Good Management Can Cause Success!!

                                                  
After talking about Steven Jobs in my previous post i thought that i would discuss what i thought made a good manager and leader. Also I wanted to look at whether a good manager showing leadership does lead to an innovative team to work with. Good management and leadership is a major role within a company as a manager has the ability to limit the creativity of their workforce. They could have the attitude that they are the boss and only they can determine the direction of the company. According to the work of Goffee & Jones (2006) leadership is one of the most vital and yet elusive ingredients in modern business. Leaders provide vision, direction, inspiration, give the company a sense of purpose and at the same time act as a moral compass (cited in Mullins: 394).

Nicholson (2006: 10) states that what sets great leaders apart is their ability to engage those around them in a shared vision of the future. By making the right decisions, they demonstrate their commitment to turning that vision into reality!!

Examples of this type of leadership is shown by Steven Jobs in Apple and by Larry Page in Google, their approaches to innovation show they are interested in the creative abilities of their workers and their trust in them developing a product which will take the market by storm. The ability to manage and direct your workers onto the right path is just the beginning when discussing innovation, you firstly need the idea!!

The difference between managers and leaders is definitely important when looking into the success of a company. A leader would have a more active role within the development stages of a product and would interact with the workers to ensure the perfect product is developed to their satisfaction. Zaleznik (1977: 67) explains how managers tend to adopt impersonal or passive attitudes towards goals whereas leaders adopt a more personal role and active attitude towards goals.


Mullins. L. J, 2010, Management & Organisational Behaviour, 9^th Edition, Financial Times Prentice Hall, P.394

Nicholson. B, 2006, In My Opinion – Management Today, P.10

Zaleznik. A, 1977, Managers and Leaders – Are They Different, Harvard Business Review, P.67

Apple

Throughout my blog I have mostly talked about the theories of innovation and what it is, today I wanted to analyse possibly the most innovative company of all APPLE!!

Apple is possibly the most recognised brand on the planet due to their new innovative products which have taken the market by storm over the past 20 years. Their innovative products have enhanced the way people listen to music and connect with each other via internet and telecommunications.

Steve Jobs previous CEO of Apple was one of the best-known business leaders, In 1984 apple launched the Macintosh, whose innovative design was surely one of the key steps forward in the development of today’s user friendly PCs. He was possibly the biggest believer in innovation and explained that "Innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10.30 at night with a new idea, or because they realized something that shoots holes in how we've been thinking about a problem. Its ad hoc meetings of six people called by someone who thinks he has figured out the coolest new thing ever and who wants to know what other people think of his idea”.

(http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/06/steve-jobs-quotes)

After his death I was extremely inspired by one of his best speeches and I think that it would be hugely beneficial for you to take a look and let me know what you think about it.

 

In today’s economic situation certain managers are not looking for innovative workers within their companies and in my opinion are definitely missing out on possible benefits. In my experience I have not been given the opportunity to express my innovativeness within places of work because they have an idea of how it should run and will not be told differently.

Apples innovation shows how an idea can become reality, there first product the Macintosh in 1984 was a huge success and today’s Ipad really shows how successful an idea can become. Apples ideas have revolutionised the market and it is causing the competition to come up with more and more impressive ideas for the public to utilize. Apple offer products which are user friendly and smart, they solve the problems of tomorrow, today!! The products are allowing people to become more efficient and improve in everyday life, they have made people want their products because they are more suitable than the old ways of doing things. This is how they have been successful and every company competing with against apple are coming up with similar products because that is what the public want!!

Website: Steve Jobs Quotes
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/06/steve-jobs-quotes) 
[Internet] Accessed 14/12/10

Mobile Phones

Today I have decided to discuss the importance of Mobile Phones within today's society and how their innovation has resulted in the vast development of business and economies. Mobile phones are quite possibly the most impressive innovative product to be developed, the consistent release of new more impressive products over the years is just showing how man is able to improve technology.

The Phones of today have new touch screen technology, internet access and cameras!! compared to the old phones of the 1970s, the first phone was introduced in 1973 where Martin Cooper a research for Motorola made the first call on a hand held mobile phone on April 3, 1973.

Although we have to ask ourselves how far will this innovation go!! We can do things on our phones which years ago we could not do on our computers. For instance the access to internet, the ability to contact friends through social websites is remarkable. The new apple Iphone 4s is one of the most impressive phones I have been able to use, the touch screen technology and the constant downloadable aps available have given them so much power over their competitors. The iphone can do exceptional things, for example you can store thousands of songs, record amazing high definition videos it can also access gps systems to pinpoint your exact location on the planet to help with finding locations.

I have to say that mobile phone innovation is possibly the most impressive invention that has been made and I am curious to see where it will end up in the future.....


Website: Martin Cooper - History of the Cell Phone, http://inventors.about.com/cs/inventorsalphabet/a/martin_cooper.htm
[Internet] Accessed 06/12/11

Recognising Innovation

In this current Economic downturn an innovative leadership style is essential. Mann (2003) draws attention to innovation as the key to long term success and what leaders of best practice organisations do that is different. A manager must ensure they have a vision, mission and strategy that are know and understood, oversee the setting of demanding but realistic targets. They must also set examples in generating an open communicative management style.(Cited in Mullins 2010:777)

Mann is explaining that a manager must essentially lead by example and create an environment which will promote the willingness of employees to be innovative. Although I agree with his ideas about how a manager should act, in my experience it is very different within the workplace. I feel that managers are under pressure to be successful and adopt their own leadership styles and are only willing to follow their own ideas, whether right or wrong.

The managers many organisations don't give the opportunities for employees to be innovative and they must come up with an environment where staff are willing to put forward their ideas to improve the development of the company. According to Lucas (2007) global competition particularly from the BRICK countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and Korea) means that companies can no longer simply compete on price and breaking the mould is more important than ever. Organisations need to be more creative in their approach to recognising, nurturing and turning innovative ideas into business reality and managers are the key to that process.

Ultimately I feel that some organisations are currently missing out on potential by only adopting the managers style and following their rules, I feel promoting innovation within an organistation could lead to great success.

Lucas. E, 2007, Switched on to Innovation, Professional Manager, Volume 16, No. 3, P.32-5

Mullins. L. J, 2010, Mangement & Organisational Behaviour, 9^th Edition, Financial Times Prentice Hall