LEADERSHIP CAPACITIES

"Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected." ~ Steve Jobs

It is unquestionably wiser to have a trade character, rather than an individual represent a corporation. (For example, Geico’s gecko can symbolize with little chance of a scandal.) At a time when many corporate, political and athletic figures have destroyed their careers, Jobs’ public persona remains unblemished. A public technology guru and “cheerleader” for almost 40 years, he symbolizes persistence, creativity and vision; there are many who worship Jobs.

While publically charming, stories abound about Jobs abusing his employees. (It is rumored that he once fired someone in a crowded elevator.) A meticulous micro-manager, one who desires total control, Jobs informally visits people at all levels of Apple and Pixar and asks the difficult questions. A perfectionist who works at pushing people to create great things, he is un-accepting of anything less. Jobs’ control allows both Apple and Pixar to deliver products that consumers love, but did not realize they wanted.

Job’s capacity to continuously engineer great products in the ever-changing technology industry for almost forty years is truly remarkable. As a leader, Jobs has attempted to do much more than just sell computer hardware; he encourages people to “do great things”. Apple’s “Think Different” campaign encourages change and potential. In fact, there is no product reference. The following text is read over the video while we see images of prominent historical figures (Maria Callas, Bob Dylan, and Frank Lloyd Wright, to name a few):

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

References:

Levy, S. (1994). Insanely Great: The Life and Times of Macintosh, the Computer That Changed Everything. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Price, D. A. (2008). The PIXAR Touch: The Making of a Company. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP

"I want to put a ding in the universe." ~ Steve Jobs

One needs to listen to Jobs for only a few moments to realize that his most prominent characteristic is that of “promoter”. He is one of the few CEOs today who can speak with insight, imagination, enthusiasm, and persuasion. Andy Hertzfeld, an Apple Mcintosh engineer, notes that Jobs is famous for his “reality distortion field”, a ring of charisma so strong that it bends reality for anyone under its influence. (Kahney, 2008). Jobs speaks not about the music, the movies, or the mouse; he speaks about a mission, he speaks about changing the world. As evidence of his vision and creativity one need only look to the design of an Apple store, iPod, iPhone, or Pixar movie (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life, to name a few).

Jobs had the insight to begin the mass marketing of Apple computers and, in particular, with its ease of use, the Macintosh computer. Using his persuasive personality, he was able to astonishingly recruit the best consumer marketer in the country, John Sculley. At the time, Sculley was president of PepsiCo and was most widely known for the “Pepsi Challenge”. It is rumored that Jobs asked Sculley, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?” Eventually, in a clash of corporate cultures, Sculley, the new CEO of Apple, publically ousted Jobs.

Now at a surprisingly low point in his career, and at a time when he could have retired, Jobs went on to found the NeXT computer company. He also purchased a struggling computer graphics company, which eventually became known as PIXAR. Although developing revolutionary technologies, in eight years NeXT never took off, and Jobs spent almost 100 million of his own money keeping PIXAR afloat. In what has been called “the second greatest act in the history of business”, Jobs returned as CEO to the now struggling Apple, after an eleven year hiatus.



References:

Kahney, L. (2008). Inside Steve’s Brain. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Young, J. (1988). Steve Jobs: The Journey is the Reward. Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company.

GOOD LUCK OR GOOD LEADERSHIP?

Under the category of “Steves”, Jeopardy recently asked for contestants to name one of the Steves who co-founded Apple Computer. Most “pop culture” fans recognize Steve Jobs as the young visionary who started a successful computer company in his California garage. Jobs had the wisdom, and the persistence, to hire and cultivate talented people, even as Apple employee Number 1. (The other Steve, Steve Wozniak, is most credited with being the engineer behind Apple’s first computers, the Apple I and the Apple II. As Apple employee Number 2, “The Woz” admits that he is the guy that likes to build “cool things”, and credits Jobs with having the true business mind.)

As the head of Apple Computer, Jobs challenged the dominant players in the computer business. At a time when most computer companies were focusing on building computers for business and government contracts, Jobs saw a niche in the personal and educational markets. With innovations such as a sleek looking case, expansion slots and a price of just $1298, the Apple II became the first commercially successful personal computer. In a quest to build “insanely great” products, Apple developed a much different computer, the Macintosh, the first computer with radical design considerations such as a mouse and a graphical user interface (as opposed to text). “The Mac” was introduced to the public during the now famous “1984” Super Bowl ad; Jobs brought technology to the masses.

In the book Outliers, Gladwell suggests that individual success is often much more than we believe; Americans, in general, tend to like Horatio Alger “rags-to-riches” stories. Gladwell however, finds it more than an interesting coincidence that numerous Silicon Valley billionaires were born in the early 1950’s. For example, MicroSoft founders: Bill Gates, Paul Allen and Steve Ballmer, along with the Apple co-founders: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were all born between 1950 and 1955. Was it simply Jobs’s good fortune to be born at a historically beneficial place and time, or was it his vision, persistence, enthusiasm and other traits that were the main contributors of his enormous success?

References:

Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The Story of Success. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Young, J. & Simon, W. (2005). iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.