STAY HUNGRY STAY FOOLISH
Introduction:
Ask anyone what it means a leader to them, each and every time we hear something unique. There are many definitions of a leader, the one close to me was “A Leader is an individual who knows ins and outs of a business so they can empathize with followers. In addition to being a positive influence on the people they are leading, leadership is about setting the tone, motivating, inspiring, thinking big, and never giving up when others feel like quitting.” A leader should be the first employee of his organization who leads his or her team to success behind the scenes. As a leader, one should know how to identify each of their team member’s strongest skills and assets. A leader should not expect each person on the team to excel in every area instead focus on motivating the team to be their best selves. I feel it is a duty of the leader to create a diverse group of people who balance and complement one another in every phase. So it’s the duty of the leader to create an environment which is oriented to trust, open to communication, creative thinking, and cohesive teamwork.
Who is the best leader that you know and what makes him/her so effective? Do you possess any of these qualities?
The best leader I know would undoubtedly be Steve Jobs, he’s a great personality and his life is a great example for many budding entrepreneurs.
Steve Jobs cofounded Apple in his parents’ garage in 1976, was ousted in 1985, returned to rescue Apple from near bankruptcy in 1997, and by the time he died, in October 2011, he has built Apple into the world’s most valuable company. During his time, he has successfully transformed seven industries: personal computing, animated movies(Pixar), music, phones, tablets, retail stores, and digital publishing(iTunes). He thus belongs in the pantheon of America’s greatest innovators. Here are some of the qualities Steve Jobs possessed which would make us much more efficient and effective as leaders.
1. Focus: After his return Steve Jobs rescued Apple from near bankruptcy in 1997, he conducted product review sessions with top employees and suggested them to focus on four great products one in each quadrant and cancel all other products. By just doing this in Apple he saved the company. In his autobiography he stated “Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding that to do.” Which is true for companies and products. Every year Jobs used to take his “top 100” people on a retreat and on the last day he used to ask them to come up with 10things company needs to focus, after much struggle when group comes up with the 10 things he used to slash bottom seven and announce only top 3 would be considered. Such was the focus and commitment he had towards Apple.
2. Simplify: Steve Jobs ability to focus was accompanied by the instinct to simplify things by zeroing in on their essence and eliminating unnecessary components. Apple’s first marketing brochure displayed “Simplicity is the ultim...
