Corporate Leadership: Steve Jobs Way

Steve Jobs has become a phenomenon for his Leadership and vision in Apple. We can see lot of people have tried to draw management lessons from Steve Jobs leadership skill. But question comes to mind looking at Jobs aggressive and most of time abusive behavior is way of Leadership can be called best way of Management in today world. By Judging success of Apple Inc the answer will can be overwhelmingly “Yes”. But looking at negative aspect of those methods the definite answer can’t be all time positive. I got a chance to read the Biography of Steve Jobs which helps me to understand Jobs as a person and also his way of thinking. Also it help me to analyze all leadership aspect which Jobs possess and which will secure his place as one of the great entrepreneur and inventor of all time with great like Edison and Ford. My conclusion is that some aspect of leadership mantra can universally applied and some other can be based on environment and Organization culture. Also some aspect of his behavior I think should be avoided.


Some aspects of his Leadership which I think can be applied universally are as follow:

Look is not all about what customer see but also inside which customer do not: This is thought process which make Apple product just not ascetically good but also great. Steve Jobs not only emphasis the Desktop look to customer but also how cleanly they assemble inside. This mantra can be align to Japanese automaker philosophy where worker not only think from perceptive of end product but also each stage of assembly.

Cannibalism is good. If you don’t eat it someone else will: In other words be proactive rather than reactionary in innovation and don’t hesitate to kill your own product to gain market share in new product. Steve follows this in Apple. That why he is not waited for competitor to force Apple to move from ipod to iphone to ipad. Because he know if Apple don’t come with those product then someone else will come sooner than later and eat there pie. We can see many business cases where many time some company come with great product but can’t sustain next generation of product innovation due to scarce of killing there own cash cow product. Example like Kodak in photography, XEROX in hi-tech computers, Motorola in mobile, Sony is portable music.

Don’t look your products just from mechanical or Technical aspect only but also from Artistic sense: If you ask people what is the most important factor of Apple product, the first answer I am sure will come as it look. Take any apple product they always have great aesthetics look that make them apart from other competitor. Although it is very difficult to get great sense of aesthetics as Steve has been naturally gifted. This can be seen in ipad wheel navigation to iphone round corner design.

Focus, it is not important to yes to some of the things what we should do but more important to say No to most of other thing we should not do: When Steve Jobs join Apple again in 1997 he was surprise to see many product lines. He simply struck all but only few product offering. Rather than distributing energy and resource in many products Apple started concentrated only few. This really paid off with great product Apple produce on those segments. He also do same with product functionality for example removing unnecessary button in UI or simple drag and drop functionality rather complex menu in Application.

All aspect of product should seamlessly work: This is one of the Steve Jobs unique way of doing thing, he doesn’t think just of Product but the whole ecosystem of user experience. Hence often it is seen that Apple product are way ahead in term user experience from other vendor. When then with ipad they have not just come which a product which can just play music but the whole building block of seamless integration of integration with desktop through itune to having thousand of song library which can download and listen.

Concentrate on product not profit: How often we see Product launch big corporate with lot of promise fails. The reason is the critical decision of the Product is made by the people sitting in top often are bean counter (Accounting people) with very less understand of product. For them profit and cost reduction is more important than having great product. More often or not the end result is a louse output which differ greatly to what has been visualize. Apple moves to that mind when Steve was ousted in mid Eighty. The result Apple was in a verge of Bankruptcy by mid nineties with no worth product to mention.

Don’t loss on complicate and Jazzy presentation: Steve really becomes impatience when he see some deck of complicate presentation. Some of this can be attributed to his personality, but his believe that if a person knows what he talking then he really not required those jazzy ppt seems to be correct. How often we find our self napping in those colorful presentations where author make us loss on those complicate charts and figures.

Doesn’t expect Customer to tell what they want: How often we see company spend millions of money on customer survey to come up the next killer product and how often they fail. Steve belief it is not the customer who should tell want they want but rather company should develop their requirement. Steve never had done any market survey for any of his product.



