I don't think there's a "cast & stone" mantra to success. I believe great guys like Steve find their own mantra independently and that's what works. Understand your work force, business and independently derive your own mantra. I guess that's what Steve asked others to do, not copy him.
Have I been wrong 40+ years when I've been saying "cast IN stone"? If so, what is the etymology of that phrase? (I was at least in my teens when I was told the saying was "for all intents AND purposes" instead of "for all intensive purposes".)
The author read Steve's biography and came away thinking Steve was some kind of superhero. He argues Steve used his weaknesses along with his strengths to become some kind of miraculous management guru, successfully motivating his top talent despite being "prickly".
That's not the same book I read. I was a big Steve supporter, but I've lost most of the respect I had for the man after reading his biography. The book I read showed an immature, volatile, rude and cold man who had more luck than he deserved. Sure Steve was smart, and he was by all accounts charismatic. But at the end of the day, he wasn't a very good human being. Steve acted like an impetuous child. He was an orphan who in turn abandoned his own children. He sounded like a terrible husband and an even worse friend. His management style to me sounded like that of a three year old. Screaming, crying, pitching fits and generally caring only about himself.
I think the author is giving Steve too much credit for the way he handled his top employees. There were plenty listed in the biography who left, disgusted by him. If Steve had even an ounce of empathy for others, I imagine he could have gone even farther than he did.
After reading the book, I thought much the same as you did and felt quite underwhelmed as a result.
However, that said, after reading that post today, it turns out I did learn something from that book/the "Jobs" way and that is to focus on the top performers. Sure, some left but it would seem the right ones stayed given where Apple is today. Whilst Steve may not have always been able to explain exactly what he wanted, he certainly knew what he wanted. Those that stuck with him obviously learnt to deal with that better than the others.
So if anything, that article has helped me 'get' something from a book that I was otherwise disappointed with, and for that I am grateful. Fingers crossed I find myself in a role one day where I can combine multiple management approaches, including some of the ones used by Steve Jobs, to maybe achieve an even greater result.
It seems unavoidable that from now on lots of managers the world over will cargo cult the surface characteristics of Steve Jobs' management style in the hope of obtaining his "magic", everybody seems to have read that book. I hope it won't be a huge fad, working under a second-rate Jobs imitator is pretty much my vision of Hell.
Similarly, I have nightmares of working with a second rate designer who has drank too much Apple Kool Aid. DESIGN UBER ALLES! Stop being so pessimistic, codemonkey!
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[ 3.2 ms ] story [ 23.0 ms ] threadWotta superhero!
That's not the same book I read. I was a big Steve supporter, but I've lost most of the respect I had for the man after reading his biography. The book I read showed an immature, volatile, rude and cold man who had more luck than he deserved. Sure Steve was smart, and he was by all accounts charismatic. But at the end of the day, he wasn't a very good human being. Steve acted like an impetuous child. He was an orphan who in turn abandoned his own children. He sounded like a terrible husband and an even worse friend. His management style to me sounded like that of a three year old. Screaming, crying, pitching fits and generally caring only about himself.
I think the author is giving Steve too much credit for the way he handled his top employees. There were plenty listed in the biography who left, disgusted by him. If Steve had even an ounce of empathy for others, I imagine he could have gone even farther than he did.
However, that said, after reading that post today, it turns out I did learn something from that book/the "Jobs" way and that is to focus on the top performers. Sure, some left but it would seem the right ones stayed given where Apple is today. Whilst Steve may not have always been able to explain exactly what he wanted, he certainly knew what he wanted. Those that stuck with him obviously learnt to deal with that better than the others.
So if anything, that article has helped me 'get' something from a book that I was otherwise disappointed with, and for that I am grateful. Fingers crossed I find myself in a role one day where I can combine multiple management approaches, including some of the ones used by Steve Jobs, to maybe achieve an even greater result.