Hailee Sosnowski

Hailee Sosnowski

Book Review

2/14/12

Lashinsky, Adam. Inside Apple: How America's Most Admired-and Secretive-company Really Works. New York: Business Plus, 2012. Print.

           

It could be said that Steve Jobs suffered from a syndrome the Norwegians call Stormannsgalskap meaning “great men’s madness.” As the CEO of Apple, Jobs ruled with narcissistic, but undoubtedly visionary leadership. “Inside Apple: How America’s Most Admired – and Secretive – Company Really Works” tells of Apple’s rebirth under Job’s controlled management style from 1997 to 2011 and ponders the success of the company without his presence.

 In his 14 years as the CEO of Apple, Jobs managed to get the entire company to identify with him and to think the way he did. In turn Jobs became the embodiment of Apple. Because of this, his beliefs were adopted company-wide. They consisted of secrecy, a blatant disregard for the competition and a desire to produce only the best products for consumers. However, it is not only consumers and the competition who do not know what Apple is doing, neither do its employees. Everything at Apple is prioritized on a need-to-know basis and Jobs felt that most people did not need to know of anything but their own contribution to the project.

 Jobs was a notorious micromanager, the perfect example of the man behind the curtain. Every idea, down to the smallest detail, passed through him. However, while he functioned on multiple levels, he tied his employees and often executives to specific roles based on their talents. He believed that if people used their talent to become excellent in one area, the most productive work could be achieved. In this way Jobs’ management style is similar to that of Taylor’s Scientific Management Theory. Taylor viewed management as a science with a specific formula for success just as Jobs did by strategically allowing people to work only with the talents they already possessed.

Due to his management style, Jobs has perhaps set Apple up for failure. He was the vision behind the company, not allowing any one else to play a role. Because of this it is unclear if anyone else can recreate his success. While his narcissistic management style worked in this specific situation, it is not one that should be recommended to others. Not all leaders possess the charisma and genius necessary to generate a loyal and subservient following. Also, many current management theories suggest fostering a positive work environment in which employees can develop their skills and move up in ranks. However, under Jobs there was little chance of moving up and in fact, most employees remained in their specialized role for the duration of their Apple career.

Jobs created a work environment that most people cannot relate to; in fact, ex-Apple employees find it difficult to succeed elsewhere. Apple plays by its own rules and has always strived to simplify its products as well as its outlook. This goes against the nature of large corporations and most companies find this difficult when their next logical step is expansion. However, because of Jobs tight and obsessive control, Apple managed to act small while becoming a large global corporation.

“Inside Apple” is a book PR students should read. It offers a thorough look into the management of one of the most successful companies in world. This book does not simply praise Jobs, but instead questions his leadership and offers explanations for why his methods have worked in this specific case. Whether or not one agrees with Job’s methods, it is useful to understand an atypical approach to management. If for no other reason, students should read “Inside Apple” because it is genuinely interesting and provides a new perspective on one of the world’s most loved brands.