(This blog originally appeared on August 31, 2011. Jobs passed away five weeks later. This is reposted on the occasion of his birthday--February 24. There is much to admire as well as regret about his life, but his influence on our culture is undeniable.)
Unless you have been on a mission trip to Mongolia or
experiencing power failures from hurricanes, earthquakes, or tornadoes, you
have heard that Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO of Apple due to health
issues. Many articles extol his virtues
as a visionary and speculate on the future of one of the world’s richest
companies with his leadership. There
will undoubtedly be a new round of books on “The Leadership Lessons of Steve
Jobs.”
I am a late convert to the Apple faith. I began to give in a bit when I purchased an
iPod several years ago and enjoyed its flexibility and portability. The iPad may have pushed me over the
edge. A generous donor recently provided
the funds to purchase iPads for Central Seminary faculty, and I am afraid that
I have become an enthusiast. I would not
be surprised if an iPhone is not in my immediate future and even an Apple
computer somewhere down the road.
But back to the wizard of Apple. Steve Jobs is a unique individual. Many seek to learn from him, but most of us
do not have the emotional or psychological makeup to be him. By most accounts, Jobs can be mean, abusive, driven,
and irrational—typical words associated with genius along with creative and
innovative. If you have the patience to put
up with some one with these characteristics, you will reap great rewards but
most of us would rather observe at a distance.
I do think that there are some things we can learn from Jobs.
First, recognize when someone else has a good idea and
run with it. Jobs and Apple did not
create the computer mouse, pod casting, or the touch screen but they recognized
their value and integrated these innovations into their products. Just because we didn’t create something
doesn’t mean we can’t adopt it or adapt it for our situation.
Second, hire good people.
Although he could be alternatively critical and complimentary, Jobs
found good people for his team and challenged them to be better. We might not adopt the extreme measures that
he used, but we can surround ourselves with good folks, listen to them, and
encourage them to do good work.
Third, trust your gut feelings. Jobs typically eschewed market research and
focus groups and gave the public what he thought they needed. And it worked (most of the time)! Apple has had great successes, but it has
also experienced its flops. Sometimes we
do need to go with our instincts, but we must be prepared to fail with grace
when something does not work
Fourth, don’t be afraid to let go of a success to move to
on to something better. The iPhone
killed the iPod for all practical purposes.
The iPod became an application for the iPhone and the iPad. Although iPods are still on the market, but
they certainly don’t sell like they once did.
Jobs saw something better and moved on even if it meant wounding a
profitable product. Letting go of the
familiar and reaching out to the unknown is a real test of leadership.
Will there be another Steve Jobs? Probably not.
But one certainly shook things up for the rest of us.
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