HERRERA, John Joseph A.

196025

LAS 130-O

CASE ANALYSIS 1

CASE 1: Steve Jobs - Visionary Leadership – Seeing Into the Future and Defining Reality.

It is crucial to emphasize the critical term "visionary" in order to comprehend Steve Jobs'

leadership stance. In this situation, three events made him the kind of visionary leader that Apple

had. He observed reality, recognized its state, and identified what this reality was. Apple's

innovations were finally made possible by his ability to perceive the circumstances and evaluate

them when they satisfied his standards for being simple, reliable, and beautiful. One may

characterize Steve Jobs' leadership premise as one of a behavioral. The behavioral theory states

that his visionary quality allowed him to act in a certain way that highlighted his leadership style.

This behavior was measured by operational behavior/s leaders are put into, such as what he

noticed when defining reality. He examined the reality of computers and identified the trajectory

it would take. Behavior theorists observe the decisions made by leaders in various contexts and

evaluate those decisions in the context of prevailing leadership behavior patterns. He adjusted to

a particular circumstance, which highlighted his visionary leadership style.

He can be described as an authoritarian leader who prioritized getting things done, had a

rigorous attention to detail, and surrounded himself with followers who shared his values. His

"meticulous eye for detail" and creative awareness were undoubtedly key factors in Apple's

success, just like what happened in the computer mouse case from Xerox. Thus, the

circumstance changed his way of thinking and helped him develop the leadership style that has

served him well at Apple. Although Steve Jobs didn't have the leadership style to inspire those
around him to act as what we call moral agents, it can also be said that he was a transformational

leader in that his visionary goal was to challenge the status quo of the situation he dealt with. His

actions through his observations were essentially rooted from what transformational leaders are

most likely to do. However, the fact that he was an authoritarian leader was the main reason in

why he did not develop into the typical transformational leader as characterized by Barnett,

McCormick, & Conners or Burns. While transformational leadership focuses on guiding change,

Steve Jobs did so in a way that deviated slightly from the norm.

Instilling confidence was one of Steve Jobs's leadership traits that contributed to Apple's

success. By defining reality, he recognized a chance for computers to enhance society's quality of

life. He then stated his objective by building a computer that satisfies the requirements of his

realistic computer. Steve Jobs' approach was based on his idea of a simple, bulletproof, and

beautiful product that would wow people when they used it and even, please them when they

opened the box to find it on their desk or lap. The key reason Steve Jobs exuded confidence in

elevating Apple to new heights was his visionary leadership quality; he wasn't scared to

experiment and invent.

Steve Jobs' neglect of his health and excessive attention to the business was his only flaw.

In other words, his work became his entire focus, and his visionary nature ended up being the

main factor in his passing. He ignored his medical condition because he believed he was above

therapy. He let his ego get the best of him. He might have taken therapy and continued to come

up with new discoveries if he had not placed so much value on himself. Imagine what might

have been if a leader had known what was best for the entire company, starting with himself.
 References

Brownlee, J. (2015, July 28). How Steve Jobs Invented The Computer Mouse By Stealing It From

Xerox. Cult of Mac. https://www.cultofmac.com/95614/how-steve-jobs-invented-the-

computer-mouse-by-stealing-it-from-xerox/

Kassim, N. (2021, December 15). Steve Jobs’s Revolutionary Leadership Style and What We

Can Learn From It. Idea Drop | Idea Management Software.

https://ideadrop.co/customer-success/steve-jobs-leadership-style-what-we-can-learn/

Leadership Scorecard. (2012, May 16). Mark Goulston. https://markgoulston.com/leadership-

scorecard/