Other concept which require to be applied Judiciary based on condition and environment

Always have with A player in Team : Don’t tolerate B player: This really help Apple to come up such a great product. Steve was famous for his intolerance to the extent of rudeness for louse team member. But this can’t become ultimate management mantra as ‘A’ player also required those type of challenges. Hence it is better to judge the work environment before insisting only ‘A’ player. For example doing some repetitive support job with ‘A’ team can impact the moral of team

Meet the people Face to Face: Steve prefer way of making decision is to have physical meeting with all concern team. How often we see that endless communication either in telecom or mail makes some decision so prolonged that the actual intend is loss. Steve always prefers to face to face discussion with his favorite white board and close the open point. But feasibility of this approach in today global world where team is dispersed across the globe is little doubtful.

Pushes the Team to do impossible by making them believe it is doable: It is also called reality distortion. Many great leader and warrior have done it in past history to achieve impossible task. Winston Churchill has done it for England in World War II. Steve Jobs was master of this and make his people achieve what they themself though was impossible. This approach will only work if your Team is really capable and their belief for you as a leader is unquestionable.

Maatma Gandhi vs Anna Movement

Last week I saw film “Gandhi” coming on TV. This was the second time when I was seeing the movie. First time when I saw I was too young to understand the underline politics during independence movement. But this time it makes me to see the independence movement in a differentt perspective. Also I can’t stop to compare it with present Anti Corruption movement. The big difference I can see is Gandhi Independence movement was inclusive of several issues pertaining to that time. Although it was called independence movement with a aim of dethroning English Raj, but from Gandhi's perspective it was just one of the goal of India Independence movement. As per Mahatma Gandhi the definition of Independence is just not about getting rid of British Raj from country but also getting rid of several social and economical evil which are prevailing in society. Like his  harijan movement, cloth spinning to have economic independent which are all tied to his definition of true India freedom.  That why when in 1919 when whole nation rise on his call for noncooperation movement, he suddenly withdraw the agitation in respect of having pan India support because of only one incident of violence which doesn’t confer to his definition of freedom. Although we can disagree on some of his belief like village based economy which his favorite disciple Nehru himself abandon, but it gives exclusive definition of independence and its meaning. This had help in giving the Independent movement more spiritual and moral connection with the masses which help in connecting many diverge level of people across the country.

When I compare Gandhi's Independence movement with present Anna anti corruption movement I find absence of that inclusiveness. I find that we are making this movement specific to one legislature or against specific class. Although we all know corruption is not specific to person or party and it had risen in years due to systematic mutation of the well intended but weaken system. For true sense removing of corruption doesn’t mean only punishing who caught but also it should epitome with high moral value honesty by all the people of country. And this can be only achieved when we start looking inward to ourselves along with other outward reasons. This can only achieve when the leader of movement start looking not just external factor but also inward reason for present situation in country. Once we find inclusiveness in movement, I am sure we can find permanent solution of this cancer called corruption and also able to connect to all people for the movement. Is someone from core Anna team is hearing….

Is Anti Corruption loss the Track

Some said Anna movement has fizzled out. The environment of optimism and hope we saw is so called second August Revolution last year has failed or it is just a down phase of movement as it happens to all great revolution ?As I said in my last year blog on August movement that battle might be won but still war left. The winning euphoria when parliament has to bend down according to wish of common people in street seen as one of turning movement of Indian democracy. So what went wrong in this one year which makes this great revolution to be now looking like few desperate people fighting to hold the torch bearer of the movement?


Firstly no one thought the last year August movement will see so much support across the country. This has not just surprise government but also the movement leaders. Government makes some grave mistake like arresting Anna which gave more support to movement. Once government was able to convince Anna to give up his fast, government started preparing for next step of movement. Government learn from the mistake they have done early and planned their strategy of managing media in advance and not been proactive like during Kejriwal fast.

On other leader of movement were euphoric after last year August success, but there was no plan how to convert this support to something meaning full in long run. There were many voices and direction by so called core committee. It is expected with a team having so many independent and intellectual successful personality it is difficult to curtail their different view, which they aired frequently in media. This creates more confusion on common man. Although it is called Anna movement there was no clear authority in respect of having core committee. And Anna doesn’t command same authority which we all like to see as Gandhi yield during independent movement.

Second there was great confusion on the rank how to proceed after last year great success. No one was sure whether the support of people was anti government or anti system or political class. Hence we hear first core committee targeting government and its minister. Then we have seen targeting all political class. The confusion can be understandable as Indian society is so complex that each of us can’t be tight with single agenda. Yes we all agree that corruption has to go, but can all going to vote some specific party based on that factor only? Just add other essence of Indian democracy like reservation, secularism, regional aspiration and combining all we will actually loss the real issue in those maze.

