How Steve Jobs Taught Us to Be Leaders
So the word’s out. The legendary Steve Jobs passed away this past Wednesday, October 5th, 2011. The news of his passing has flooded the media as well as blog and Facebook posts alike. So this begs the question, what is Apple going to do now?
I could go on and on about how wonderful Steve Jobs was and how his creativity and unique ideas sparked innovations that no one had dreamed of and changed the world. But we all know all that. I’m not trying to take away from his great accomplishments, not at all. But it goes without saying. He touched lives all over the world. Most of us have iPods or an iPhone, and we all know it can’t be beat. I’m here to talk about what Steve Jobs has taught us about business and how to be a great leader.
Like I’ve always said, in a business, people and your employees are your most important assets. They run your office, they deal with your customers or clients, they sell your product or service, they answer your phones. And more often than not, they do the things that you don’t want to do, or aren’t good at doing. That’s what they are there for. A good business leader admits to him or herself what he or she is good or isn’t good at, and appropriately delegates the tasks to others. A good business leader also recognizes that he or she can’t do it all by him or herself.
Clearly Steve Jobs felt the same way. He always believed that people matter, and not just the employees at Apple, but the people as a whole. When interviewed on the numerous Apple products, he always talked about how the products made lives easier for others. He never gloated in his ideas or claimed he was the best…even though we all knew he was. He also believed in his team. Corporate Apple offices come standard with fitness centers, cafeterias with organic food, and great benefits. They do this to take care of their employees.
So what is in store for the future of Apple? As we all know, Tim Cook has assumed Jobs old position as Apple’s CEO. Many believe in Cook’s ability to continue Apple’s success. “Mr. Cook has shown remarkable leadership in the two times that he has taken the reins when Jobs was out on medical leave. And there is no reason to think he simply won’t continue that pattern of excellence.”
However, I think we can all agree that Tim Cook won’t measure up to Steve Jobs, but I don’t think that’s what he is striving for. Steve Jobs was no doubt a superb leader. Apple will surely feel the affects of what they lost, and what we’ve all lost. However, Jobs will continue to be the leader and hero for what we have all known him to be. And we can all learn from him and take away from his success, not only in business but also in life.
Tags: Business, Leader, Steve Jobs
By Baker, November 4, 2011 @ 1:52 pm
Nicely done post! Def. we can learn a lot from Steve’s legacy and leadership style. Have you read the new book on his life?