6 Key Management Lessons From Steve Jobs | Leaderonomy (2023)

roshan.thiran@leaderonomics.com

6 Key Management Lessons From Steve Jobs | Leaderonomy (1)

A few months before Steve Jobs died, I received a book about Jobs from McGraw-Hill, written by communications coach Carmine Gallo. I started to remember Apple's "Think Different" advertising campaign. The ad was the starting point for Jobs' revitalization of the company he founded, from which he was fired and later brought back to turn things around. The ad was memorable because it was essentially about Jobs' leadership and his desire to "change the world." The text of the ad, read by Richard Dreyfuss, reads:

"The crazy ones. The outsiders. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They don't like rules. And they don't respect the status quo. You can quote them, contradict them, glorify them or belittle them. And the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push humanity forward. And while some think they're crazy, we see geniuses. Because the people who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world are the ones who do."

Thomas Edison, Einstein, Gandhi, Amelia Earheart and other Apple heroes participated in this campaign. Jobs explained it"You can tell a lot about a person by who their heroes are"and his models were people who "changed the world".

According to Jack Welch, Jobs was "the most successful CEO" because he reshaped the computer, entertainment, music, telecommunications and book industries. Born to Joanna Schieble and Syrian Abdul Fattah Jandali, he was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, who promised his biological parents that they would send Jobs to college. Jobs attended Reed College, but dropped out after one semester.

Although he dropped out of college, he continued to take courses close to his heart. He worked briefly at Hewlett-Packard, where he met Steve Wozniak, who later co-founded Apple, then took a job at Atari to save money and go to India to "find himself".

He traveled to India and returned as a Buddhist with a shaved head and in traditional Indian clothing. Jobs started his journey with the desire to "change the world", but he didn't know how. During his stay in India, he realized that "Thomas Edison may have done more to make the world a better place than Karl Marx or Neem Karolie Baba put together." Jobs' trip to India convinced him that his goal on earth was to "make a mark in the universe through innovation like his great idol, Thomas Edison."

When I studied Jobs' leadership, I found that, like Mandela, Gandhi, Napoleon, Welch, and other great leaders, he began his leadership in quiet retreat "in search of himself and his passion." Interestingly, I even found six key steps that allow all great leaders to "make their mark in the universe" over time. The steps are as follows:

(Video) Steve Jobs talks about managing people

1Take time to be with yourself and get to know yourself. Find out what you really love to do and what makes you tick.

2Define and redefine your vision of a better future until the vision blows your mind.

3Sell ​​and inspire the world with the message of your vision.

4Create an implementation plan to turn this vision into reality, including mobilizing people to ensure the vision becomes a reality.

5Say "NO" to distractions and stay relentlessly focused on achieving your vision.

6Execute! Execute! Execute! and continue to work flawlessly and with quality, overcoming the obstacles that come your way.

Find yourself and your passion

Jobs dropped out of college and disappointed his parents. But he was always curious, claiming, "The moment I left college, I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me and get into the ones that looked interesting."

He took the calligraphy course because he had a passion for letters, even though he knew the course had "no hope of practical application in my life". But ten years later, this calligraphy lesson was the reason why the Macintosh had beautiful typography.

(Video) Management Lessons from Steve Jobs

Jobs believed his follow-your-heart philosophy was integral to leadership, adding, "You have to have the courage to follow your heart and follow your intuition. You kind of already know what you really want to be."

After that, Jobs goes to India and mingles with the environment and the Creator in order to discover his "calling". In fact, Jobs stated in an interview with Smithsonian:

"I think you should get a job as a bus guy or something until you find something you really care about. I think about half of what separates successful entrepreneurs from unsuccessful entrepreneurs is sheer PERSISTENCE it's so hard

There are such hard times that I think most people give up. You won't survive without a lot of passion. you want to quit So you have to have an idea, problem or bug that you want to fix and are passionate about or you won't have the stamina to see it through. I think that's half the battle."

And he was right. First you need to find out what you love and what you are passionate about.

Define your vision for a better future

Jobs always sees a future with opportunities. He looks beyond today's times and sees something better in everything. For him, computers were much more than boring productivity tools. For him, the MP3 player was more than oneWalkman.

On thatiPhone, remarked, "We all had cell phones. We just hated them, they were so horrible to use. The software was terrible. The hardware wasn't very good," so he challenged his team, "Let's make a great phone that we want to fall in love with ." We will do it. Let's try.” It was the same with thatiPad.Jobs had a vision of a bigger future.

