An Evaluation Of The Leadership Style - Tim Cook

Question: Discuss about the Evaluating Leadership Style of Tim Cook. Answer: Introduction Tim Cook is the current CEO of Apple, a multinational company that manufactures and sells consumer electronics.He took on this role six months before the iconic founder; Steve Jobs passed on from pancreatic cancer. Before Steve Jobs' demise, there was a significant amount of uncertainty about the future of Apple. Jobs had grown to become one of the most prolific CEO's the world had seen. Being the crafty leader he was, Jobs poached Tim Cook from Compaq when he was just six months into his new job, where he was content (Shontell, 2014, para1). Tim Cook realized that he could make a difference at Apple and that he would enjoy the opportunity to work with Steve Jobs. Jobs survived a treatable form of pancreatic cancer in 2004 but later developed complications and had to take extended medical leaves. Tim Cook filled in for him as CEO each time and kept the company running. It was almost unimaginable to think of Apple without having Jobs heading it. Mr. Cook differentiated himself from Jo bs is many ways, the most observable being his willingness to address social issues (Lashinsky, 2015, para 8). The author compares Cooks leadership style to that of a coach who places immense trust on his players. In contrast, Jobs is seen as a manipulative mastermind. An evaluation of the leader Hughes, Ginnett, and Curphy (2015, p 117) note that although many people use power and control tactics synonymously, there is a difference. The authors define power as a change in attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs while influence tactics are a person's actions that are used to change another person's beliefs and values. Tim Cook has demonstrated both the use power and control since taking the helm at Apple. Power is a function of the leader, those being led and the situation (Hughes et al. 2015, p 116). Tim Cooks predecessor had immense influence at Apple and was feared by all employees. The organizational culture at the company placed an immense amount of power in top managerial positions. By ascending to the position of CEO in August 2011 (The Biography.com), Tim Cook became even more fearsome. Karp and Yoel's study (1979) (as cited in Hughes et al., 2015, p119) provides an example of how high ranks and positions are a source of power. They refer to the animal kingdom where one member of a species shows submissiveness to the other (p 119). Lower- ranking baboons give way to let a higher status baboon pass. Furthermore, these low-ranking baboons get nervous and uncomfortable when they notice the leader staring at them. Values ethics and character Hughes et al. (2015, p 152) observe that values have an immense influence on the behavior of a person. Tim Cook comes from a small town in the South and has been known to advocate for racial equality and privacy rights. Recently, Apple refused to help the FBI crack a suspect in the San Bernardino terrorist attack stating that it would form a precedent that would eventually compromise other user's privacy (Frankel 2015 para4). Critics argued that by Apple refusing to help the FBI crack the passcode to the terrorists' iPhone; the company was protecting criminals. Apple, led by Tim Cook was adamant that it had guaranteed privacy to its customers and it was not willing to make any exceptions. In Christensen's work (as cited in Hughes et al. 2015, p153), one may be tempted to make an exception "just once." It is however very important for individuals to define for themselves what they stand for and draw the line. Leadership attributes It is vital to evaluate the psychology of leaders to better understand their behavior. Social scientists have come up with various models to explain behavior; of concern is the Five Factor Model or OCEAN model of personality. Hughes et al. (2015, p 195) note that the OCEAN model is a useful tool for profiling leaders. McCrae and Allik (2002, p 7) write that OCEAN model has heavily influenced the psychology of personality. The acronym stands for Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion and Neuroticism (Hughes et al. 2015, p190-193). Of the five traits, the one most exhibited by Tim Cook is Conscientiousness. When explaining his strategy to streamline inventory and the costs associated with it, he is known to remark that inventory should be managed like dairy milk famously. He likened inventory to milk and insisted that it should get to the consumer as quickly as possible. Also, he is also known to hold meetings for long hours and ask numerous questions until an answer w as arrived at (Weinberger, 2016 para 21) Leadership theories and attributes This theory evaluates the relationship between the leader and subordinates. Leaders have a special relationship with subordinates who work harder than the rest. Consequently, in many cases, these subordinates appear to earn more (Northhouse, 2013, p169). Hughes et al. (2015, p 525) concur that leaders do not