A635.5.3.RB - Video Debrief of Team MA


In 1985, shortly after leaving Apple, Steve Jobs began a new company called NeXT, Inc.  Their first product, the NeXT Computer, was unveiled in 1988 and combined powerful hardware and software in ways that previously had not been done (Garfinkel, n.d.).

A documentary video entitled “Steve Jobs Brainstorms with NeXT Team,” gives insight into the culture that existed at NeXT, and the relationships between Jobs and his team during the first few months they were working together at NeXT.  From the video I was able to see that Jobs had a clear vision, and he worked hard to ensure that his team was able to see and be aligned with the same vision. It appears that he was fairly demanding, requiring that his team members be accountable for their actions.  I also found it refreshing to see how transparent Jobs was with his team. It seems that he did not couch his language, and he was willing to admit when he was part of the problem. The video indicated that Jobs was “assertive, yet values consensus” (Everystevejobsvideo, 1985).  Brown (2011) indicated that “The pathfinder style seeks both a high degree of effectiveness and a high degree of member satisfaction, believing that greater effectiveness is possible when all members are involved and problem solving is done through teamwork.” Jobs also recognized that conflict was an essential part of the creative process.

As I viewed the video I reflected about how I would have fit in as part of the NeXT startup team.  I wondered what I could have contributed, whether I would have liked the casual style, and if I would have been flexible and adaptive enough to work well with a leader like Steve Jobs.  Jobs had a clear vision of what he wanted his team to accomplish, and he had a clear timeline in mind. It seems that he was inflexible and unwilling to compromise his vision. He worked hard to instill his vision into the very fabric of the organization by continually reemphasizing his objectives and goals.  

A few weeks ago as I began MSLD 635 I took a management assessment provided by Nexsteps Research.  I answered several questions about my attributes, characteristics, and inclinations. A report of the assessment was provided that gave me my leadership profile.  Several of the attributes that were assessed indicate that I would not have fit in very well with the culture at NeXT.

My management assessment report indicated that I have a moderately high desire for structure, and that I do not perform as well in a changing and fluid environment.  The NeXT team was working under highly fluid circumstances; trying to meet specified goals just to keep the organization afloat long enough to get the NeXT Computer to the marketplace.  During the first few months of the development of NeXT, the organization was unstructured and there were a lot of moving pieces. Although my assessment indicates that I am highly motivated to achieve goals and objectives, I work better when they are set internally, as opposed to having someone else set goals for me.  At NeXT Jobs was clearly the source of the goals and objectives. As previously discussed, he had a clear vision and he established the objectives and the timeline to make his vision a reality.

Surprising to me was the fact that my management assessment profile indicated that I have a fairly high tolerance for both personal risk and business risk.  As I watched the video about NeXT I considered if I would have been willing to leave a stable job at an established company to follow a respected leader as many of the individuals on the startup team did.  Even though my assessment indicated that I tolerate risk, I don’t think I would have been willing to accept the risk of being on the startup team. Additionally, my profile indicates that I have a fairly low need to innovate, and that I am not driven to create or invent.

The management assessment indicated that I am right in the middle of the logistical quadrant regarding leadership management styles.  I believe that individuals that would be the best fit for a startup tech organization like NeXT would fall in the strategic leadership style.  Nextsteps Research (2018) indicated that individuals that exhibit a strategic leadership style are characterized by an ability to mobilize, devise, systemize, and envision (Brown, 2011).  My assessment indicated that my management style and personality are best suited to a “large dynamic venture business environment” (Nextsteps Research, 2018). I believe that I would have been much more comfortable joining the NeXT team after the startup phase was complete and the objective was about growing the organization.  

In 1996 Apple Computer purchased NeXT due to failed attempts to upgrade the Macintosh operating system.  Steve Jobs initially worked as an advisor, but was later appointed as CEO of the company that he founded twenty years earlier (Garfinkel, n.d.).

References

Everystevejobsvideo. (1985). Steve Jobs brainstorms with NeXT team [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/BNeXlJW70KQ

Garfinkel, S. (n.d.). The Short History of NeXT. Retrieved from https://simson.net/ref/NeXT/aboutnext.htm

Nextsteps Research. (2018, June 5). Management assessment profile, candidate: Marc Clifford. Nextsteps Research, Alexandria VA.

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