Technology

Steve Jobs‘ ’iLeadership’ Reached Employees, Consumers and Admirers

Ask Jay Elliott what the late Steve Jobs‘ most important contribution was and he won’t say the iPod, iPad or the iPhone. He’ll say iLeadership — and the mouse.

The mouse is an underrated and often forgotten contribution of the Apple/Jobs legacy. Although Xerox invented the mouse, Jobs was among the first to see its commercial potential. With the mouse, Jobs helped Macintosh bring the world of personal computers — that were user friendly — into fruition.

Steve Jobs iLeadership Reached Employees, Consumers and Admirers

Jobs’ trip to Xerox where he saw the mouse, was accounted earlier this year in a profile by the New Yorker:

An engineer named Larry Tesler conducted the demonstration. He moved the cursor across the screen with the aid of a “mouse.” Directing a conventional computer, in those days, meant typing in a command on the keyboard. Tesler just clicked on one of the icons on the screen. He opened and closed “windows,” deftly moving from one task to another. He wrote on an elegant word-processing program, and exchanged e-mails with other people at parc, on the world’s first Ethernet network. Jobs had come with one of his software engineers, Bill Atkinson, and Atkinson moved in as close as he could, his nose almost touching the screen. “Jobs was pacing around the room, acting up the whole time,” Tesler recalled. “He was very excited. Then, when he began seeing the things I could do onscreen, he watched for about a minute and started jumping around the room, shouting, ‘Why aren’t you doing anything with this? This is the greatest thing. This is revolutionary!’ ”

And the rest is history.

Steve Jobs iLeadership Reached Employees, Consumers and Admirers

Jay Elliott

Elliott, owner of Nuvel, worked as a senior vice president for Apple with Jobs during the early years, from 1980 to 1986. What Elliott viewed from Jobs was a that he saw problems in his own life and came up with products that were solutions that would work for him.

“He was the world’s greatest consumer,” Elliott said. “He built products for himself first and when they worked well, then for others. He didn’t really care what the sales figures are; he‘s hung up on the best thing he can give us and why we’re going to like it.”

Elliott believe this is why there is an unprecedented amount of support for Jobs: people love Apple products. And although products are the sign of Jobs’ outward success and creativity, Elliott said he wasn’t all about the products, but about creating a culture.

This culture and leadership style, which Elliott coins as iLeadership, lead him to write a book on what he learned from Jobs’ visionary management style and business skills –The Steve Jobs Way: iLeadership for a New Generation. An anecdotal example of this leadership Elliott provides is the creation of a printer for early Macintosh computers.

Macintosh computers, at the time, were going to be primarily used for graphics, necessitating a printer. When Jobs asked his team if they had a printer — they didn’t — he gave then 90 days to create one. He wasn’t taking no or “it can’t be done” for an answer. And it did get done, even though they were using a cardboard box on the flight to Japan to mock up designs.

Jobs’ leadership and inspiration reached beyond even his immediate employees. Like many a young man who idolized Jobs, Lucas Haley in 1996 sent him a letter and then forgot about it. Fox News reports that a few months later Haley said he not only got a response, but a call:

It went exactly like this:

“Hello?”

“Hello. May I speak with Lucas Haley?”

“Speaking.”

“Hi. This is Steve Jobs.”

At this point I was ready to call bull on whichever friend was prank calling me. I barely caught myself in time, remembering that I hadn’t told anyone about the letter. This couldn’t be anyone but Steve Jobs.

The sudden realization strengthened my suspicion that I hadn’t said anything in an awkwardly long time, and I blurted out a weak “Can … can I help you?”

Steve Jobs and I spoke on the phone that afternoon for over 20 minutes, about college, about work, about chasing dreams, and about how he couldn‘t give me a job but here’s the name of someone who could. It was all very surreal, and immediately upon hanging up it felt like it couldn’t have happened.

Watch co-founder of Apple Computer Steve Wozniak describe some of his experience with Jobs:

These men, Elliott, Haley and Wonzniak, inspired by Jobs through different levels of contact and interaction are three of many. Elliott leaves us with his favorite Steve Jobs-ism: The journey is the reward.

