I have utter respect for Steve Jobs not because he was in India for sometime to learn about life but because he jacked up the return on my portfolio. It is sickening close to 200%. I have not come across any such CEO, who gets my respect **bows head** as he does. This experience made me take my precious time and read about him in the Fortune 11/23 edition (I suffer from ADD and I am seeking help these days). Following is my thought in the backdrop of management and why Steve’s talent can rewrite management and leadership.
Considering my limited years of experience with management and thanks to my mentor for coaching me through high tides to reach where I am, Steve is by far the best man and I appreciate his eye for Perfection the greatest. Mind you this also gets misinterpreted as micromanagement at numerous occasion. Look, it is not easy to win the market and give 200% to it’s stock holder, we need to observe what he does different. Steve has an eye on Vision, Change The World and Perfection! He is painful when it comes to shipping product out the door and no wonder people crave for Apple these days. All of us understand the magic of demand and supply, however Steve is best in laying the layer of value, perfection and utility over the combination of demand vs supply. From my limited experience of having overseer-ed management, I find it surprising how folks get so antsy on mention of “I believe you but can you open the hood, so I can look”? It starts to hit the ego on both sides and perception of micro manager creeps in. Well, let me tell you something buddy: “Suck it up!”, I was micro managed too from time to time and I always learned from it. Now this post is not about my experience but my thoughts on Steve and no way I am comparing myself to Steve, so take this as a respect to him.
Going over few of the articles from Fortune 11/23, I got to know he was being compared to King Louis of France for being so atrocious when it came to Product and it’s delivery. Before opening the retail stores, Apple had to go through simulation by creating store make-shift in the basement and that too exact replica of real store to be opened to real world. The use of the word “Playlist” was only known among a selected few some X years back and iPhone could become such a must have, only Steve had those convictions. Think about iTunes for a moment, why could you not think of it? He is not a philanthropist but still has the zeal to change the world but doing social work in a different way. He creates utilities and products that makes me buy those, so I can bring order to my life to get organized and entertained. If you have not bought the copy of Fortune 11/23 already, I would suggest to go ahead and buy it. Don’t forget to read next to the fireplace this Thanksgiving!