Steve Jobs inspires strong feelings; some see him as a semi-God visionary, while others criticise his harsh management style. But whether you’re a fan or not, there’s no denying that the man was a bold thinker. With yet another Steve Jobs film hitting cinemas, we’ve gathered some of his best career lessons.
Love what you do
Steve Jobs was successful because he worked hard, and he worked hard because he loved his work.
He said: ‘It [what you choose to do] has got to be something that you’re passionate about because otherwise you won’t have the perseverance to see it through. You’ve got to find what you love… 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 do great work is to love what you do.’
Give it time
Steve Jobs was a child when he started working with computers and attending lectures given by HP. By the time he co-founded Apple at 21, he had already worked for HP and Atari.
He said:
‘If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.’ – Steve Jobs https://t.co/19mckyKhCb
— La Trobe University (@latrobe) October 25, 2015
Surround yourself with the best
Jobs surrounded himself with other talented people like Steve Wozniak, Tim Cook and John Lasseter. He always expected the best from them, hence his reputation for being extremely demanding. He said:
‘A players hire A players.’ – Steve Jobs https://t.co/abOWnvQHWv
— La Trobe University (@latrobe) October 26, 2015
Design is key
His love for simplicity and great design turned Apple products into icons.
He said: ‘Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.’
Push for more
Jobs was hungry. He never rested on his laurels and always tried new ideas. He brought us game-changing products like the iMac, the IPod and the IPhone.
He said: ‘I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.’
Over-prepare
Steve Jobs spent months and months preparing and obsessing over his keynotes. He’d tweak every detail, from the metaphors he used to the colour of the lighting. He said:
‘Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.’ – Steve Jobs https://t.co/qcn2hY4xC5 — La Trobe University (@latrobe) October 26, 2015
Learn from your failures
Despite his success, Jobs also faced failure more than once. From unsuccessful products like the Apple game console to being publicly fired from Apple, he learnt from his mistakes and became greater because of them.
He said: ‘The greatest artists like Dylan, Picasso and Newton risked failure. And if we want to be great, we’ve got to risk it too.’
At La Trobe, we’re bold thinkers. Our researchers make a real-world impact by giving hope to cancer sufferers and to patients who can’t afford medications. Learn more about our research here.
Feature image source: Matthew Yohe, Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
