OPPapers.com

Leadership Comparison And Critique

Leader Comparison and Critique: Steve Jobs & Indra Nooyi

Lauren Murphy
GBA 500
Centenary College

In 1978, J.M. Burns defined successful leaders as being transformational rather than transactional. Burns described the transformational leader as having recognized the organization as a complex system in a chaotic environment. The leader has also responded to complexity by being aware of change. The transformational leader has established a shared vision and inspired the organization to learn and evolve in response to change. Transformational leaders have driven radical change, trading short-term stability for long-term survival. In 2007, Kouzes and Posner refined Burn’s work by breaking down the transformational leader’s qualities into five practices, in the book, The Leadership Challenge. Within each practice Kouzes and Posner identified variety of behaviors that complimented one another and combined those behaviors into one of the practices. The book has served as a reference to identify those behaviors among leaders. Two of the most notable leaders of modern times have been Steve Jobs, C.E.O. of Apple, and Indra Nooyi, C.E.O. of PepsiCo. Both leaders have attained incredible levels of success which may be attributed to strengths among the practices. However, both leaders also have weak spots among the practices which should be addressed to ensure continued success.
Notable leader, Indra Nooyi, has been admired by many. Nooyi has always had a personal and intimate approach that has been integrated into this leader’s leadership style. She identified that the biggest factors of her success were, family, friends, and faith. Nooyi said: ”When things look bleak and uncertain, it’s your family, friends, and faith that pull you through…And when I’m wrestling with change in my life, good or bad, the first place I turn to, is my religion, I tell you it really helps.” (Nooyi 2006) Her spiritual beliefs and convictions have served Nooyi well as she cites them as a...