ASSIGNMENT 1

ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP
Submitted by
Joachim Carvelle to PROFESSOR DELONTE
October 23, 2011
BUS 508

ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP
The spectrum of entrepreneurial approaches reflects a combination of profit-oriented and social responsibility-oriented perspectives. At one end is the approach where the profit motive eclipses social responsibility, for example Steve Jobs of Apple, Inc. At the other end is the approach that, although profit oriented, accords significant priority to social responsibility, for example, Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin group of companies. Steve Jobs, whose persona was indelibly imprinted on Apple opined that “[o]ur belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets.”(Jobs, n.d.) That statement reflected an unswerving commitment to the profit motive where consumerism was a means to an end. The following discussion presents Steve Jobs as an example of a business leader who is strongly profit-oriented, and Richard Branson as one whose primary goal is to make a positive impact on society.
The leadership style, and major business principles of Steve Jobs
Leadership Style
Steve Jobs’ leadership poses an extraordinary challenge for description, judging by the basic categories of leadership as delineated in most business curricula. His leadership is best summed up by the Leadership Editor of Forbes magazine in the article Steve Jobs Broke Every Leadership Rule. Don't Try It Yourself (Allen, 2011). Jobs displayed charisma, revolutionary vision, and innovative genius, along with a relentless drive for excellence. On the surface these are hallmarks of Transformational leadership. However, his formidable temper led him to berate and eviscerate employees when outcomes did not meet with his expectations. Indeed his deportment was labeled as “tyrannical behavior” Apple was described as a one man show because of the profound degree to which Jobs micromanaged his key employees (Elkind, 2008; Mui, 2011). In short, according to a Leadership Editor of Forbes magazine, Apple’s ruthless corporate culture is just one piece of a mystery that virtually every business executive in the world would love to understand(Allen, 2011; Denning, 2011a)
Business Principles Do what you love.
Steve Jobs exhorted employees to pursue their endeavors passionately, because “People with passion can change the world for the better” (Gallo, 2011). He found it indispensable in confronting the challenges of leading a creative environment at Apple.
Establish a clear vision to initiate a meaningful change.
Steve Jobs advocated a clear and expansive vision to harness the power that passion ignited(Zobrist, 2011). Such a vision generated momentum when Jobs and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple in 1976, and it created the opportunity of a lifetime in 1979. In 1979 Jobs witnessed a demonstration of a crude graphical user interface at Xerox’s research facility in California. While the Xerox engineers restricted their perspective of that event to copiers, Jobs intuitively envisioned a much more extended application. He “stole” the idea (“Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal,” 2010) and with persistence and uncanny innovation crafted the foundations for the success of the line of computer products that eventually established Apple in the upper echelons of technology companies.

. Kick start your brain with creative activity.
Steve Jobs was fond of the expression “Creativity is connecting things”(Jobs, n.d.). He believed that very diverse experiences were necessary and expressed the view that “[t]he broader one's understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.” It has been expressed somewhat apologetically that Jobs did not “steal” ideas as much as he used ideas from other industries to inspire his own creativity(Gallo, 2011). However, context aside, Jobs stated unabashedly that “We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas.” (“Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal,” 2010).
Sell dreams, not products.
Steve Jobs sought to anticipate and speak to the wants of consumers, even if they were not sure what those wants might be. He is credited with the declaration that “A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them [my emphasis].” In some ways, that perspective could be viewed as an asset. However, that declaration when coupled with his inimitable style of salesmanship/showmanship (Gallo, 2009) evokes the concern voiced by Professor Galbraith in The Dependence Effect (Halbert & Ingulli, 2009). The concern was that those who owned the means of production employed advertising/sales presentation strategies to persuade consumers to purchase products that they did not know that they needed in the first place (Halbert & Ingulli, 2009, p. 241). Nevertheless, selling dreams is a firmly entrenched modality in modern advertising.

