After watching
the video above, write a well-written reflection blog, discuss how your
characteristics would have fit with the makeup and culture of the NeXT startup
team. Your reflection should be very specific to the environment that you
witness in the video. Make sure that you use your MA results as the basis for
your discussion.
I found the video to be very similar in
nature to the two articles reviewed in A631.9.3.TA-Group Study, How Steve Jobs
hexed NeXT (Nicholson, 1993) and Steve Jobs is back at Apple (Oritz, 1996). As
we all know the late Steve Jobs is known as the co-founder of Apple computers,
and is but one individual responsible for the modern day computer revolution that
has projected Apple to the top of the computer industry from a technological
standpoint. Forbes magazine listed (Jobs) who at only 27 in 1982 as one of the
richest Americans with at least 100 million in Apple stock.
Jobs, which was instrumental in creating
Apple computers in his garage is noteworthy as a most dramatic display of
creativity and innovation in the history of Silicone Valley. But for all his
visionary and forward thinking, Steve Jobs has been labeled as a myopic and
unapologetic snob who is depicted as such a poor manager who encouraged
bullying employees, fostering dissention vs. cooperation to the point of
over-involving himself in the minutest of details that is reminiscent of
micromanagement. Three years later, Jobs was ouster from Apple computers.
Based upon the Management Assessment Profile
that was prepared by NextSteps Research, analyzed by Tom Labreque in a one hour
and extremely informative debriefs. My leadership style was assessed as
“Logistical” with characteristics that Stabilize, Organize, Administrate and
Communicate as a confident logistical leader that exhibits a team-oriented
approach toward leadership. To quote Tom in the debrief, My team-oriented
leadership approach, in conjunction with my logistical approach are instrumental
at establishing good lines of communication, are a stabilizing influence in an
organization that is responsible for creating rules and structure for an
organization and its people.
Conversely when Jobs established NeXT with
the objective of creating a workstation and monitor capable of displaying
crisp, clear graphics, a microprocessor that is powerful including massive
storage for under $3000 per unit to a market targeting universities.
Universities were Apples initial objective and true success story back when
Jobs was with the organization. In reality NeXT computers were underpowered,
cost double the $3000 that universities were willing to pay for even in a basic
configuration in spite of investments by billionaires like: Ross Perot,
Stanford and Carnegie-Mallon universities and Cannon.
It would appear from a macro perspective that
Steve Jobs was concerned with appearances vs. reality. Superficial items like:
NeXT company logos, interior design of buildings and the design of the computer
itself that was to be housed in a magnesium one foot cube, had many technical
problems including the expenditure of almost 1 million on molds and a sanding
machine for removal of blemishes and imperfections after the manufacturing
process would make the units unaffordable and outside of any idea of creating,
manufacturing and marketing with-in the realm of an economy-of -scales concept.
Based upon my assessment and debrief of the
Management Assessment Profile prepared for me. I conclude that Steve Jobs
leadership style was an extrovert of a strategic nature, displaying
characteristics of mobilization, devising, systemizing and envisioning that
NeXT was created solely for the purpose of tormenting those who ousted him from
Apple and thus started a company with a fundamental flaw. There was no market
for another PC, particularly one that was not compatible with IBM-PC or
Macintosh operating systems.
References:
Nicholson,
D. (1993, Nov 23). Book world; how Steve Jobs hexed NeXT. The Washington Post
(Pre-1997 Full text). Retrieved November 26, 2012, from http://search.proquest.com
Ortiz, C.
(1996, Dec 21). Steve Jobs is back as Apple buys NeXT. Austin American
Statesman. Retrieved November 26, 2012, from http://search.proquest.com
Nathan,
J. (1989, Mar 17). Entrepreneurs. Nathan/Tyler Productions. Retrieved November
26, 2012, from https://www.youtube.com
Larson, K. (2013, December 16).
Interview by T Labreque. Management assessment profile. Retrieved from http://www.nextstepsresearch.com
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