Steve Jobs was a wonderful and a terrible leader
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If you’ve seen the movies and read the exposés you’ve probably made your mind up about Steve Jobs. But his leadership story follows a fascinating arc. You just have to be willing to consider the possibility that he changed over time.
Steve Jobs was a horrible boss. We should use him as a case study of how NOT TO treat people.
He was an inspirational leader. We should follow his example on how TO treat people.
I’ve heard both these arguments. So was he a good leader or a bad leader? My personal conclusion is that he was BOTH.
The key is to take a step back from all the hot takes. Look beyond the fanboys and the outrage. Listen carefully to those who knew Steve best or worked with him over long periods of time.
I’ve seen the movies and read the exposés. But Steve’s leadership story follows a fascinating arc. You just have to be willing to consider the possibility that he changed over time.
My current perspective has been shaped by Jim Collins (author of Good to Great) and Ed Catmull (co-founder of Pixar). They both agree that Steve had issues but grew tremendously as a person over the years.
Steve was complicated. And the truth is we are all at least somewhat complicated. What I take from his story is that people like me can improve over time.
I’m inspired by Jobs’ life to keep growing. In empathy, in active listening and in kindness. I’m not the same leader today that I was ten years ago, and I hope to be able to say that again in 2030.
He was an inspirational leader. We should follow his example on how TO treat people.
I’ve heard both these arguments. So was he a good leader or a bad leader? My personal conclusion is that he was BOTH.
The key is to take a step back from all the hot takes. Look beyond the fanboys and the outrage. Listen carefully to those who knew Steve best or worked with him over long periods of time.
I’ve seen the movies and read the exposés. But Steve’s leadership story follows a fascinating arc. You just have to be willing to consider the possibility that he changed over time.
My current perspective has been shaped by Jim Collins (author of Good to Great) and Ed Catmull (co-founder of Pixar). They both agree that Steve had issues but grew tremendously as a person over the years.
Steve was complicated. And the truth is we are all at least somewhat complicated. What I take from his story is that people like me can improve over time.
I’m inspired by Jobs’ life to keep growing. In empathy, in active listening and in kindness. I’m not the same leader today that I was ten years ago, and I hope to be able to say that again in 2030.