Steve Jobs and Apple Computers, Essay Example

I found the writing of this paper to be both challenging and rewarding. There were aspects of the instructions that caused me some frustration, or at least some confusion, as some parts of the wording seemed to conflict with other parts of the wording. At one point the instructions say to “list” certain things; at another point the instructions say to avoid “bullet points” and “shopping lists.” In order to address the requirements as best as I could, I endeavored to make the writing as organic as possible; I attempted to address the requisite points in a manner that flowed, rather than simply listing each idea.

For the sub-section where the instructions say to discuss three aspects of leadership and their importance to business leaders, I used the real-world example of Steve Jobs and Apple computers. I saw this as an opportunity to touch on another suggestion in the instructions that said to use real-world examples. What better real-world example of leadership than Steve Jobs and Apple Computers? I did not write this section as a “shopping list;” instead I just wrote a series of paragraphs that touched on three aspects of leadership as instructed, while also avoiding bullet points/shopping lists (also as instructed).

I did the same thing with the section entitled “Personal Development;” it was in this section that I discussed the manner in which I plan to cultivate several aspects of leadership qualities. As I did with the previous section, I attempted to address each component in an organic, flowing manner rather than just generate a list.

It is my hope that I struck a good balance between addressing each point as indicated in the instructions while avoiding the appearance of a “shopping list.” One last note: I used virtually no direct quotes from any of the reference materials. It was my intention to avoid simply repeating ideas found in Maximum Performance or any of the other reference materials; instead, I attempted to discuss the concepts in a manner that demonstrated my own understanding of the ideas. Because there are almost no direct quotes, it was difficult to provide direct citations in the text; still, I did the best I could to demonstrate where in the text I found the basic ideas, and I cited the author and page number(s) as seemed appropriate.

I am sure you are aware that this was an incredibly challenging assignment, and I hope I was able to create a paper that demonstrated that I was not just listing things I read, but discussing ideas and concepts in a manner that showed how I have incorporated the ideas and concepts into my personal understanding of what makes an effective leader.