5. From Rob Kaiser: “According to conventional wisdom, leadership is about influ

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5. From Rob Kaiser: “According to conventional wisdom, leadership is about influencing individuals to contribute to group goals. Although the preferred way for leaders to influence followers has changed with the times—command and control leadership during the predictable days of industry, a more engaging person-oriented approach for the softer and less certain knowledge economy—the core assumption remains that leaders contribute to the bottom line by cajoling, inspiring, and motivating followers. The problem is that this view cannot explain „the Apple paradox. By all accounts, Steven Jobs, the founder and CEO of Apple Inc., is a difficult person—abrasive, angry, mean, hard to satisfy, volatile, and supremely arrogant. He reduces subordinates to tears, takes credit for their ideas, curses them in public, and even yells at Board members. According to the conventional model, Jobs is a horrible leader…” However, Jobs has over 100 patents to his name, has created radical new products and new markets, has been deeply involved in the business, and has recruited some of the best talent in the world to work for Apple. Based on your knowledge of organizational behavior and leadership, how do you explain the apparent paradox? What theory or theories can provide insight? 5. From Rob Kaiser: “According to conventional wisdom, leadership is about influencing individuals to contribute to group goals. Although the preferred way for leaders to influence followers has changed with the times—command and control leadership during the predictable days of industry, a more engaging person-oriented approach for the softer and less certain knowledge economy—the core assumption remains that leaders contribute to the bottom line by cajoling, inspiring, and motivating followers. The problem is that this view cannot explain „the Apple paradox. By all accounts, Steven Jobs, the founder and CEO of Apple Inc., is a difficult person—abrasive, angry, mean, hard to satisfy, volatile, and supremely arrogant. He reduces subordinates to tears, takes credit for their ideas, curses them in public, and even yells at Board members. According to the conventional model, Jobs is a horrible leader…” However, Jobs has over 100 patents to his name, has created radical new products and new markets, has been deeply involved in the business, and has recruited some of the best talent in the world to work for Apple. Based on your knowledge of organizational behavior and leadership, how do you explain the apparent paradox? What theory or theories can provide insight?

Explanation / Answer

The this can be explained is that there are different models and theories of leadership. Leadership is not a one size fits all model.

Most management books talk about the various styles of leadership like servant leadership, situational leadership, adaptive leadership etc. However, the fact is that the real world is different and people are dynamic and ever-changing and so are their personalities. Since people are dynamic, I believe that your interaction and your leadership styles should also vary by a small degree to accommodate every follower or employee.

Here are a few styles and or popular models of leadership

Transforming Leadership requires leaders to raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation by setting the right example. Its a form of leadership where doing the right thing is always the right thing. This form of leadership puts corporate governance, the Organisations Code of Conduct above whats good or right for the follower. Transforming Leadership centers itself around leveraging the conscience of followers or employees in an organization. By appealing to their sense of whats right and wrong and reminding them to keep looking at their moral compass.

Servant Leadership requires leaders to be of service to their followers, and in some cases put the needs of the follower above the needs of the organization. The servant leader must support the follower even when it is not in the financial interest of the organization. Servant Leadership, on the other hand, leverages the support of its followers by displaying Altruistic Values and supporting and empowering employees.

Authentic leadership places importance on an honest leader-follower exchange or the quality of the exchange relationship between a leader and a follower built on ethics, integrity, openness, and trust. This style of leadership leverages an honest relationship with followers.

Cross-Cultural LEADERSHIP

This is a style of leadership where, leaders learn how to work with a diverse group of employees or followers by facilitating an environment which promotes, integration, fairness, equal opportunity & egalitarianism.

Situational Leadership

Situational Leadership that involves in leaders adjusting their leadership and management styles to facilitate employee growth and development. This involves strong mentorship and career guidance to ensure the organization not only grooms future leaders for middle and senior management positions.

Adaptive leadership

Adaptive Leadership facilitates an environment where leaders create a business , operational and managerial frameworks where both organizations and employees can thrive in the most challenging business and economic environments.

Steve Jobs was a leader but he but followed an Adaptive Leadership where he ensured that his organization adapted to the modern world along its consumers and markets.

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