Watch this account of Jobs’ journey up until he stepped down as CEO earlier this year:

Comments (25)

  • snowflake220
    Posted on October 8, 2011 at 7:28pm

    I wondered how he could have so much money and then drudgereport.com gave me that answer. He was NOT a nice man. Children in China worked 15 hour days for this jerk. He belittled his employees constantly. He was evil. He even had a child and for two years he denied she was his. Claimed he was sterile. Finally he said she was his. What a jerk he was. He may have been great in bringing new technology to us but other than that he was a jerk. Living off all the money you all paid him to buy his stuff.

    http://gawker.com/5847344/what-everyone-is-too-polite-to-say-about-steve-jobs

    Report Post »  
  • PunditPawn
    Posted on October 8, 2011 at 3:44pm

    And anyone that ever paid $150 for a silly apple printer cable should thank their stars that Bill Gates was so successful.

    Report Post »  
  • olddog
    Posted on October 8, 2011 at 8:01am

    The Leftists have changed the Death Tax, so what’s to happen to Jobs $6.5 billion???

    Report Post » olddog  
  • cdcats8
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 8:57pm

    He seemed to be a good man and a great believer in everything he did. He had visions and brought them to life with a wonderful team effort. I wonder how many raging on Wall Street have one or more of his products?

    Report Post »  
  • applehill
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 4:26pm

    They forgot to add the Newton to the failed products.

    Report Post » applehill  
  • HOn3yB33
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 10:37am

    I have never used an Apple product, but might reconsider. Thank U Steve Jobs for the mouse and the fonts and Pixar creations. May you rest in peace.

    Report Post »  
  • qban
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 9:38am

    How many CEO dies and you see people sticky notes with love messages being put on the stores front windows? Why they still call Bill Gates the enemy even though Gates donated half his fortune to charity. Steve Jobs fortune is in the billions and he didn’t donate any significative amount of money. You want more proof, ask any Apple user why they use Apple computer (more expensive than PC) and the answer doesn’t make any sense. iPod is a flash memory with an audio amplifier and some controls to play mp3 after re-formated to Apple own format, you “need” iTunes to use your iPod and “need” to be “synch” with your computer. You can have a MP3 player that basically do the same(play music in your ears) for half the price or lower and with less hassle to deal with. Yet people spend twice as much just because it is an Apple and it is “cool”. How do you make a bunch of people spend twice or more in a product that can be purchased (other brand) for much less? That is where the genius came in.

    Report Post »  
  • qban
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 9:32am

    Jobs was a genius, and a visionaire. However his biggest success was to make a cult from a brand. Apple never created anything new, just “borrowed” from others and adapted to the McIntosh platform. His best vision was about the computer becoming personal, as opposing IBM mainframes. McIntosh first customers were the graphic artist community. In that time windows based PC was more business/scientific oriented. Since the bigining windows based pc market share was enormous, Apple market share was little. However that little market was the elite in the artistic communities the people that “dictated” the fashion, the people that said what was cool and what wasn’t. I use to have a contest to spot how many Apple computer you see in TV and Hollywood movies and shows. Well, I just stop the count, there were too many Apples showed in the media. That is a huge free advertising no other electronic gadget had/have. Jobs used those people as a marketing tool, that was genius. How many technology shows do you see that “fans” sleep for 3 days at the gates just to get inside.

    Report Post »  
  • DanWesson455
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 8:23am

    I have never owned an Apple anything. Can’t say if they are the best, worse or otherwise about them. I can only say from a Garage and a borrowed 1300 bucks to what Apple is today. Isn’t America the BEST! Rest in peace Mr. Jobs.

    Report Post » DanWesson455  
  • Lonescrapper
    Posted on October 7, 2011 at 7:01am

    No no no, he was an evil CEO that the Wall Street Protestors would NEVER take a job from!

    Report Post » Lonescrapper  
  • OlefromMN
    Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:20pm

    iThank Steve Jobs and I am a PC user. Without his innovative ideas I may still be tied to DOS.

    May you rest in peace Mr. Jobs!

    Report Post » OlefromMN  
  • jespasinthru
    Posted on October 6, 2011 at 10:23pm

    Howcome the geniuses who advance human civilization always die young, while the morons and throwbacks who try to hold us back always live for almost a century? It’s been that way all through history.

