Apple and Google: Different Management Styles Similar Results
Wired magazine recently carried an article called "Evil Genius" which describes the management style at Apple under Steve Jobs and how it's contributed to Apple's dominance in key market segments. The title of the article is a subtle jab at Google's Do No Evil mission statement and it points out that both companies are not only highly successful but have very different approaches to their success. For those not familiar with the operational details of either company some of the highlights include: Apple focuses on a proprietary stack of hardware/software/web products that makes Microsoft look like an open-source solution, Google focuses on accessing any application and data from any device, Apple emphasizes product secrecy and has an autocratic, top down leadership style while Google emphasizes open software development kits and provides its employees with masseuses, free food and allows engineers to pursue their own personal projects one day a week.
So what does one make of these two different approaches? The reality is that both approaches are effective. Strong leadership and focus is a big part of what has allowed Apple to achieve its success. Enabling and empowering your workforce is part of Google's success. However, ultimately the real message is that both companies are focused on outcomes. There wouldn't be any debate on the success of either of these models if Apple or Google were languishing companies continually downsizing. Both companies have a clear focus on what constitutes success and both focus relentlessly on being the best.
From my perspective ensuring that there is a clear vision and goals with frequent opportunities to both validate and course correct as your company or project progresses is critical. Communication of the vision and goals is almost as important as defining the vision and it can be a daunting and exhausting process (just ask Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama!). It's easy to get enamored by Google and Apple with their current success but you can expect both to lose their footing at times (Apple has had its setbacks in the past) and I'm willing to bet that both of them will change aspects of their culture as they adapt (Google will become more structured and Apple will loosen up) but if either of them lose their focus on outcomes then future generations wil only know them as footnotes in history books.