Introduction
Steve Jobs was born on 24th February 1955 in San Francisco. He was a college drop out and was not quite sure about his ambitions in life. In fact, in young days, he became a hippie, and visited India, in a quest to attain nirvana.
I believe his transformation, from a hippie to a CEO, is an intriguing part of his life’s journey as he co-founded, and later became CEO of, Apple Inc., a leading consumer electronics manufacturer in the world. He co-founded Apple with Stephen Wozniak in 1976.
I perceive Steve Jobs as a vibrant Leader, who transformed Apple from a company formed in a garage, to being one of the most successful companies in the world.
He suffered from cancer and after a long fought battle, died on 5th October 2011.
Below is my sincere effort to analyse profile of Steve Jobs as a leader who, by virtue of his leadership style, rose to prominence.
Characteristics of the Leader
Steve Jobs was an exemplary leader who was confident, tough and extremely passionate about the things he believed in - a creative master and a great visionary who had the ability to imagine future. His hallmark was a deep and unshakable focus on consumer needs.
Contrary to his image as being tough, and at times, inflexible and impatient, people adored him for his knowledge and creative thinking. His expert orating skills could influence and motivate people even when they felt otherwise.
He was a quick learner and therefore, matured from each hurdle that came his way. He understood importance of having good team and mentored team members to lead successfully, their respective areas in the organisation. He propagated his vision by influencing people who followed him voluntarily. They felt that they shared common goal with him. He was charismatic and could blow people away by articulating his thoughts and imagination. He had the courage to take risks, and founded many organisations as an
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