Ever since I have finished reading the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, I failed to understand what made Steve Jobs such a great leader. In fact, he was the smack opposite of what a leader is defined to be in traditional terms.
Then all of a sudden Jobs came by and started a whole new facet of leadership. Suddenly, being an asshole was a cool thing. This idea was so conflicting to my mind that has been taught that leadership is all about being generous, inspiring, considerate, supportive and appreciative.
So imagine my surprise bumping into this article in Harvard Business Review about what made Steve Jobs style of leadership palpable. It sort of made sense to me having read through this article...
Why would you listen to someone who was a jerk?
- Because they had built a wealth of credibility about them and their decisions. Who would you listen to if you wanted know about the future of technology? Steve Jobs or your mom?
- Because they were sort of like, say, those personal trainers at gyms. Yes, you hate them for pushing you through pain, but you know you are going to get great benefits out of this misery.
- Because they had a sense of higher purpose in life. How many leaders have you met, who knew what their purpose was in life? Wouldn't that be the most inspiring moment/revelation for you?
Having said that, I don't mean to propose you should start being a jerk to people. Please, no :-)
This is what I really think - Steve Jobs was paranoid. He was paranoid about things that mattered to him. I think everything else just followed due to the nature of the three qualities he exhibited. I am not sure if there is a right or wrong way to lead people. Apparently, this worked for him.
And really, end of the day, you want to see yourself happy more than anything (That's probably what Jobs did too) If you don't agree to that, you are lying :-)
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