Steve Jobs’s autobiography quickly became a bestseller following his death at the age of 56 in October of 2011. I have not read the book, but this month the author, Walter Isaacson, wrote a piece about it for the Harvard Business Review. In the article entitled “The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs,” Isaacson identifies 14 characteristics he thinks contributed to the icon’s success. The article is worth a look if you have the chance to read it. For those of you who do not, today’s post provides a snapshot of Isaacson’s insights.
Isaacson spent quite a bit of time with Jobs. He writes that he once asked Jobs what his most important creation was. Anticipating an answer like the iPad or the Mac, Isaacson was surprised when Jobs replied that Apple was his greatest creation. As the largest company in the world from a market cap perspective, it is hard to argue with his answer. The 14 keys to his success, according to Isaacson, are as follows:
- Focus: Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 and quickly narrowed the focus of the company to four products.
- Simplify: In a classic example of “less is more,” Jobs is reported to have suggested to the iPod team, “Let’s get rid of the on/off button.” This stunned the design team but ultimately they realized it was superfluous.
- Take Responsibility End to End: Part of Apple’s success is they own the entire customer experience—the store, the hardware, the software, the media, and this contributes to a seamless user interface.
- When Behind, Leapfrog: The iMac could not burn a CD when users were swapping music. One solution: create a different approach like iTunes and the iPod.
- Put Products Before Profits: Jobs’s successor when he left Apple in the 80’s was John Sculley. According to Isaacson, Sculley’s expertise was sales and marketing. During his tenure, Apple suffered and Jobs suggested it was because the company’s focus shifted from product to profit.
- Don’t Be a Slave to Focus Groups: Jobs was one of many executives who understand the difference between asking customers what they want and understanding what they need. The Henry Ford quote here is a classic: “If I’d asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me ‘A faster horse!’”
- Bend Reality: Jobs had a reputation of pushing people to do the impossible. “You did the impossible because you didn’t realize it was impossible.”
- Impute: One of Jobs’s early mentors suggested he follow three principles: Empathy, Focus and Impute. Impute is the tough one, but Isaacson believes it is one of the reasons the company obsesses over product presentation. Next time you purchase a product from Apple, savor the act of opening the package it comes in.
- Push for Perfection: Reportedly Jobs’s made a habit of pausing during every product developed and going back to the drawing board to ensure they had done all they could do. This often created delays and anxious moments among team members, but according to Jobs it was worth it.
- Tolerate Only “A” Players: Isaacson quotes Jobs, “I’ve learned over the years that when you have really good people, you don’t have to baby them. By expecting them to do great things, you can get them to do great things.”
- Engage Face-to-Face: Jobs was a big believer in the importance of face-to-face communication. This insight is particularly remarkable given the company’s immersion in the digital world.
- Know Both the Big Picture and the Details: Per Isaacson, Jobs was not only a visionary, but as CEO of Apple he also was remarkably close to many of the details of product design.
- Combine Humanities with the Sciences: Isaacson quotes Jobs who was reflecting on his childhood, “I read something that one of my heroes, Edwin Land of Polaroid, said about the importance of people who could stand at the intersection of humanities and sciences, and I decided that’s what I wanted to do.” Isaacson felt that Jobs’s ability to connect creativity and technology was the essence of his success.
- Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish: A reference to the final issue of Stewart Brand’s Whole Earth Catalogue, Jobs persona is reflected in some of the Apple marketing materials which bore his influence: “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in square holes.” Isaacson finishes the piece with a final quote, “While some see them as crazy ones, we see genius. Because people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
I am certain there are more than just a few Apple fans out there, and even those of us that remain in the PC realm can appreciate the genius of Steve Jobs. We’d love to know what you think about Isaacson’s interpretation of this iconic leader
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