What I Learned from Leaders – PART 3

I believe in the stories of leaders who dared to live their dreams. I believe in being driven by purpose, passion, and dedication. I believe that EXCELLENCE is the only standard! At the turn of the century, I believed that I could change things and push boundaries.  I believed I could engage in education in my own way—not by relying on the traditional ex-cathedra model of teaching, but by giving program participants the chance to speak, to be heard, understood, and respected for their questions, opinions, dilemmas, and counterarguments.

The lessons I learned from STEVE JOBS have been invaluable:

Excellence drove this innovator to unprecedented heights of achievement, new insights, and the continual expansion of boundaries in both human development and business. He applied these high standards when selecting the people he would work with, knowing exactly how to recognize, inspire, and lead them. Despite his reputation for impatience, abruptness, and a sometimes overly direct communication style, the top players on his team credit him with everything he did for them. One of his collaborators, Debi Coleman, puts it simply: ‘I consider myself absolutely the luckiest person in the world to have worked with him.

He believed that technology could never replace the direct communication between people. He emphasized that ideas aren’t born from emails, but from spontaneous, face-to-face conversations in meetings. He also opposed the use of presentations, arguing that anyone who truly understands their subject doesn’t need PowerPoint slides to make their point.

In every aspect of his visionary approach, the big picture was always in focus, yet he dedicated significant time to the details, guided by the saying, ‘THE FINISHING TOUCH MAKES THE  MASTERPIECE.” One particularly striking example was his approach to designing packaging for devices—every detail was meticulously considered. He believed that the user experience was elevated when the first interaction with the packaging felt like a ritual. Those around him often described him as ‘a strategic thinker and a master of the smallest details.

This is why it’s essential to connect people with science, creativity with technology, and engineering with art. Only then can you create TIMELESS THINGS. This proven formula was embraced by visionaries like Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, and Benjamin Franklin, who demonstrated what could be achieved by blending these disciplines.

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.