In Gallo's book, he cited the story of Jobs recruiting top talent for Apple 30 years ago. This talent asked, "What is your vision for the personal computer?" For the next hour, Jobs pictured how personal computers would change the world.

(Video) Steve Jobs on Managing People: Key Insights and Lessons

He developed his vision to change everything from business to education and entertainment to everything else. After hearing Jobs' vision, he immediately signed a contract with Apple, then a small startup.

Great leaders have a vision. According to Trip Hawkins, former Apple CEO, "Steve has a vision that is almost terrifying. When Steve believes in something, the power of that vision can literally sweep away any objection or problem."

Formulate a vision

One of the most important leadership lessons Jobs learned was the CEO's role as a corporate evangelist and visionary. Leaders can dream big visions, but can they articulate that vision in a way that is compelling, vivid, and compelling?

How did Jobs express his vision so perfectly? First, he was excited about the vision, and his energy flowed from that passion. More importantly, he spent hours rehearsing and preparing to ensure his vision was fully understood. ONEWork daysThe article states that Jobs' formulation of his vision "comes only after grueling hours of training."

And it communicates by simply allowing you to visualize the vision. Most leaders have a vision, but the problem is that they don't communicate that vision effectively.

Mobilize people to implement the vision

A big part of Jobs' leadership skills is his ability to hire people who are "inspired to make a dream come true" (Gallo). Ultimately, people are the key to success, because none of Jobs' ideas would have been successful without others joining his crusade.

Likewise, Martin Luther King and Gandhi did not win their followers with their inspirational speeches alone. Instead, they spent most of their time socializing, coalition, and individual networking with local communities. Her powerful plan moved forward by mobilizing people on a personal level. Great leaders have powerful one-on-one conversations that mobilize people for their cause.

6 Key Management Lessons From Steve Jobs | Leaderonomy (2)

(Video) Best marketing strategy ever! Steve Jobs Think different / Crazy ones speech (with real subtitles)

focus on the journey

Jobs seemed to be everywhere with so many new ideas and innovative products. However, he was extremely focused and aware of where his journey should go.

Jobs said, "The people who do the work are the driving force behind Apple." It's my job to create space for them, clear out the rest of the organization and keep it under control." He made sure to remove obstacles from focus.

When you focus on the issues that matter most to you, you have to say "NO" to 1000s of things, including distractions, which is hard. Jobs adds: "Apple is a $30 billion company, but we have less than 30 major products. Big consumer electronics companies in the past had thousands of products. We tend to focus a lot more. That means saying no to a hundred other good ideas out there. You have to choose carefully."

Jobs focused sharply on a few key issues that "really make a mark on the universe," adding, "In fact, I'm just as proud of the many things we haven't done as the things we have. learn to prioritize and focus on activities related to the vision that they really add value.

Runs flawlessly

Achieving your vision is easy when things are going well. Usually things never go according to plan. Jobs recalled: “Making Pixartoy story,At one point we had to admit that the story wasn't great. We stopped production for five months."

At Pixar, there was a "story crisis" for every movie. And at Apple, according to Jobs, there was a crisis with almost every major project or product. But seamless implementation means overcoming these challenges and difficulties through discipline, as he asserted: "It takes a lot of discipline to transform really interesting ideas and young technologies into a company that can continue to innovate for years to come."

Every Monday, Jobs holds a marathon process briefing with his team. He says: “Every Monday we go around the whole store. And we do that every week." Ram Charan, a famous business guru whom I recently interviewedLeaderonomics Showwrote a book about executions.

The core of it is the same as Jobs - the execution is dull, boring and monotonous. But it is precisely this rigor that ultimately allows companies to thrive. Jobs understood the power of relentless execution.

(Video) 3 Lessons from Steve Jobs (Key Points from Stanford '05 Speech)

After all, every journey requires overcoming obstacles. At 21, Jobs was a charismatic child prodigy who co-founded Apple. At 25, he was worth $200 million, but he was fired from the company he founded when he was 30. Jobs lost everything when he was fired from Apple and could have easily given up and thrown in the towel. But he started over when NeXT and Pixar didn't lose their passion.

Leadership is never an easy journey. It is hard work and full of challenges. Before his death, Jobs said, "The reminder that I will be dead soon is the most important tool I have ever encountered to help me make the big decisions in life."

No one says leadership is easy, but the journey is definitely worth it.

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FAQs

What is one lesson that Steve Jobs learned through his failures? ›

Things that one should learn from his early failure:

Leaders must take risks along the road, pushing for the business results they want to see while also acknowledging that failures may occur. Jobs, for example, did not let his initial failure at Apple define his life.