Say no to 1,000 things - simplify life.
Steve Jobs once said, “I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.”(Jobs, n.d.) To him, innovation also meant eliminating the unnecessary so that resources could be optimally mobilized for more lucrative projects.
Create insanely great experiences with a fierce intent to delight the customer.
A contributor to Forbes Magazine posited that Jobs brought to Apple a fierce commitment to see the world honestly through the eyes of the customer and do whatever was necessary to delight them (Denning, 2011b). He discussed how this approach permeated the organization, and was manifested in Apple stores so profoundly, that it created deeper, more emotional connections with customers. Predictably, it engendered profound enthusiasm that stimulated virtually evangelical word of mouth advertising. The author described that process as the shift to radical management, and extolled the profitability it brought to those companies that had embraced that perspective.
Master the message.
Steve Jobs has been hailed as the world’s greatest corporate storyteller, turning product launches into an art form(Gallo, 2009). Getting people excited about an idea is not optional, even if it were the most innovative idea in the world,
The leadership style, and major business principles of Richard Branson
Leadership Style
Richard Branson’s leadership style is refreshingly uncomplicated. While it is not the intent to claim perfection for his leadership, he epitomized the quintessential Transformational Leader(Hellriegel & Slocum, 2010, p. 331). He valued his employees highly, listened to their advice, and displayed profoundly sincere interest in their experiences. He inspired his organization with his trademark David and Goliath metaphor. Of course, his company Virgin was the David, and the entrenched monopolies were the Goliaths. He demonstrated an unequivocal commitment to providing the public with better service at lower cost.(Hellriegel & Slocum, 2010, pp. 346, 347). He led by example.
Business Principles
Enjoy What You Are Doing.
When Richard Branson started Virgin from a basement flat initially, he did not set out to build a business empire. He set out to create something he enjoyed that would pay the bills. For him, building a business was all about doing something to be proud of, bringing talented people together and creating something that’s going to make a real difference to other people’s lives. He viewed a business as an unfinished work of art that constantly evolved. If a business person set out to make a real difference to other people’s lives, and achieves that, he or she will be able to pay the bills and be successful at the same time (Branson, 2010)
Create Something That Stands Out.
Richard Branson subscribed to the paradigm that to survive and thrive in today’s market it is essential to do something radically different to make a mark. For Branson, that meant taking risks in both personal and business arenas(Hellriegel & Slocum, 2010). The companies that are now among the dominant forces shook up a sector by doing something that hadn’t ever been done and by continually innovating.
Create Something That Everybody Who Works For You Is Really Proud of.
One of Richard Branson’s greatest principles is the valued he places on his employees. He spontaneously acknowledges that his employees are his biggest assets.
Be a Good Leader.
Richard Branson epitomizes the qualities of a Transformational leader. He has been described as the consummate people’s man(Hellriegel & Slocum, 2010, p. 346). He listens habitually, as he feels that even though you need to know your own mind, debate is an integral part of effective leadership. No one has a monopoly on good ideas or good advice. Praise is essential and should be done lavishly, while criticism should be engaged in privately. One must take care to rein in one’s temper.
He demonstrates extraordinary concern that employees should thrive in the work environment. If somebody is not working out, he recommends seeing if there’s another job within the company that suits them better. His experience has been that on most occasions you’ll find something for every single kind of personality(Branson, 2010).
Be Visible.
Richard Branson enjoys being out and about, meeting people, both customers and staff, and carries a notebook with him to document questions, concerns or good ideas. His in-depth interaction with staff and customers provides avenues for feedback and suggestions. a. Write it down, make sure that you get their names, get their e-mail addresses, and make sure the next day that you respond to them.
When building a business from scratch, the key word for many years is “survival.”
Richard Branson advocates that in the beginning one’s full concentration should be on surviving. Whenever failure occurs one should learn from it. Just get back up and try again(Branson, 2010; Hellriegel & Slocum, 2010; Shepler, 2011). Preferred approach and leadership style
I would strongly identify with the approach and leadership style of Richard Branson. The traits that he displays are more closely aligned with those of Transformational leadership. He sustains and inspires his employees by example; he does not demean them as Steve Jobs did. Richard Branson demonstrated a commitment to social responsibility even to pledging a portion of his personal fortune (Hellriegel & Slocum, 2010, pp. 346, 347). He did not employ social responsibility primarily as means for profit. The numerous quotes attributed to Steve Jobs(Jobs, n.d.) demonstrate a virtual obsession with his role as opposed to the team that supported him. Finally, Virgin’s work environment is a virtual paradise compared with what was described for Apple under the leadership of Steve Jobs(Allen, 2011; Denning, 2011a; Elkind, 2008; Mui, 2011)
Resources and tools from Small Business Administration and SCORE
Three resources that would be useful to the business approach that I identified with are Business Planning Templates, Financial Templates and Mentoring(“Business Plans & Financial Statements Template Gallery | SCORE,” n.d.), as well as sources of Business Loans, Grants and Financing(“Search for Business Loans, Grants and Financing | SBA.gov,” n.d.).
Business Planning and Financials are indispensable for any business enterprise. Utilizing these templates along with the SCORE’S mentoring program would help to clarify and structure one’s understanding of the business requirements and significantly reduce the probability of failure. The resources from SCORE would facilitate approaching the SBA for additional mentoring, and obtaining assistance in sourcing Business Loans, Grants and Financing.

