It’s been a hectic start to what is fast becoming a year of significant occurrences. From Trump’s policy somersaults to Tony Blair’s advocacy for a rethink of the rested Brexit these times bring back memories of another continent altogether…and trust me I have seen a few.
I recently returned to my Toronto desk from a tour of 8 States in Nigeria. I could not help but wonder what has really changed in the land of the Giants, outside the regular rhetorics of unfulfilled promises in the midst of plenty. As some pundits would have me believe, the much-awaited change will appear in good time. However, die-hard optimists, like us, remember that time wastes away those who waste time…. The leadership moment prompts true leaders to act decisively to benefit others at the most inopportune time.
In The Leadership Moment 1, I cited great leaders including Lyndon Johnson, who defined the leadership moment by taking the “Nothing and Thankless” job (without the comfort of any resource or establishment) and eventually fulfilled his purpose. In this series, my learnings from Walter Isaacson’s bio on Steve Jobs should make an interesting read.
Steve Jobs
Isaacson depicts Steve Jobs as an exemplary Leader. His personal examples, accomplishments, and testimonials continue to draw applause across vertical industry segments. How did Jobs achieve the outstanding feats of his time? What defined Jobs moments as a Leader?
Isaacson describes Steve Jobs as a visionary leader who cofounded Apple, a company that has become one of the most amazingly successful firms in the world. Forbes declares that 14 of the 25 largest tech companies in the world hail from the U.S., including seven of the top 10- it ranked Apple AAPL +0.04% as the 1st. He drove his team very hard and shook up the status quo. For those in close proximity to him, life was not the most pleasant. Unlike most leaders, he asked for more than he could give because he understood his deficiencies and gaps. He understood the power of diversity and maximized it to the hilt. He constantly affirmed that neither adversity nor the sky could limit his dreams, so he surrounded himself with the best and made the best out of bad cases. He demanded, coveted, and consolidated ideas from both the great and simple. At the end, he created and innovated the best products in the history of technology and mobile telephony. His legacy at Apple lives on today……