50 Smartest Companies Of 2012 Case Analysis

Our leadership is founded on talented employees effectively applying advanced technology and sound business management. Northrop Grumman employees lead through competence, creativity, and teamwork (Northrop Grumman, 2016). In addition, we strive to attract and retain the best employees by providing an inclusive work environment wherein employees are receptive to diverse ideas, perspectives, and talents to help solve our toughest customer challenges. Northrop Grumman develops and maintains some of the most technically advanced products, programs, and services in the world. For this reason, our continued success requires us to provide the education and development needed to help our people grow (Northrop Grumman, 2016).

What follows is a tremendous rise to success. Taking a look at exactly what happened, what struggles and what successes this man endured, we are in turn able to learn valuable lessons on hard work, innovation, and life itself. Here are the most powerful takeaways from Elon Musk’s life, as said in his own words:

The leader said: ‘I do not see myself as a boss, I see the team as my co-worker, we all joining the team together to go to the same goal. I think it is important

He involves consulting with subordinates and asking for their suggestions in the decision-making process but also understands he at times must give direct orders that are not to be questioned. An example of his co-mingled style of leadership is evident in a scene where he explains the new mission to those under his authority. The new mission is to forget past procedures and get those boys back home. He also declares, "We have never lost an American in space and they sure as hell won 't lose one on his watch." This is a leader who is confident in his ability, while simultaneously inspiring the creative process needed by his crew to accomplish the group mission. In other words, he is successful in creating the right environment that will influence creativity and innovation but also keep the element of time as the main objective. An excellent example would be when he issues the order, "I want the power procedures now!" Therefore, he is a leader who can make a decision on the spot, get results on time, and allow the creative process to flow.

This leader has 3 distinctive qualities that have given him the abilities to do magnificent things. The first quality is his ability to make decisions. “Decision-making leaders are leaders are leaders who solve problems by making good decisions that result in lasting solutions” (Borek, Lovett, & Towns, 2005). I have seen him make very hard decisions, some decisions he has made I didn’t

He believes in the core values of the company, and his leadership style reflects them throughout the store.

Motivating a crew is very important in succeeding as a team. Everyone needs to be acknowledged and understand what they can bring to the team.

While not all his decisions agree with everyone, he is effective by his ability to arouse, retain, and direct the public. Therefore, I believe his leadership style is distinctively magnetic and non- deliberative.

Bill Gates was the former CEO of the computer software giant Microsoft. It was not purely on inherited merit or luck that he was able to lead and maintain Microsoft, one substantial attribution to the success of Microsoft was due to the leadership style of Bill Gates. The main philosophy that Bill Gates used was autocratic leadership. Autocratic leadership can be defined as: a person who maintains most of the decision making process for themselves (DuBrin A.J., 2013). An advantage of the autocratic leadership style was that corporate decisions were made more efficiently, if Bill were a democratic or consultative leader, it might have taken longer for Microsoft to seize primary markets of interests. Gates was also competent in delegating tasks to the right people, such as allowing the engineering teams to work at full capacity to meet their production goals. Microsoft’s success can be linked to the proper delegation of duties to the correct personnel, and a focus on goal-based decision making.

In his article, Good Leaders Are Willing to Change Their Minds, Todd Henry emphasizes that a vital trait of a leader is learning to change perspectives. He reveals, within the article, that learning is the motive to “seek the truth.” Unfortunately, individuals are hindered from pursuing such truths due to fear and occasionally having a high ego. As Henry states, if one doesn’t “open [him/herself] to the idea that he or she doesn’t know everything,” it is impossible to think or act innovatively. In a larger context, it is impossible to be oneself. However, there is an extent to which one can change his or her viewpoint. Although Henry implies that the ability to change a perspective is due to the advance “understanding of a topic,”, if the perspective

Leadership is “ critical in codifying and maintaining an organizations’ purpose, values, and vision. “ ( PM World Today Journal ). Having good leadership methods in place at an organization is vital in bringing success to a company. Steve Jobs is highly stimulated and has a strong idea of what he wants for Apple to achieve in upcoming periods. He is a transformational leader, and this, “ represents the most popular current view of leadership. This leader is characterised by a capacity to create a highly motivating and absorbing vision of the future, and has the capability to energise others to pursue the vision. “ ( Claremont McKenna College Journal ). Jobs has put in a huge effort to create a strong framework of control and direction, for example, “ Since returning to Apple, Steve has put as much energy into creating a strong management structure as he has into the products. “ ( www.ft.com ). This is highly effective leadership, trying to improve the design of the organisation in order to achieve more efficiency.

“Leadership is the capacity to develop a vision that motivates others to move with a passion towards a common goal. Therefore, leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent” (Democracy, 2014). Apple CEO Tim Cook will predictably be compared to his antecedent Steve Jobs, but in one way, he 's greatly more like Bill Gates -- he has encouraged philanthropy at Apple (Stone, 2014). Under his leadership, Apple has become a much more socially aware company, working to enhance conditions in foreign factories and planning to reduce pollution caused by data centers and the devices themselves. In contrast to Tim’s leadership, a successful legend spread out at Microsoft Company where leader Bill Gates has many leadership qualities. One of the most important attributes is his capability to analyze, interpret, and be competent. His methodical intelligence is mentioned in his biography that corroborate of his abilities by scoring 1790 on an 1800 Harvard entrance exam (Stone, 2014). The excellent skills and mentality that Bill Gates has develop places him with to be one of the most powerful transformational leaders who motivate the crowds of whom he shares his vision.

According to Forbes (2017), Elon Musk ranked No.21 in the most powerful CEO’s of 2017 list and No.80 in the Forbes 2017 billionaires list. This much of achievements for the 45 years is an impossible thing to believe. While searching what makes him so successful, I found some special personal characteristics of him.

Another strong point is their management and corporate governance. On top of everything we find Elon Musk who is renewed around the world for its genius and entrepreneurship. Musk leads a team of the best minds in the field. Employees believe in the company and higher management personnel gets stocks.

Excellent businesses are the direct result of excellent management, and Fortune magazine highly ranks them as one of the “Best Companies to Work For” (Schermerhorn & Bachrach. 2015. p. 456). His leadership style is a balance of both the Human Relations and Democratic styles. He shows the Human Relations style through the support of his employees over the tasks of work by his philosophy of building the culture and all other aspects of the business will follow suit (Schermerhorn & Bachrach. 2015. p. 456). The only aspect of his leadership that could come under criticism would be where the line between work and fun is drawn. With the company’s focus on quality over quantity, there might be financial benefits that are not being realized. The leadership approach that he takes is definitely situational and would not achieve the same result if it were implemented in such fields as health care or the legal profession.