#31 What We Can Learn from Steve Jobs

As we all know, Steve Jobs changed our lives forever with his Mac, I-phone and other I-devices.  But what many may not know is his philosophy on how to run a business.  When the company Apple was created,  it was set up in a non-corporate style without a top down management style.   

In a 1996 interview with NPR's Terry Gross,  he stated that Apple "hired truly great people and gave them the room to do great work."  Because employees were not told what to do (as is more typical in the corporate world), Apple created a corporate culture that was "much more collegial than hierarchical."  This culture brought a "liberal arts perspective" to the organization.  That was because he wanted  to bring "a liberal arts audience to...geeky technology."  He wanted everyone at Apple, regardless of level, to participate.  Steve Jobs felt that computing should be designed for everyone and everyone could and should be able master the computer, not just "5 percent of the population."  It was this philosophy that allowed for bringing "beautiful photographs, or pictures or artwork, to people to help them communicate."  And so he did.

He also shared more of his philosophy at a commencement speech at Stanford University in 2006.  Jobs readily admitted that he had never graduated from college, but he had a passion for learning and creating.  He further explained that he had dropped out of college but took a calligraphy class instead.  That class proved to be serendipitous, as what he had learned 10 years earlier led to the "beautiful topography" that was built into the Mac.  His advice was to trust yourself -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.  Even if you do not know exactly where you are going in life, trusting in yourself will eventually get you there.

Jobs further counseled everyone to find what they love.  He stated, "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.  And the only way to go great work is to love what you do."  Additionally he talked of death so he counseled students not to "waste time living someone else's life."   He cautioned, to not be "trapped by dogma-- which is living with the results of other people's thinking.  Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.  And most important have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."

He concluded his speech with the words printed on the last issue of The Whole Earth Catalog (a sort of hippie bible of the 1960's).  On the last page of the Catalog was a picture of a back country road --  peaceful yet implying perhaps a great adventure ahead -- under the picture were the words -- Stay Hungry.  Stay Foolish.

Too bad our governmental institutions don't take those words to heart -- encouraging employees to always be alive to the possibilities and the creativity of the collective minds that they have assembled.  Even though it is not encouraged at work, I encourage you in all walks of your life to Stay Hungry.  Stay Foolish.  It's a pretty darn good philosophy -- and it makes you feel pretty darn good too.