Here is an article about Abz Sharma and David Grant featured by strategy+business magazine, published by Booz & Company. It is based on their article, Narrative, Drama and Charismatic Leadership: The Case of Apple’s Steve Jobs (Subscription or fee required.), that appeared in Leadership magazine (Vol. 1, No. 1). To read the complete article, please click here.

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The Stagecraft of Steve Jobs: How Apple’s CEO uses narrative and dramatic techniques to manage his message

When Steve Jobs, cofounder and CEO of Apple Inc., takes the stage during one of his rare but much-watched public appearances, as he did in early June 2011 to unveil the iCloud, Apple’s new online storage system, he’s doing more than merely introducing a new product or delivering a keynote speech, this paper contends. Through his carefully stage-managed appearances, Jobs uses narrative and dramatic techniques to help reinforce his identity as a charismatic leader and to frame the Apple story in his terms. Jobs is an icon, and Apple is among the most hallowed brands in the world; nevertheless, the techniques he uses offer lessons for other senior executives who need to manage the message about themselves and their companies.

As Jobs rose to prominence along with the Apple II and Macintosh computers in the 1970s and 1980s, he was dogged by stories of what the authors call his “narcissism, temper, epic tantrums, and bad behavior,” which spilled into unauthorized biographies and press accounts. In September 1985, after Jobs left Apple following a months-long power struggle with then CEO John Sculley, details of his tearful departure, including his resignation letter, leaked into the mainstream press. After that, Jobs became more guarded with the media.

Since his return to Apple in 1997, Jobs and his closest aides have worked tirelessly to suppress leaks involving trade secrets or rumors about unannounced products. But Jobs’s oft-stated view that “loose lips sink ships” doesn’t serve only to protect Apple’s commercial interests, the authors write. It also serves a dramaturgical point. Apple relies on highly anticipated trade shows, conferences, and special events — broadcast online to vast audiences — to interact with customers, shareholders, and media. As Jobs typically demonstrates new products and services, he also pushes his preferred narrative and reinforces his bond with Apple enthusiasts.

Through their textual and visual analysis of Jobs’s speeches, the authors highlight the ways that leadership can be generated through narrative and storytelling. Stage management is vital — the charismatic leader can counter unwanted “backstage” leaks, rumors, or faux pas with a “front-of-the-stage” narrative that moves the organization’s story in a more desired direction. To that end, the authors note that the relationship between leaders and followers is never static, but is in an ongoing state of flux both behind the scenes and at center stage.

The authors illustrate their thesis by focusing on three of Jobs’s performances that came at key moments in Apple’s history and his career.

The first presentation was in 1997 at Macworld Expo. Jobs had just returned to Apple and wrested back control of the company, which was in dire financial straits. At the conference, he dropped a bombshell, announcing a US$150 million investment in Apple by archrival Microsoft. From a minimalist stage, dressed casually in trousers and a black vest over a white pullover shirt with the sleeves rolled up, Jobs sought to affect a town-hall meeting vibe.

But when a guest appearance by Microsoft CEO Bill Gates was met with loud boos, Jobs had to depart from his planned script and launch into a kind of impromptu sermon. He invoked a collective voice — using we and us — to appeal to his followers and frame the Apple–Microsoft rivalry as something in the past. He encouraged Apple’s followers to give up their feelings against Microsoft and take responsibility for Apple’s future. As the authors write: “Moralized and enlightened by Jobs’ unscripted sermon…they applaud[ed] enthusiastically, in approval of [his] ‘vision’ narrative.”

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To read the complete article, please click here.

Both Abz Sharma and David Grant are on the business faculty at University of Sydney, Australia.