Main Discussion#1- Based on the readings for the week, would you say that Steve Jobs was an ethical leader? State your rationale. Are you an Acolyte or a Rejector? Why? Respond to the observations of at least two of your peers for this post.
The Story of Steve Jobs: An Inspiration or a Cautionary Tale? (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (http://www.wired.com/2012/07/ff_stevejobs/all/)
Charan, R. (2006). Home Depot’s blueprint for culture change. Harvard Business Review. 84(4), 60-70. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database
Grow, B., Foust, D., Thornton, E., Farzad, R., McGregor, J., & Zegal, S. (2007). Out at home depot (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Business Week.
Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-01-14/out-at-home-depot
Stark, A. (1993). What’s the matter with business ethics?. Harvard Business Review, 71(3), 38-48. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database
REPLY TO EDWARDS DISCUSSION-
After reading the article on Steve Jobs being an inspiration or cautionary tale, I must contend that he was a partial ethical leader and more of an unconventional leader that demanded excellence. The ethical leadership traits that he possessed was honesty and justice. When it came to the employees he always told the truth and never showed favoritism to nobody. “In 1994, Jobs announced he was firing a quarter of the Lisa computer team, telling them, “You guys failed … Too many people here are B or C players” (Austen, 2012). However, most of his leadership was considered unethical because he did not consider their feelings when he constantly used profanity towards colleagues.
When comparing myself to an acolyte or rejector, I would consider myself half and half because I believe in having the ambition of letting nothing get in your way of being the best, but I don’t believe in going to the extreme where I have to runover top of everybody. In regards to Steve Jobs, I would demand excellence from my employees and reward them when they meet expectations. If I see workers with potential that have made minor mistakes, I would not talk to them like trash or call them names. Instead, I would give them honest criticism along with motivating and instilling confidence in them. More importantly, I would never take credit for another person’s work because that will turn employees against you, which means there will be no communication.
References
Austen, B. (2012, July 23). The story of Steve Jobs: An inspiration or a cautionary tale? Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2012/07/ff_stevejobs/all/ (Links to an external site.)