I don’t want to conclude that movement is dead as a common man who wants to see change in system. I want to perceive that movement is in his low phase and it will find it right path again. Remember Gandhi fight for forty year for independent so we can also be patience for few year for a change.

Aviation Industry : Why Bailout is not a Answer

In last few days we are hearing lot of noise on airlines bailout specifically Kingfisher. I really wonder why suddenly we have so many support and view on it. Rahul Bajaj argued strongly against it, with making strong case of open market and survival of fittest in capitalist economy. Still we can argue that we really not embrace capitalism open heartily and rightly so after seeing Wall Street greed collapse of 2008. But arguing that specific airline required to bailout to save the industry is somewhat flawed. Firstly the aviation industry is not going to collapse. Secondly it will create more opportunity for efficient airlines to expand their horizon but still providing budget airfare. Yes you heard correctly. In respect of so many news and fuss about aviation industry crushed due to government apathy and policy, there is one airline still make a profit last quarter when all other airline makes a loss. The airline is indigo. It is my favorite airline and I found it always on time. So the argument that airlines can’t make profit in present environment doesn’t hold completely true. It can be strongly argue that government policy is not at all industry favor and hampering the growth by high airport landing and aviation tax. That can only be changed when government change it pre-liberalization mindset of looking airline as high class luxury rather than middle class necessity of present India. But government policy only can’t make this industry profitable. Efficiency and economy of operation have to done by industries.

Let take an example of most glamour and now most bleeding airline called Kingfisher and presently only profitable Indigo airline . Kingfisher started with promise of really good time in air with all luxury which customer never asked in first place. Also make to look in big they started expanded pan India without checking economy of scale. Also they brought low cost airline Deccan airline which was diametrically opposite to their own brand. Slowly Deccan airline blended to kingfisher as Kingfisher red but it was no longer was low cost airline. The space created by suddenly disappearance biggest low cost airline was ready for a grab. And many player show interest and one airline stand out of it. It was indigo. Airlines stared without much funfair move strategically and slowly expand it to tier two cities. They expand their connectivity by strategically connecting metro with small city between them and efficiently operating to save take off and landing time. In this way they operated in full scale and also can offer ticket at very low price. Also they don’t require hire beautiful air hostess as the passenger love there punctuality rather a false smile of airhostess.

Looking at the above contrast cases, question arises why we should bailout inefficient airline with the hard earned money of tax payer. If it is dying let it die, it will be good for industry in long run. Let also don’t forget that the owner of Kingfisher still having a good time as he just brought Formula 1 team and also he is owner of IPL team. Oh, I just forget to tell, he also owner of biggest beverage group of India whose beer we all love to drink.

Is Wall Street Protest mark end of Capitalism ?

Last few days has marked with some unprecedented movement across the globe against Wall Street greed. The epicenter of the protest is none other than the place which powerful symbol of successful capitalism for whole world just few years back, the United State of America. A natural question arise whether invisible hand of Capitalism has failed and this going to mark end of Capitalism? Whether we will see a new form of economy which is more human and driven by value rather than greed or we will go back to sixties or seventies form of protective and socialistic economy, reversing of Globalizations. At this movement it is very difficult to tell ball will roll on which direction. But we can try to understand chain of event which has brought us to this situation. First leg of the event was falling of Berlin Wall which mark the fall of Communism and Capitalism as winner. It marked Capitalism and Open economy has a sole winner and way to go for a globe. There was a merit that Capitalism was better than Communism as seen in drastic different in standard of life of west and east Europe. But Capitalism itself has its own drawback. But all its deficiency was ignored and as said Winner takes all, the whole world start embracing open economy and Capitalism without thinking on its negative side which has grown like a monster is recent years. The second leg come when Finance sector which become too strong ask absolute free hand on its running without any control especially in US and Europe. This results in all sort of Financial Product and the whole Capitalism became just a paper money with no real link to productivity and efficiency, the basic essence of real Capitalism. The third leg came when this dream crashed and people come out of there dream. The common people, who believe on those dreams shown by so called financial guru in the market, don’t know what hit them. And the last phase we are seeing presently came when the common man like us sees that their hard earned money has been spent on saving those investment guru who were really responsible for their situation are back to their old business of greed but there situation is still no better. This clearly marks the failure of government across the globe and also misinterpretation of real Capitalism. To understand the real Capitalism we have to go back to time when Capitalism as we know in present form was laying it foundation. It was during the Industrialization Revolution that lay foundation for both Capitalism and Communism. Well Capitalism embrace free market and risk taking ability of individual where as Communism work on collective conscious of a society as whole. Capitalism favors to reward the individual hence drive the greed. But the basic assumption of this theory is that each individual will be driven by his own self interest and collective self interest will do more good to society. The term called invisible hand coined by Adam Smith the father of present Capitalism to define this collective good to society. Probably this theory has some element of truth, but the underlining assumption of unbiased and competitive society really not holds good most of the time in real world. Also during Smith time Finance market was not as strong as we have today. Hence Capitalism meaning during Adam Smith time means industrialization, real investment in resources and real transaction of goods and service. But present day capitalism means stock market, various fiancé schemes and so on which really has no connection to real product or service. This pseudo capitalism has become so powerful that we forget the real Capitalism. Let’s hope this protest will not lead to completely abandon Capitalism but result in removing its deficiency which developed in it. We should not forgot that the technology which is fuelling this movement has also has its origin in Capitalism.

