STEVE JOBS

Born February 24,1955 in San Francisco, CA .

Adopted at birth.
Grew up in the Silicon Valley.
Attended Hewlett-Packard lectures after school.
Worked with Steve Wozniak in the summer, Jobs
at Age 14.
Dropped out after one semester.
Continued auditing courses in classes he liked.

STEVE JOBS As Leader

Steve Jobs was an amazing leader who
expected and got the most out of those who
worked for him.
With his recent passing and the release of his
biography, other leaders have gotten a chance
to take a closer look at how Steve Jobs lived,
thought, and ran his company. Its an interesting
opportunity to look at the inner workings of one
of the tech worlds most private men.
So what lessons can leaders glean from Steve
Jobs? There are too many to choose but here
are five of the critical lessons one can learn
from Steve Jobs life and success.

STEVE JOBS As Leader

1. Have strong opinions, just not always
your own
He was quick to make decisions and strong in them.
However, this doesnt mean he never changed his mind
just that his reversals were equally decisive and strong.

2. Openness hurts sometimes

Few would have described Steve Jobs as a nice guy. He
was known for being brutally honest and saying what was
on his mind.

My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to

make them better.

STEVE JOBS As Leader

3. Focus, focus, and focus
Focus was very important to this man, who limited his company to
focusing on two or three things at a time.

4. Working in teams means talking

Jobs loved working in teams and loved meetings, but he hated
PowerPoint and Keynote presentations. He felt that meetings should be
about conversation and dialog, not passive listening

5. Planning succession
Jobs, especially in his later years, realized he would not be running the
company forever and had to make plans for Apple to live on after he
left. However, he focused on succession not just by planning for the
company after his departure, but focusing on ensuring that he hired the
best executives possible

Innovation distinguishes between a

leader and a follower