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Comparison of Steve Jobs and Henry Ford

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Comparison of Steve Jobs and Henry Ford
A comparison of Steve Jobs and Henry Ford
Craig Willard
Midway College

Abstract
Henry Ford was a visionary who he loved his employees. He was well known for treating them very well. Ford was a very successful leader. Steve Jobs was tabbed as being narcissistic and harsh. He would often times treat his employees unfairly. Interestingly enough, Steve too was also a very successful leader. There is a plethora of books, websites and videos claiming to help individuals become successful leaders. Each of those resources has their own formula for success in a cookie cutter sort of way. If you do X, Y and Z, you will be successful in leadership. Steve Jobs and Henry Ford have totally different leadership styles yet both were successful. Comparing Steve Jobs to Henry Ford will validate that books, websites and videos which portray great leaders and their success as being a cookie cutter process is farthest from the truth.

A comparison of Steve Jobs and Henry Ford A simple Google search for “how to become a great leader” will net over eighteen million results. Book stores as well as online articles describe specific ways to become a great leader. It is apparent each writer has their own plan to becoming a great leader. Their claims often time suggest that if one does X, Y and Z, they will become a great leader. While this might be a great way to sell books, reality often times displays a very different approach. Henry Ford was a visionary; he loved his employees and treated them very well. Ford was considered a successful leader. In contrast, Steve Jobs was not always good to his staff. He was known for treating many unfairly. He was considered to be narcissistic and harsh. Interestingly enough, Jobs and Ford had totally different leadership styles yet both were very successful. Comparing these two individuals will validate that books, websites and videos that portray great leaders and their success as being a cookie cutter


References: Connolly, J. (2012). What Steve Jobs and Henry Ford can teach us about opportunities . Retrieved from http://jimsmarketingblog.com/2012/03/15/what-steve-jobs-and-henry-ford-can-teach-us-about-opportunities/ Covington, M Gunderson, A. (2009). The Great Leaders Series: Henry Ford, Founder of Ford Motor Company. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/30years/articles/henry-ford.html Henry Ford Biography Lashinsky, A. (2011). How Apple works: Inside the world’s biggest startup. CNN Money. Advance online publication. Retrieved from http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/08/25/how-apple-works-inside-the-worlds-biggest-startup/ Merritt, J NOCERA, J. (2011). What Makes Steve Jobs Great. The New York Times. Advance online publication. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/opinion/nocera-what-makes-steve-jobs-great.html?_r=1 The Case Files: Henry Ford
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