treat all subordinates equally. At Apple, Tim Cook implemented a new program whereby long serving employees are allowed to take sabbaticals (Spiegelman 2012, para 9). The leader makes a positive discrimination by only availing this option to employees who have worked longer for the company. In essence, these sabbaticals are extended periods where employees can take time off from their work and still get paid by the company. Employees who have not worked for as long would be motivated to stay longer with the company in order to become eligible for this perk. Normative decision model Hughes et al. (2015 p 527) note that leaders often delegate tasks to employees. In some cases such as during emergencies, leaders need to make a decision without consulting anyone. Vroom and Yetton (as cited in Hughes et al. 2015 p527) point out that the normative decision model aims to find out just how much contribution subordinates can have in the decision-making process. The normative decision model projects four primary outcomes which are that; decisions made by the leader are of quality, acceptable and will enhance the development of subordinates. Unlike his predecessor, Tim Cook is said to delegate many tasks Goopta and Henderson (2013 para 14). Delegation is an important function of management and helps to build subordinates skills and competencies. Cook makes important decisions, such as the apology he issued to the public regarding the failure of Apple iMaps. This was a high-level quality decision that can be seen in the normative decision model. Situational leadership This is a style of leadership in which the leader changes his style to conform to the level of followers that he is trying to impact. Northhouse (2013, p105) praises this leadership model as being very practical and "intuitively sensible." At Apple, Steve Jobs would usually sit with Jonathan Ive, the head of design to have lunch. When he became CEO, Cook went out of his private nature to employees at the cafeteria and asked he could sit with them (Kane 2014, para 34). Cook changed his style from one who was very personal avoiding small talk to one who was more approachable, a stark contrast from his predecessor. By approaching these lower level employees, Cook would get to know them on a personal level and understand them better. Through these small exchanges, he will be able to make decisions that are not only right but also considerate of employees at Apple. Contingency theory There are enduring behavioral characteristics in leaders that will always come to the fore no matter how many times they try to adapt their style to different groups (Hughes et al. 2015, p539). Some leaders are more social; others are more focused on the task at hand. Tim Cook represents the latter, as he knew every detail of the operations process (Kane 2014, para 18). To better understand this theory, Hughes et al. (2015, p 539) observe that a leaders effectiveness depends on the leaders style and the favorableness of the leadership situation. In Fiedler's work, the psychologist came up with the least preferred co-worker scale LPC (as cited in Hughes et al. 2015, p 539). The scale requires leaders to use adjectives to describe workers with whom they have difficulty working with, and a score is assigned. There are two outcomes; High LPC and Low LPC leaders. Regarding motivation, Low LPC leaders are motivated by tasks and High LPC leaders are driven by relationships. Cook can be said to be a Low LPC leader given his great attention to detail regarding tasks and quiet social life. Leadership behavior In their attempt to identify what makes leaders effective, Hughes et al (2015 p241) suggest that it would be important to study their behavior and what they do on a daily basis. A leaders behavior is easier to measure and observe compared to personality traits. With regard to effectiveness, Cook is described as an experienced businessman, a better manager than Jobs (Kane 2014 para 8). He is also organized and has a more realistic approach in the manner required to deal with the difficulties of running a large company such as Apple. Studying leadership behavior can help in designing talent management systems that would help in promoting skills for success (Hughes et al 2015, p 241) Motivation, Satisfaction and Performance Hughes et al (2015, p 331) identify the ability to motivate others as being an important skill that any leader should have. They proceed to note that being able to motivate followers helps the achievement of results through others. Tim Cook is described by Kane (2014, para 15) as a fearsome leader who could also motivate his staff to work harder just for a word of praise. Job satisfaction is about how one likes a job or work activity (Hughes et al 2015, p 335). According to Kane (2014 para 25) Cook would fly back from Asia and be at the office on the same day questioning someone about some numbers. This shows a clear liking for not just the company he works for but also his job. The authors define performance as the behavior