What does Steve Jobs say about management? ›

Steve Jobs said, “The greatest people are self-managing, they don't need to be managed.

What are key points about Steve Jobs? ›

Steve Jobs was a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer era. With Steve Wozniak, Jobs founded Apple Inc. in 1976 and transformed the company into a world leader in telecommunications. Widely considered a visionary and a genius, he oversaw the launch of such revolutionary products as the iPod and the iPhone.

What does Steve Jobs teach us about leadership? ›

Jobs exemplified the essence of good leadership: Build a company around a compelling vision, hire the smartest people, and give the team everything it takes to help them achieve their goals. This means setting the best environment in which to work.

What are the three life lessons that Steve Jobs gives to the students through his speech justify your answer with the examples from the speech in not more than 250 words? ›

  • 3 Life Lessons from Steve Jobs. Next time you are not sure what to do with your life, listen to Steve Jobs for 15 minutes. ...
  • Follow your heart. “Dropping out of college was one of the best decisions I've ever made.” ...
  • You've got to find what you love. ...
  • You have nothing to lose.
Feb 5, 2019

What are the three pieces of advice from Steve Jobs speech? ›

Here are Jobs' three legendary bits of advice once again: You can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards. Keep looking until you find what you love.

What motivation did Steve Jobs have? ›

Most people believe that it was his constant need for perfection that drove him to persevere through projects, but his biggest motivation was his desire to leave something behind that changed everything. He wanted to change the world and technology for the masses.

What is one lesson from Steve Jobs we missed embrace conflict? ›

Being nice doesn't drive innovation. As the legacies of Steve Jobs are analyzed and dissected, one of the most important ones is that Steve Jobs did not worry about not being liked - and drew the best out of people.

What is a famous saying about management? ›

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things”. “Management must speak with one voice. When it doesn't management itself becomes a peripheral opponent to the team's mission.” “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”

What should Steve do to become more effective as a manager? ›

After reading the case about Steve, there are several areas he can work on in order to be a more effective manager. One thing Steve can do is become more organized. As a manager, it's important to have all tasks organized with a level of priority and set personal deadlines to ensure nothing gets left behind.

What is the strategic thinking of Steve Jobs? ›

Steve Jobs' mantra “a computer for the rest of us” followed him through his leadership career and now characterizes Apple's culture. To this end, Jobs' strategic leadership centered on customer service, ease of use, simplicity of product and design and an investment in innovation/R&D.

What were Steve Jobs core values? ›

“Apple at the core – its core value is that we believe that people with passion can change the world for the better.” “That's what we believe. And we had the opportunity to work with people like that.

What are 3 positive qualities of Steve Jobs? ›

Steve Jobs was proactive and thrived on setting goals and working hard. He was determined, ambitious, self-motivated, energetic and enterprising, spearheading companies like Apple, NEXT & Pixar.

What makes Steve Jobs a great leader? ›

Two, despite the observations of some about Mr. Jobs' arrogant style, I believe that he had at least three qualities that great executive leaders have: a clear vision, a passion for the company and its people, and an ability to inspire trust. This is what I would consider his leadership character.

What leadership style does Apple use? ›

Apple leadership style integrates the following elements: Democratic leadership style. In contrast to highly autocratic leadership style of Apple co-founder and late CEO Steve Jobs, the current CEO Tim Cook exercises and promotes democratic leadership.

What is ethical leadership of Steve Jobs? ›

He was a task oriented leader his focus was more on task and organization performance than on people. Job got people to follow him rather they like him or not. Job was also an adaptive leader he used himself as an example to lead the company.

What makes a good leader? ›

Good leaders possess self-awareness, garner credibility, focus on relationship-building, have a bias for action, exhibit humility, empower others, stay authentic, present themselves as constant and consistent, become role models and are fully present.

What are one of the important lessons from Steve Jobs speech? ›

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

What advice from Steve Jobs is only 5 words but it teaches a master class in how to build a great business? ›

"Make a lot of mistakes." Jobs's "make a lot of mistakes" philosophy is emotionally intelligent because it allows you to shift your mindset. It takes the process of making mistakes, which most view as negative, and reframes it as an integral key to making your business or product better.

What are the 3 stories Steve Jobs talks about? ›

Jobs' speech followed three stories from his life: one, in which he tells an anecdote about dropping out of college; another, about the lessons he learned from being fired by Apple in 1985; and lastly, his reflections on death.

