Doug Cartland's Four-Minute Leadership Advisory
Doug Cartland, Inc.10/11/2011

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Steve Jobs died last week.

 

The pancreatic cancer that first reared its ugly head eight years ago finally got him at age fifty-six. Death is no respecter of persons, cancer is not delicate and his six billion dollars is left for someone else to spend.

 

The money doesn't matter, nor Apple, Mac or Pixar. One day they'll all be gone too and that's really okay. The real value that one leaves behind has little to do with the kingdoms he or she builds. The lasting value is in the how.

 

Jobs' contribution is not so much in the revolution to our lifestyle brought on by the innovative products his companies rolled out again and again. It's also not so much seen in his brilliant branding, marketing or astonishing profits. Those are all by-products.

 

Nope, I think his greatest contribution is found in this: "Apple doesn't make four billion semiconductors." Jobs once said, "Apple is only its ideas - which is only its people."

 

Steve Jobs had faults like all of us. They say he could be at times petulant, impatient, overly demanding and egotistical. I'm sure all of that is probably true.

 

But he understood the value of people. He hired great people, expected a lot of them, held them accountable and established a culture in which they could think freely, risk and fail. This culture produced a thirty-five year creativity comet carrying unmatched innovation and technological breakthroughs in its zeal.

 

Jobs' success was driven by the value he put in people and the ability to harness their creative powers. He wanted them to be themselves and think for themselves. He wanted them to locate what they really thought and share it. But one had to be ready, because he'd be honest back.

 

He wanted the brilliance that comes from honesty and the creativity that comes from sharpening.

 

This "be true to yourself" mantra was the key to his personal success and the success of his companies. His companies were run by people who were encouraged to live the same way. He expected greatness and established a culture in which people could rise to it.

 

He summed up his life's philosophy in a commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005: "Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life," he said. "Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the sound of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.

 

"And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."

 

The dynamic and effusive energy that these words produce, elevated a life and, in turn, an entire movement. It's pure magic.

 

Jobs ended the address by quoting an old periodical from the late 1960's. On its last publication date, in its very last issue, on the very last page, in the very last advice it would ever give it said, "Stay hungry, stay foolish."

 

If you learn anything from Jobs, learn that...and allow your people the same privilege.
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Doug

 

Doug Cartland, President
Doug Cartland, Inc.

 

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