Brilliant Mind Behind Apple, Gareth Stevens, New York.

Lussier, R and Achua, C 2009, Leadership: Theory, Application, & Skill Development, Cengage Learning, Toebben Drive Independence, KY.

Michael, A 2006, Achieving strategic excellence: an assessment of human resource organizations, Kogan Page Publishers, London.

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