cc licensed ( BY SD ) flickr photo shared by marcopako
A few weeks ago, Apple, one of the most successful companies around today saw their leader step down, presumably for health problems. Immediately, consumers were worried and stock dropped with the announcement. Obviously, many were worried about the fall of Apple with the leaving of their fearless leader, and you would see headlines such as “Steve Jobs Resigns, Apple Visionless“. Fear, uncertainty, and doubt probably started to not only creep in the mind of consumers, but employees as well.
Yet with the leaking of the iPhone 5, stocks again rose for Apple which probably started to put some of the fear to rest.
Yes, Steve Jobs obviously is extremely intelligent, dynamic, and a major reason behind the success of Apple, but as the years go on, we will see how great of a leader he was. A leader can possess a range of qualities, but the most important quality is how they empower others. Great leaders create systems where people thrive after the leader walks away. We see too many schools that are dependent on dynamic individuals and when they leave, everything falls apart. That is not a leader. Leaders create systems that create other leaders.
I love this Covey quote that sums up quickly this imperative of leadership:
Management works in the system; Leadership works on the system.
As Apple continues, we will find out how great a leader Steve Jobs really was. The definition does not only come from his time there, but he will also be defined by what they do in his absence.
