Harvard Business Review

How Apple Is Arranged for Innovation: The Leadership Model

Harvard Business Review

Show Notes

How Apple Is Organized for Innovation: The Leadership Model

27 Jan 2021

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Apple leaders need deep expertise, immersion in details, and collaborative debate. (Part 2 of 3)

This is part 2 of 3 Part 1--The Functional Organization: https://youtu.be/5hENFA3CJUY Part 3--Leadership at Scale: https://youtu.be/hczW4Bqf3Qk

Ever since Steve Jobs implemented the functional organization, Apple’s managers at every level, from senior vice president on down, have been expected to possess three key leadership characteristics: deep expertise that allows them to meaningfully engage in all the work being done within their individual functions; immersion in the details of those functions; and a willingness to collaboratively debate other functions during collective decision-making. When managers have these attributes, decisions are made in a coordinated fashion by the people most qualified to make them.

Based on the HBR article, “How Apple Is Organized for Innovation" by Joel M. Podolny and Morten T. Hansen: https://hbr.org/2020/11/how-apple-is-organized-for-innovation

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