"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.
3 comments:
I believe Steve Jobs possesses a sense of humility as a leader. I knew he had to step down as CEO recently due to illness. He noted it was causing a distraction to the company and his family. Many people would not take other's perceptions into effect, but he has the ability to perceive the situation from different angles. I beleive that is another quality of Jobs as a leader.
Steve Jobs and Sam Walton are similar in that they both excelled in a field of business. Steve’s forte is technology and Sam’s retail. They were both able to use their enthusiasm to propel them to immense business success. Both Steve and Sam were able to use their friendly manner to motivate their employees. They became the face of their corporations; Steve has such an impact on his corporation that rumors of his illness negatively affected the price of Apple’s stock.
Another commonality of Sam and Steve is that they both took their innovative ideas to new heights. Sam’s concept of “low prices” is known by everyone and the technological advances of Apple have affected many people. Everyone either owns or wants to own an iPod or iPhone regardless of their age. Steve’s imagination, creativity and charisma have made him the successful entrepreneur he is today.
Steve Jobs and Billy Graham are both promoters. Their commitment and enthusiasm for what they believed in carry through in their presentation. They also share a keen sense of business. Although Graham did not have a product, he was innovative in creating various businesses that supported the ideals he was presenting. Almost all of the businesses started in the 50's are still in existence today and for the same purposes that they were created.
Both have made a significant impact not just in America, but around the world.
Tammy
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