I just finished reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. It was not on my 2012 reading stack at the start of the year, but I chose to read it at the suggestion of a friend. I am glad that I did.
First, the fact that I finished a 600+ page book is an accomplihsment in itself!
The book is a chronological look at Steve’s life and business journey. I must say that as I read it, I found myself shaking my head often at the ‘style’ Jobs presented. His strengths were his weaknesses. This is the major takeaway of the book for me.
Empathy. – Jobs had an incredible ability to connect with the needs of his customers. Clearly, during the story he often did NOT have this same ability with family and employees.
Focus. “Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do” (pg 336). However, when Jobs got focused on something, it engulfed him. Again, often at the expense of his family relationships and his health.
Simplicity. – “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”(pg 127). However, Steve often ‘ignored’ the complex. The biggest example of this was when he did not seek treatment when his cancer was initially found.
Motivational – Jobs was a master at painting the big picture so that employees knew their impact. There is a story in the book where he went to a white board and showed that if there were five million people using the Mac, he could save a hundred lifetimes per year by decreasing start-up time by 10 seconds. BUT, you generally ended up in two camps with Jobs with your ideas: 1) brilliant or 2) total “s–t” (crap). He was charismatic AND his brutal honesty alienated many.
There are too many really good stories to list in this review.
Have you read this book? What are your thoughts on the leadership ‘style’ Steve Jobs exhibited?
