What I Learned from Leaders – PART 2

When asked what drove him on his developmental journey, Steve Jobs responded:

‘I believe that the most creative people feel a deep sense of gratitude for the work others have done before us. Everything we achieve depends on the contributions of those who came before, and the shoulders we stand on. Many of us want to give back—to contribute something meaningful to humanity and to add to the ongoing flow of progress. We strive to use our gifts to express our deepest feelings, to honor what others have given, and to leave our own mark on that flow. That is what drove me.’

And on this wave, he was until his last breath, leaving us with several more lessons:

“When making decisions about which products to keep and which to discard, he would simply ask his team: ‘Which of these products would you recommend your friends to buy?’ By listening to their arguments and counterarguments, he gained valuable insights into what should stay in the company’s product lineup and what should be cut. ‘“WE DON’T MAKE COMPROMISES!” was Steve Jobs’ firm stance when asked whether to prioritize products or profits.”

This was a principle he developed and applied in his approach to understanding the needs of the company’s product users. He believed that target audiences should be shown what they truly need, rather than relying on market analysis and customer needs reports. Instead, he trusted his own instincts, intuition, and his desire to offer a UNIQUE USER EXPERIENCE that would resonate with customers’ desires. As he often said: ‘We made the iPod for ourselves, and when you make something for yourself, your best friend, or your family, you can’t go wrong.’

His belief in developing an idea and turning it into a market-ready product was his FUEL He fully embraced the message in the 1997 APPLE advertisement: ‘The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.’ Members of his team often said that this mindset led them to extraordinary achievements. On one occasion, Steve addressed them with these words: ‘You did the impossible because you didn’t understand that it was impossible.’

There are numerous examples where Steve Jobs demonstrated the power of this approach—taking an idea from conception to finished product. His product presentations are prime examples of what this way of thinking can achieve and how deeply he wanted to communicate this vision to his audience. Speaking about the APPLE brand for Time magazine on August 18, 1997, he said: ‘It’s aimed at people who think outside the established patterns, those who use computers to change the world, to create SOMETHING DIFFERENT, not just to get the job done.’

1. CHOOSE which of these principles you want to apply – NOW.
2. TEST them and learn from the insights you gain.
3. SHARE what you’ve learned and spread it further.