What are the three rules of Steve? ›

The Golden Rules from Steve Jobs for Meetings
  • 1) The smaller the better. For the meeting to be truly effective, a room can never have too many people. ...
  • 2) Every task needs a responsible. Every task in Apple has a DRI - i.e. a "Directly Responsible Individual". ...
  • 3) It is forbidden to hide behind PowerPoint.
Jan 27, 2017

What is the most ignored advice from Steve Jobs? ›

There are countless dots out there to connect, but if you are looking in the same places as everyone else, you're going to end up being just like everyone else.

What are the 3 things Steve Jobs said about the first iPhone? ›

Jobs famously described the ‌iPhone‌ as an iPod with touch controls, a phone, and a breakthrough internet communications device, three distinct areas that no device at the time managed to tackle all at once.

What does Steve Jobs say is most important in life? ›

Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."

What was Steve Jobs personality type? ›

As an ENTJ, Steve tends to be charismatic, direct, and logical. Steve likely enjoys taking charge, working to achieve goals, and encouraging growth from others.

How did Steve Jobs challenge his employees? ›

He created resentment among employees by turning some into stars and insulting others, often reducing them to tears. Mr. Jobs himself would frequently cry after fights with fellow executives".

What were some challenges Steve Jobs had to overcome? ›

As a child, Jobs had trouble in a traditional classroom setting. He was bored in school because he was not being challenged. Rather than focusing on his schoolwork, he played pranks on his classmates instead. Jobs' resistance to authority figures and penchant for misbehaving even led to a few suspensions from school.

How did Steve Jobs manage conflict? ›

It doesn't really matter to me too much. What matters to me is that we do the right thing." Instead of glossing over a moment of conflict, Jobs preferred to put ego aside and work through it. Even if he "lost," the team "won." Tolerating bad behaviors or poor performance.

What is the golden management quote? ›

Practice Golden-Rule 1 of Management in everything you do. Manage others the way you would like to be managed.

What are 3 famous leadership quotes? ›

Inspiring quotes about the actions of a leader
  • “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. ...
  • “Leadership is a combination of strategy and character. ...
  • “People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. ...
  • “What you do has far greater impact than what you say.” —
Feb 21, 2023

What is a famous quote about leadership vs management? ›

Management vs leadership quotes
  • ' Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right thing.' – Peter F. ...
  • ' Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.' – Stephen Covey.
  • ' ...
  • ' ...
  • '
Sep 30, 2022

What are the four things that good managers good at? ›

4 Essential Things All Great Managers Do
  • Develop Emotional Intelligence.
  • Seek to Understand Your Employees.
  • Make Your Check-ins Holistic.
  • Be an Advocate.
Aug 22, 2017

What does the success of the manager depends on? ›

The success of a manager depends on the success of their team, and cultivating sincere relationships reveals more about team members and how their skills and personality can best suit work tasks and goals.

What makes a good manager and leader? ›

Good managers need to be open to new ideas, they need to adapt to unsuspecting change, expect excellence from their employees and communicate regularly and efficiently. Likewise, leaders need to be able to demonstrate these skills too.

What was the management philosophy of Steve Jobs? ›

'Steve Jobs' leadership style was autocratic; he had a meticulous eye for detail, and surrounded himself with like-minded people to follow his lead. ' His creative awareness, his 'meticulous eye for detail', was clearly a driving force in Apple's success.

What was Steve Jobs best decision? ›

But the biggest and best decision that Jobs took was to change the focus of the company from being a computer manufacturer to being a consumer products company. Looking back on his history, it's no surprise that he was capable of making such a move. At NeXT, he eventually went from selling hardware to selling software.

What is Steve Jobs main goal? ›

His goal, according to Walter Isaacson's biography “Steve Jobs,” was to build an enduring company that prioritized people. Everything else — products and profits — while still important, would be secondary.

What is Steve Jobs most proud of? ›

If you don't already know then Jobs' reply may surprise you. He said that he was 'most proud of his team – The Apple Team – that had created award-winning products time and again. '

What are the five core values of Apple? ›

Apple Values
  • Accessibility.
  • Education.
  • Racial Equity and Justice.

What are 2 skills of Steve Jobs? ›

Jobs was never known for his stellar computer engineering skills, so he became a world-class communicator and marketer to compensate. His incredible ability to speak with passion through storytelling changed the future of Apple.

What was Steve Jobs IQ? ›

"Steve Jobs likely had an IQ roughly 160 or above. In Walter Isaacson's biography, near the end of 4th grade, Jobs was tested. Jobs said: 'I scored at the high school sophomore level. ' This means he was a 4th grader performing at the 10th grade level.