References
Allen, F. (2011). Steve Jobs Broke Every Leadership Rule. Don’t Try It Yourself. - Forbes. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/frederickallen/2011/08/27/steve-jobs-broke-every-leadership-rule-dont-try-that-yourself/
Branson, R. (2010). Richard Branson: Five Secrets to Business Success | Entrepreneur.com. Entrepreneur. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217284
Business Plans & Financial Statements Template Gallery | SCORE. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2011, from http://www.score.org/resources/business-plans-financial-statements-template-gallery
Denning, S. (2011a). The Dark Side of Apple (Part 12) - Forbes. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/10/04/the-dark-side-of-apple-part-12/
Denning, S. (2011b). Myth #7: Why Steve Jobs Is Hard To Replace - Forbes. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/08/28/myth-7-why-steve-jobs-is-hard-to-replace/
Elkind, P. (2008). The trouble with Steve - Mar. 4, 2008. Fortune: America’s Most Admired Companies. Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/02/news/companies/elkind_jobs.fortune/index.htm
Gallo, C. (2009). Uncovering Steve Jobs’ Presentation Secrets - BusinessWeek. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2009/sb2009106_706829.htm
Gallo, C. (2011). The 7 Success Principles of Steve Jobs - Forbes. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2011/01/04/the-7-success-principles-of-steve-jobs/
Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal. (2010). Retrieved October 22, 2011, from http://gizmodo.com/5483914/steve-jobs-1996-good-artists-copy-great-artists-steal
Halbert, T., & Ingulli, E. (2009). Law & Ethics In the Business Environment (6th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.
Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, J. (2010). Organizational Behavior (13th ed.). South-Western College Pub.
Jobs, S. (n.d.). Steve Jobs Quotes - BrainyQuote. Retrieved October 22, 2011, from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/s/steve_jobs.html
Mui, C. (2011). Five Dangerous Lessons to Learn From Steve Jobs - Forbes. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2011/10/17/five-dangerous-lessons-to-learn-from-steve-jobs/
Search for Business Loans, Grants and Financing | SBA.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2011, from http://www.sba.gov/content/search-business-loans-grants-and-financing
Shepler, J. (2011). Richard Branson’s Virgin Success - The Incredible Triumph of an Enigmatic Entrepreneur. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://www.johnshepler.com/articles/branson.html
Zobrist, D. (2011). Small-Business Takeaways From Steve Jobs | Fast Company. FC Expert Blog. FastCompany, . Retrieved October 21, 2011, from http://www.fastcompany.com/1776329/leadership-lessons-what-can-business-owners-learn-from-apple