directed toward the organization mission and goals. With regard to performance, Cook contributed immensely in reducing Apples inventory costs. He streamlined the process by ensuring that Apple made binding agreements that tied suppliers and implemented a system that saw lower lead time and delivery of Apple products to customers faster than before. Through his efforts at revolutionizing the companys inventory system, Apple saved a fortune in terms of costs and eventually became more effective. Leadership skills Hughes et al (2015, p 277) identified the following skills which every leader should possess: assertiveness, listening, communication, conducting meetings, building credibility, managing stress effectively and problem solving. Tim Cook has excelled in a number of these skills, particularly in conducting meetings. His meetings with senior managers are productive, even though he comes across as over bearing when he requires answers. Kane (2014 para18) points out that Cooks meetings could last for hours as he examines every detail. Cook is known to be a fitness enthusiast as he loves to exercise in the gym. He also loves energy bars and eats them during his tense meetings, an act that could be interpreted as management of stress. Tim Cook is also very assertive and this is demonstrated in his love for orderliness and discipline, an attribute that demonstrates his credibility. How I would lead differently as the head at Apple Tim Cook is a remarkable leader who has been able to fill in the big shoes of his predecessor, something critics found hard to imagine. He however has flaws, as is evident in Apples voice recognition software Siri and Apple maps. Since the Apple maps saga, Apple has lost $30 billion in the value of its shares (Cohan 2012, para 1). The failure of Apple maps is a reflection of poor management on Cooks part and warrants an explanation. If I were in Cooks position, I would ensure that Apple Maps was thoroughly tested until I was sure that there was little or no room for flaws when launched. Tim Cook appears as a leader who lacks control over the functions of his office and motivated by quantity over quality. I would also give the technical team enough time to work around the flaws identified during the tests. Apple is a multinational company whose diversity should also be reflected in its employees. Sadly, eventhough Apple is now hiring more females for executive positons, it is simply not doing enough. According to Chowdhry (2014, para 15), men still occupy the vast majority of top management positions-72% to be exact. In addition, staff at the company are predominantly white, an issue that casts doubts over the leadership of the company in regard to diversity. If I were the CEO at Apple, I would institute measures to have more Black and Hispanic employees in the company by holding meetings with the human resources executives. Barak (2013, p59) cites the origin of affirmative action policies to be from the notion that discrimination has been persistent. In order to speed up the inclusion of minority groups, I would strongly advocate for adoption of affirmative action to allow for employment of persons from marginalized groups. During his tenure as senior vice president for worldwide operations, Cooks meetings were known to be very tough as he would go over every detail. Kane (2015, para 22) observes that his meetings were harsh as he reportedly bashed a subordinate over wrong figures. This bashing has an adverse effect on employees especially when it is done in public. As Ashkanasy, Hartel and Zerbe (2000, p261) note, shame episodes especially those that occur frequently can lead to among other factors, a drop in productivity and employee turnover as employees deal with the negative impact of shame- inducing experiences. I would deal differently with the employee by showing him that he was not the problem. The problem was his numbers; I would then continue to inform him of how the impact of the wrong figures would hurt the company. To make a stronger impact on Apple, I would formulate and implement a tougher policy on inhuman labor practices. Apple has manufacturing plants stationed in China and has recently come under scrutiny for its relaxed stance over cases of unfair labor practices. Some of these practices include forcing workers to work long grueling workers (Oster, 2016 para3). Although the company has adopted measures to prevent workers from accumulating excessive overtime, this is not enough. I would commission independent investigations to on all Apple factories in China. To show seriousness in dealing with these inhumane practices, I would work toward non-renewing contracts with affiliate companies that have been found to engage in these practices. Bibliography Ashkanasy, N. M., Hartel, E. J. Charmine and Zerbe, J., Wilfred. 2000. Emotions in the Workplace: Research, Theory and Practice. 1st ed. Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing Group. Barak, M. E. M., 2013. 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