Clemency Resolution : Are we Banna Republic ?

In last few weeks we observe Clemency resolution in two states for the peoples who are convicted for terrorist activity and given death penalty. One was related to people convicted to Rajiv Gandhi assassination in Tamil Nadu assembly and other is related to Afzal Guru in J&K assembly. It is really ironic that at one end our politician make hue and cry for becoming tough against terrorism and other end they lose no time for gain of vote bank politics by passing the resolution for Clemency petition for same people who are held responsible for it. One of argument put forward by supporter of resolution is that having person to gallows is not suited for civilized society. Well it can be argued as a national conscious and moral value whether a death penalty should be there as a rule of law or not and make the law accordingly. But overruling is not the solution. The second argument given is that in case of people responsible for Rajiv Gandhi assassination already spent more then twenty years in jail with ten years waiting for death penalty. Well there is nothing inhuman then making a person living in fear for years that his/her next days will be last day. Waiting to be hanged for years is worst then death. But why we should not tackle the root cause. By making is compulsory that president should decide the clemency petition in a specific duration rather than sitting on top of it for years. Otherwise I can only hope that at least my grandchildren will see whether Kasab will get clemency from president or not. In case of Afzal Guru case, it is argue that he was not given proper rights during the trail. Well if that the feeling in some section of society than let reopen the case and have speedy trial under Human right and NGO observation. But even then he again convicted then let him punish as per rule of law. In place of making a law to overcome present short coming , our assembly representative are more interested to overrule judgment given by all level Judiciary based on law enacted by same assembly. By doing this they are really making mockery of whole democratic system. If the things go the way ours assembly representative want it, then it will not in distance future we will see people roaming freely on street after committing heinous crime and convicted because they belong to powerful electoral section of society. That day truly we will become a banana republic.

Why American Kid should should worry about competition from Indian Child

Few weeks back while in my home town I meet mother of my child hood friend of my locality. After talking to her I realize how much really India has changed in last decade and why US should really worry. My friend is from Marwari merchant family. They have a cloth shop in a town. In term of education my friend or his sibling barely passes 12th. Till last generation for them, the education means to have basic understanding of math so that they can manage their account and business. But after coming to know her grandchildren children qualification, I was surprised first and then amazed to know how fast India changed just in a decade or so. One of her granddaughter is practicing CA and other one is professor in a college. This is a sea change in a single generation for a family were male member barely pass 12th and daughter are married as soon they are cross legal age for marriage. It point to basic change in attitude in all section of Society in country, in respect of caste, creed or profession now understand the importance of education. We can crib and surely debate about quality in ton of engineering colleges across of every corner of the country. But at the same time with should really appreciate the fact that this college have become instrument of fulfilling the aspiration of lot of parent in hinter land who can’t fulfill their dream due scarcity of resource during their time. Now I can understand Mr. Obama worry when he asks American Kids to get ready to compete with children from Mumbai and Bangalore. Well now Mr. Obama says to American Kids that they not only required to compete with the children from mega city of India, but also from the small town like Durg or Amravathi.