Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The Legacy of Apple CEO Steve Jobs


          The CEO of Apple is Steve Jobs. He co-founded the company in 1976 (Apple, 2010).  Steve Jobs is innovative. Steve Jobs stated "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower”. Jobs is the type of person who is always looking for newer, better ideas to drive his workforce. Jobs is also extremely dedicated to ensuring only the best products come from Apple. He is also extremely creative in his presentation and product development.
          Innovation, dedication, and creativity make Steve Jobs an effective leader for several reasons. When you exhibit creativity, you think differently. Creativity can give leaders an ability to see things that other may have passed over. Dedication in a leader is very important because it means that you are willing to put forth whatever it takes to accomplish the task at hand. When you are dedicated, and lead by example, you are showing you workforce that they are capable of achieving something great. When a leader is innovative and has vision, and shares and acts on that vision, he is leading his workforce towards success.
          The Washington Post’s Carmen Gallo wrote an article about Steve Jobs on November 4th, 2009 stating that “Apple CEO Steve Jobs is considered one of the greatest corporate storytellers on the world stage”.  The article described Job’s as someone who “inspired intense loyalty”, which is a great characteristics for a CEO to exhibit. They also claim that one of his best characteristics is his ability to tell stories. When he is revealing a product for the first time, he strives for a theatrical entrance. The way that he can captivate his audience with a presentation about his product is an amazing characteristic for a CEO.
          The News Journal (2011) recently stated that “Steve Jobs, personifies the company's panache”.  He gets people excited about what Apple has to offer. He does a magnificent job of hyping his company. This only makes people more interested in the products that Jobs has to offer. Forbes writer Quentin Hardy (2011) states that “Jobs is one of the few businessmen who is also a very significant cultural figure”, and being viewed in such a illustrious way only puts a company high a better light.
          There is no doubt that Steve Jobs will leave behind a tremendous legacy. He has already had to take medical leave several times due to his battles with pancreatic cancer. Many people fear that it will be hard to fill his shoes if he were to step down as the CEO of Apple. Daniel Lyons (2009) states that “when he does go, he will be remembered as a tremendous genius”, and rightfully so. His innovation and dedication will forever go down in history. Steve Jobs can be assured when he goes to sleep at night that he has left his footprint on history.
















Apple. (2010) Steve Jobs. Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/jobs.html on February 1st, 2011.
Chandy, Anish. (n.d.). Steve Jobs Biography. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/4-26-2005-69111.asp on February 1st, 2011.
Gallo, Carmen. (November 4th, 2009). Seven Secrets of a Steve Jobs Presentation. Retrieved from http://views.washingtonpost.com/leadership/leadership_playlist/2009/11/seven-secrets-of-a-steve-jobs-presentation.html on February 1st, 2011.
Hardy, Quentin. (January 17th, 2011). Jobs, Apple, and the Strategic Landscape. Retrieved from http://blogs.forbes.com/quentinhardy/2011/01/17/jobs-apple-and-the-strategic-landscape/?boxes=techchanneltopstories on February 1st, 2011.
Lyons, Daniel. (January 10, 2009). The Search For The Next Steve Jobs. Retrieved from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:mnSoaryoQfgJ:www.newsweek.com/2009/01/09/the-search-for-the-next-steve-jobs.html+how+will+steve+jobs+remembered&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com on February 1, 2011.
The News Journal (January 20th, 2011). Why Can’t Corporate CEOs be More Like Steve Jobs?. Retrieved from http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110120/OPINION11/101200318/1004/OPINION/Why-can-t-corporate-CEOs-be-more-like-Steve-Jobs on February 1st, 2011.

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