What are some negative leadership traits of Steve Jobs? ›

He was obsessively controlling, and given to fits of rage, throwing tantrums and yelling at employees and board members. He could tear down someone's ideas, or the person him/herself, in a public display. Some have said he took credit for others' ideas, and his confidence led to a sort of over-the-top arrogance.

How did Steve Jobs motivate his employees? ›

He directed efforts of others through tasks and structures. Steve influenced his employees with a strong desire for hard work, shared passion, and clear vision. Jobs was driven by his desire to create great products as opposed to what the customers thought they wanted.

What can we learn from Steve Jobs leadership? ›

As a legacy, in addition to his products, he left 10 practical leadership lessons that emerge from his business experience:
  • Focus: eliminate distractions. ...
  • Simplify everything. ...
  • Take responsibility. ...
  • If you fall behind, take a leap forward. ...
  • Think products first, before profit. ...
  • Focus group just there.
Oct 21, 2020

Was Steve Jobs emotionally intelligent? ›

It was Steve Jobs remarkable emotional intelligence that helped him truly figure out people and what made them tick. He was able to do it effectively and negotiate most situations to his benefit (Chauhan, 2021).

What are the three important stories from the life of Steve Jobs? ›

A drop out himself, his talk comprised of three stories from his life divided into his accidental adoption, his love for his job and ouster from Apple and ultimately being diagnosed with cancer. In between, he speaks extensively about what helped him survive it all: an enduring love for what one does.

How Steve Jobs changed the world? ›

Jobs' influence on retail products has revolutionized consumer technology, forcing engineers and developers to create new and innovative products. Consumers have benefited most from increased competition, as products remain modestly priced but boast increased capabilities and features.

What are 3 things about Steve Jobs? ›

Here are some facts about Steve Jobs you might not have known.
  • Steve Jobs was adopted. ...
  • He was also a college dropout. ...
  • Steve Jobs started wearing his signature black turtleneck because his employees didn't want to wear a company uniform. ...
  • Steve Jobs didn't have some of the technological savvy you might expect.
Apr 5, 2023

What life lessons can one learn from Jobs third story? ›

The Steve Jobs Archive: 3 Key Lessons From the Inspirational Writings of Apple's Co-Founder
  • Be grateful for those around you. ...
  • Make mistakes, then keep working. ...
  • Don't lose your beginner mentality.
Sep 9, 2022

What are the most important events of Steve Jobs life? ›

1976 - Co-founds Apple in his family's garage with Steve Wozniak and introduces the Apple I computer. 1983 - The Apple Lisa is introduced, a desktop computer purportedly named for his daughter, Lisa. 1984 - Apple introduces the Macintosh. 1985 - Leaves Apple due to disagreements with management.

What did Steve Jobs do to inspire people? ›

He directed efforts of others through tasks and structures. Steve influenced his employees with a strong desire for hard work, shared passion, and clear vision. Jobs was driven by his desire to create great products as opposed to what the customers thought they wanted.

Why Steve Job is role model? ›

Steve Jobs has shown to the world how to dream and how to achieve your dreams even if there are many obstacles. Students should look up to him because he has proven that dream and perseverance make him a great role model. "Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes.

What is the leadership style of Apple? ›

Apple's management style is very different under CEO Tim Cook than it was under founder Steve Jobs. While Jobs managed through an autocratic style, overseeing every aspect of the company, Cook allows high-ranking employees to manage their divisions themselves. He focuses on a democratic style focused on cooperation.

What are Steve Jobs values? ›

We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot. And frankly, we don't settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, and we have the self- honesty to admit when we're wrong and the courage to change.

What were Steve Jobs weaknesses? ›

Yes, he could be rude, unreasonable, fickle, and arrogant. He even took credit for others' ideas. The list of his weaknesses is quite long.

Videos

1. Lisa: Steve Jobs’ sabotage and Apple’s secret burial | FULL DOCUMENTARY
(The Verge)
2. Steve Jobs Talks Lean Six Sigma core principles
(Lean Six Sigma Training Ltd)
3. "Focusing is about saying no" - Steve Jobs (WWDC'97)
(Erin 'Folletto' Casali)
4. Steve Jobs talks 'Bozos' who know how to manage but not how to do anything
(Lean Six Sigma Training Ltd)
5. Steve Jobs Secrets of Life
(Silicon Valley Historical Association)
6. Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address
(Stanford)

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