    Report Post » jespasinthru  
    • SovereignSoul
      Posted on October 6, 2011 at 11:51pm

      Perhaps they live longer because they can recite more bible verses. He was a heathen buddhist, after all.

      Report Post » SovereignSoul  
    • Chr1st14n
      Posted on October 7, 2011 at 1:32am

      go look at how much the bible has to say about prolonging your life.

      then go study out how to shorten it according to the bible.

      then go back and put history together with what the bible says and you will have solved your puzzle.

      Report Post » Chr1st14n  
  • PoliticalJunkieToo
    Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:38pm

    Fox Business reported today that Applie made 65% of its money from overseas consumers (Americans too poor because our manufacturing and even customer service jobs went overseas)…

    AND

    That 100% of Apple products are made OVERSEAS.

    Steve Jobs SUPPORTED Barack Obama.

    Tell me AGAIN why he is so great for Americans.

    Report Post »  
    • Nick84
      Posted on October 6, 2011 at 10:15pm

      Actually, many of the well paying Apple jobs are in America. Also, think of all the Apple stores around the US that employ people. Apple also opened up a new market for App design. There are more jobs than just manufacturing.

      Report Post »  
    • PoliticalJunkieToo
      Posted on October 7, 2011 at 7:54am

      The REAL money for middle class people is in MANUFACTURING those Apple products.

      A “Service Job” selling Apple products behind a counter does NOT pay a living wage.

      I BET even Apple even outsourced its customer “service” low paying jobs overseas. Don’t know for sure but after our manufacturing went, customer service jobs started leaving too. I hung up yesterday on the 800 number for Amazon because a customer service woman from the Philippines customer service rep answered the call. ,

      Report Post »  
    • Oh, God!
      Posted on October 7, 2011 at 8:48am

      His products are designed here and yes, they are built overseas. Yes he voted for Obama and Al Gore is on the board. But, aside from all of that, he is the epitome of American Exceptionalism, a true genius in a field of his own. That is what makes him so great. He is the perfect example of what you can accomplish here with drive and determination.

      He will be missed and Apple will never be the same with him gone.

      Report Post » Oh, God!  
  • sWampy
    Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:06pm

    Sadly most of the things Jobs was said to have created, he took from others like at&t labs, and Next Step to name a few and gave them a small facelift to make them look prettier. His biggest contribution to the world could have been if when he took freebsd, gave it a pretty window manager, called it osx and claimed it as his own, if he had only just sold the software, microsoft would be ancient history now, instead of controlling 90% of the computer market.

    Report Post »  
    • dealer@678
      Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:38pm

      Off topic. I’ ve noticed Fox News are taking EVERYTHING Beck has been saying for the last year or two and taking credit for predicting it. It burns my a$$

      Report Post »  
    • thepoopsmith
      Posted on October 7, 2011 at 1:44am

      actualy he took the GUI from xerox and later the networking. also he founded Next (and apple and pixar for that matter.) Microsoft did in fact take the GUI (taken from xerox) idea from apple (macintosh computers). Steve jobs was the epitome of capitalism and we should celebrate how he changed the way people interact.

      Report Post » thepoopsmith  
  • TRONINTHEMORNING
    Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:06pm

    I enjoy the products Apple makes; I have enjoyed interviewing Steve Wozniak several times, but all in all; I can’t say I have as much emotion invested in the Apple story as many others do. Just hope the Jobs family are hangin’ in there and I highly recommend Apple products.

    Report Post »  
    • sWampy
      Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:10pm

      Their products are all cheap crap made in China, put in pretty cases. Apple is a software company with an identity crisis. Had they stuck with software, they could have owned the desktop/tablet/dvr/phone markets, instead they have 10% of the desktop, 90% of the tablet market and falling like a rock, almost none of the dvr market, 1/3 the phone, and half the dead mp3 player market.

      Report Post »  
  • ReadItToday
    Posted on October 6, 2011 at 9:06pm

    A real innovator. I’m sure he will be missed by many. I thought it was interesting for Sarah Palin to drag out her possibility of running for office and to pick the same day as Steve‘s death to announce she’s not going to run. Is she not interested in the media coverage or something? Has anyone read this story online today
    http://BiggestCoverUp.blogspot.com/

    Report Post »  

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