The Steve Jobs Way: iLeadership for a New Generation (2011)
by Jay Elliot with William L. Simon
by Jay Elliot with William L. Simon
I’ve read half a dozen books about Steve Jobs, the man who revolutionized the way we use technology. Among
the most detail books on Jobs is by Walter Isaacson. One of the best! But what makes
this book unique among many, even in comparison with Isaacson’s, is that Jay
Elliot brings a deep, personal and insider perspective of Steve Jobs’ unique
leadership style. Jay was the senior vice president of Apple Computer and
responsible for many projects and management works. He reported directly to
Steve Jobs when Jobs was a chairman of the board. He wrote in the author’s note: “I’ve known and worked with the leaders of
IBM and Intel; I’ve met great leaders and thinkers, including Jack Welch,
Buckminster Fuller, and Joseph Campbell, and discussed the next paradigm change
in organizational structure with John Drucker. Steve is in the class by
himself.”
I find that Jobs can be a
difficult leader to work with and not all of his leadership skills can be emulated because it is unique to him. There will never be another Steve Jobs is as true
as there can’t be another you. He is unique (and broken) as much as
anyone of us. But nevertheless, I’ve learned Three (3) Great Lessons on Leadership from the genius of Steve
Jobs:
#1 Aim for Excellent. Jobs always
strived for one thing - the best user experience and feedback. That vision
drove him in every creation that he and Wozniak made during their cooperation
time. Jay writes, “Steve Jobs understood
something that a lot of companies try to do, but are rarely successful at. The
more he advanced, the simpler his products became. In some instances, it’s less
about the product and more about the user. Every user wants to be successful. When
you know how to operate something masterfully, how does it make you feel? More
people will buy if customers feel good using the product.” Jobs sometimes
delay the launching of the products because he doesn’t want to display a ‘lousy’
product. Excellent and perfection can be similar but as a leader, perfection is
ideal but unachievable. The way I see it, Jobs aims for excellent!
#2 Be a Team Player. Sometimes people portrait Jobs as a narcissist (well, there is some truth in it) but as
you read this book further you’ll find that he believes in the power of
synergy, mutual trust and sense of belonging in a team. For example, during the
development process in the company, Jobs referred to his Mac engineers as his
most trusted associates. Each employee was provided with a T-shirt with Jobs’
single-quote: “Pirates! Not the Navy.”
Jay recalls, “When I joined Apple, Steve
had already come to a keen understanding that people become motivated when
their manager or leader makes a direct, active, personal connection to the
people and the product. He found that's the best way to inspire others.” When
people think of Apple, people always equate it with Jobs, the founder, and mastermind.
But Jobs understands and admits that all of these - the company and the
products - are nothing without his teams.
#3 Ignite Passion. Passion is contagious. Steve Jobs displayed passion so strong that
the people who work with him can simply be energized when they near him. “I believe that business is a reflection of
its leader, its champion,” reasons Jay. “Like children who sense when someone isn’t sincere, you can’t fake it. You
need to be passionate about the products you are creating, promoting,
marketing, or selling, and that means you need to be in a company and an
industry you truly care about. Steve Jobs could not have achieved what he has
without passion, a commitment to excellence, great branding, and the openness
to learn from his mistake.”
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