Over the holidays I read “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson. I was curious about the man who had left such a legacy, a man so many people were talking about especially with his recent death, and a man who had left behind such amazing products that I love like the Mac, the iPod, and the iPhone. 

After reading this gripping account of Steve Job’s life I was struck by some of the leadership lessons one could gain by his incredible life:

1. Follow Your Passion - Steve Jobs’ career always followed a trajectory of bringing together technology and creativity. Everything he created that was incredibly genius always came back to those two core strengths and passions. As a leader it is important to focus on what you are truly passionate about as well as what you are the best at which is what Jobs did at this nexus of creativity and technology.

2. Surround Yourself with A Players - Although Steve Jobs was tough on his employees, he always strived to only have the A players on his team. When he was creating the first Mac he constantly was focused on bringing the best talent to the team in order to make the best product. He knew that A players wanted to work with A players and that it would draw more and more talented people to his company.

3.  Focus and Keep it Simple - When Steve Jobs returned to Apple the second time he turned around a company that was struggling. He recognized that a truly successful company has to focus on its top strengths and let everything else go. He cut down on product lines, service offerings, and got back to the simple basics - being best at bringing technology and creativity together. He knew what to say yes to and what to say no and that is a key strength of a leader.

4.  Think Outside the Box - Steve Jobs key strength as a leader was his innovation, ability to think differently, see possibilities that others could not, and encourage those who worked for him to also think outside the box. He would routinely criticize other leaders and companies who were not innovating and he really lived by the theory of living each day as if it were his last. It allowed him to take risks and innovate in a way that created lasting value for so many.

5. Think as an Integrated Whole - instead of structuring his organization into silos he focused on really integrating his divisions of the company to ensure speed, flexibility, and products that were thought through from end to end. This differentiated Apple’s products and services - for example being able to create the iPod and iTunes which worked together so seamlessly.

Steve Jobs left an enduring legacy behind. One that is innovative, creative, forward thinking, and tirelessly perfectionistic. He was a legend in so many ways and this biography does a good job of portraying the man and the legend.

What is innovation and how does it relate to leadership? This is answered in the book “Breaking Away: How Great Leaders Create Innovation that Drives Sustainable Growth - And Why Others Fail” by Jane Stevenson and Bilal Kaafarani. The first section of the book focuses on defining types of innovation and the risk that is involved in each of those levels of innovation.

Breaking Away defines innovation as a product, service, or company that is “unique, valuable and worthy of exchange.” Steve Jobs left a legacy of innovation with his Apple products including the iPod, iPhone, and the iPad changing the markets and categories he worked in and adding much value to his shareholders along the way.

Apple is an example of one of the four types of innovation described in the book. The following section describes these types as well as the risk associated with each one:

Transformation Innovation - “a disruptive breakthrough that changes society.” Examples would include electricity, the internet, and mass produced cars. This of course takes the most risk and often needs an incubation period to create in order to allow for its longer term payback.

 Category Innovation - this is the new application of ideas, products or services rather than a creator of inventions. Examples include Apple’s products. The risk here is an equal mix risk and opportunity as it builds incrementally on current revenue streams.

 Marketplace Innovation - this is building or creating new markets by coming up with unique modifications for products, services, and delivery methods. Examples include environmentally friendly packaging introduced for Sun Chips as well as the social networking marketing program used for the launch of Ford Fiesta. The risk here is fairly controllable as you it’s broadening a customer base instead of creating one.

 Operational Innovation - this is innovation in the “how” of the business to stay efficient, productive, and evolving. Examples include Dell’s building computers to customer specifications and sending them directly to customers. This is the least risky as it is internal innovation, but still can have a big impact.

Overall innovation can be done in many different ways, but the impact is the same - something is created that is different, adds value, and people want to spend money on it.  It is also about progress and moving forward in your business or organization. I believe innovation is a key way to have your organization stand out from others and truly make a difference, just like Steve Jobs did.

Have you created anything valuable in your business or organization? How can you can be more innovative in your day to day work? Which type of innovation has the most opportunities for your business?

Next time I will discuss how leadership impacts innovation.

This is the third book by Seth Godin that I have read and am reviewing. This blog post focuses on the first half of the book. I pick his books because I believe his ideas are thoughtful and take into account current day technology, trends, and ideas. 

Linchpin discusses how to be indispensable. Seth Godin says that to be a linchpin means that you are creating value. By focusing on creating “art” or thinking outside of the normal “shoulds” and “processes” that organizations typically stay within one can create value in a way that is outside the norm. 

This reminds me of the difference between a manager and a leader. A manager stays within the “box” of what currently is and makes it better and more efficient. A leader thinks creatively about what currently is and begins to see possibilities which have never been thought of before. The leaders not only see the possibilities, but actually acts on them. 

Godin says that a Linchpin does the work of “emotional labor” or creating a path when it is not laid out in front of them. He discusses making choices and creating a way when it is not created for you. I also believe this is a true hallmark of a leader as they are consistently taking risks and pushing the envelope by creating new visions and new processes that other people can then follow. It is inherently risky to create a new path than to follow the one that everyone else seems to be taking, but it is so much more fulfilling and worthy of an endeavor.  When you can look back and say I took the risk and it paid off or even when it fails for you then have some lessons learned for the next time that you take a risk!

The third thing that Linchpin discusses is the “resistance factor”. He says that people have the rational mind and the “lizard mind” or the emotional mind which feels fear and anxiety and constantly wants to bring you back to doing things that you are comfortable with. In my mind true leaders feel the resistance and do it anyway. They take the risk. They know that they will fail sometimes, and that not all of their ideas will be brilliant, but they still take chances. For not to do it and stay small takes so much more work. 

So are you willing to stand up and create your own vision and path? Are you willing to feel the resistance and do it regardless? Are you willing to be a linchpin? 

To be a leader can be learned, but it takes implementing some of these lessons step by step. The more you practice these steps the easier they get!