Introduction
Humility is an essential phenomenon in all organizations and should be applied to leaders and followers. It includes self-awareness bounded by mutual trust and respect, thus relating to the servant leadership style. Based on these characteristics, Tim Cook is chosen as the role model since he manages his team using servant leadership, justifying its efficiency in leading thousands of employees of the multinational corporation Apple Inc.
Main Body
Servant leadership is the modern perspective on leadership that eliminates expectations of reciprocal obligation and emphasizes help to employees. Robert Greenleaf introduced it to increase the employers’ desire to help and assist their workers instead of purely promoting servitude to the influential figure within the organization (Vansevich, 2017).
Cook, as the chief executive officer of Apple Inc., promoted similar values of humility (Rancher, 2022). His mission in every briefing is to start with an intent to understand, but not directly. It hints that Cook is an active listener who does not constantly rush his team and asks meaningful questions. This skill positions him as a leader praising humility, “which emphasizes the solicitude, listening, and needs of followers” (Shaw & Mao, 2021, p. 490). Thus, Tim Cook considers leader humility necessary to establish attentive relationships with his team and contribute to the organization’s revenues.
What differentiates Cook from other business leaders is that he cares for his employees in a servant leadership manner. He acknowledges that a leader should not be the center of every narrative, neglecting other people’s time to grow as a company’s members (Rancher, 2022). Consequently, such a leadership style is based on the interest to help others succeed and contribute to the organization’s flourishment. It correlates with affective attachment when all parties develop emotional connections and a willingness to care for each other (Shaw & Mao, 2021). Thus, Cook’s wise decision to assist his team increases the number of committed workers.
Conclusion
To conclude, the servant leadership style is focused on the leader’s gentle attitude toward employees with an intent to help. Although it is not statistically justified whether it correlates with more monetary value, it is assumed to enhance mutual trust and engagement within the organizational agents. As the leader of the world’s most successful corporation, Cook embraces this responsibility to guide, promote, and assist his team.
References
Rancher, B. (2022). What I learned from Apple CEO and how it changed how I lead. Enterpreneur. Web.
Shaw, K., & Mao, J. (2021). Leader–follower congruence in humility and follower voice: the mediating role of affective attachment. Current Psychology, 42(1), 486–495. Web.
Vancevich, J. (2017). Chapter 15: Leadership, In Organizational behavior and management (11th ed., pp. 433 – 466). McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Web.