Apple’s phenomenal growth owes much to its unique organizational design and leadership approach. When Steve Jobs returned in 1997, he reshaped the company, replacing decentralized business units with a single P&L structure and a functional organization. Even as Apple expanded massively, this structure remained, with senior VPs overseeing functions rather than products. The traditional move from functional to multidivisional structures was sidestepped, demonstrating that innovation can flourish under a functional setup.
Why does it work? Apple’s focus on functional expertise allows decisions by those deeply knowledgeable in their domains, crucial in fast-paced tech markets. Emphasizing product quality over immediate profit ensures a commitment to innovation. This functional design facilitates collaborative debates among specialist teams, ensuring comprehensive solutions.
Leadership characteristics drive this model: deep expertise, immersion in details, and a willingness to collaboratively debate. At Apple, specialists lead specialists, driving a culture of excellence and mentoring. Leaders’ detailed understanding sets the tone for the organization, fostering innovative problem-solving and an emphasis on quality.
This model faces challenges as Apple grows. Balancing the number of leaders with detailed oversight, the discretionary leadership model emerges. Leaders must prioritize where to invest their expertise, balancing existing proficiency with new knowledge for added value creation.
The journey of Apple’s innovation-driven functional organization showcases how a unique leadership model sustains innovation, driving success in a rapidly changing landscape.
Apple’s growth from 1997 to 2019 is well-known, but less discussed is its innovative organizational design underpinning this success. When Steve Jobs returned, he revamped Apple’s structure, moving from decentralized business units to a unified functional organization, aligning expertise with decision-making rights. Unconventionally, Apple still retains this structure despite its colossal growth. Key leaders, including CEO Tim Cook, anchor decision-making points across multiple functions.
Apple’s belief in functional expertise dictating decision rights stems from the need to navigate swiftly evolving markets and disruptive technologies. This structure encourages bets on innovative technologies and designs, shielded from short-term financial pressures. Moreover, it fosters a culture where individual and team reputations drive decisions, exemplified by the iPhone’s dual-lens camera introduction.
The core of Apple’s leadership model rests on three pillars: deep expertise, immersion in details, and collaborative debate. Managers are expected to embody these traits, facilitating coordinated decisions by the most qualified individuals. As the company scaled, this model evolved, requiring leaders like Roger Rosner to adapt. Rosner’s expanded role showcases how expertise, learning, teaching, and delegating are balanced within the discretionary leadership model. Despite challenges, this approach preserves Apple’s alignment of expertise with decision rights, enabling continued innovation and success.
Apple’s departure from the norm—opting for functional expertise over traditional business units—contradicts prevalent management theory. Yet, its proven track record demonstrates the potential rewards of embracing expertise-centric leadership. The model offers insights for companies seeking innovative paths amidst industry upheavals, hinting at the extraordinary results such an approach can yield.
