Leadership and Control

"Management has been defined as many things, including the aspects of "planning, leading, organising and controlling" organisations. Pick any two of these aspects of management and describe the characteristics of good management for these aspects. Describe for each, and illustrate each with a substantial example, how such good management impacts positively on the organization's outcomes and stakeholders".

Most organisations attempt to exercise good management, which is the "achievement of organisational goals in an effective and efficient manner through planning, organising, leading and controlling" (Samson, D. & Daft, R, L, 2009, p.12). This is because the contemporary business world is constantly evolving, thus any effective manager has to keep up with any alteration in order to accomplish organisational performance. In other words, being effective (degree to which the organisation achieves a goal) and efficient (usage of minimal resources to achieve a goal) at the highest possible level (Samson, D. & Daft, R, L, 2009). This paper will focus on leading and organising, and will draw on Steve Jobs and Hewlett Packard as examples. The essay discusses effective leadership; examines the organisation and finally gives an overview of both features.

Currently, high-quality leadership, the ability to influence, motivate and inspire employees in order to accomplish businesses' organisational goals, is scarce (Samson, D. & Daft, R, L, 2009). Leadership skills have developed to the extent in which having knowledge of resource allocation and control over employees is insufficient; it is not just about management skills, but "truly comprehending what makes people go that extra mile" (Bowden, M. 2005, p. 10). Listening, encouraging risk taking, and helping employees to succeed are several human skills a good leader should posses. If the workforce (stakeholders) is motivated and inspired by a vision, it will be unified. Hence, there will be higher productivity, passion for innovation and attainment of organisational performance. Moreover, there are conceptual skills any good leader should posses, which are indispensable in problem resolution. For instance, realizing the surroundings, planning ahead, expanding to be a dynamic leader, confident, honest, and most importantly, knowing it is not a job title, but an expression of what one is, are conceptual skills (Bowden, M. 2005).

First-class leadership can be reflected in Steve Jobs case, former CEO of Apple Inc. In regards to human skills, he utilises management strategies such as exemplification and marketing acts, which allows him to effectively project identity images like vision, confidence and energy (Harvey, A. 2001). These can be viewed in the speech addressed in Stanford University in 2005, which recapitulates three main turning points in his life: dropping college, being fired from Apple and finally, a close-to-death experience (Jobs, S. 2005, June 12). Through these experiences, Steve Jobs manages to successfully transmit his vision: ‘you've got to find what you love' (Jobs, S. 2005, June 12). This is one of the aspects that unifies Apple and increases organisational performance; ‘Apple employees give Steve Jobs a 91% approval rating' (Gamet, J. 2008) as they feel identified and thus, they are motivated and inspired by him. Moreover, he has also demonstrated genuine passion and loyalty to his ideals, which enhances his vision and creates a stronger bond between Apple and stakeholders. An illustration of this commitment was shown in 1997, where he asked for just US$1 a year salary (Harvey, A. 2001). Additionally, one of Jobs conceptual leader skills is acknowledging what type of employees he has in Apple; computer scientists at Apple are not only the best computer scientists in the world but poets, artists, and so forth (Harvey, A. 2001). This ideal centres on the organisation's human force and not the organisation itself, leading to inspired employees. His leading skills have been fundamental for Apple, making it one of the most innovative companies in the world (Forbes 500, 2006).

A different aspect, vital for any business, is planning, which is, defining goals for future organisational performance and deciding what resources and tasks will be needed (Samson, D. & Daft, R, L, 2009). The key concept to planning is the degree of flexibility a manager has. Abrupt and radical changes in any industry should be expected, which leads to the second point, planning ahead (forecasting). Most organisations suffer from shortages in factors of production. As a result, any company should be prepared to face whichever challenge is presented, always maintaining effectiveness and efficiency (organisational performance) at its highest level. In pursuance of this, the development of strategies is fundamental. In