On Steve Jobs as a Leader…
Was Steve Jobs’ Obnoxious Personality Necessary for the Beauty He Brought into Our World?
NOTE: The post by me below was originally published as a reply to the question above from the blog address: http://drbobwright.com/2012/03/03/steve-jobs-transformational-leader/, on March 10th, 2012 . It has been slightly further edited.
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I’ve read Steve Jobs’ authorized biography and mulled over and discussed with others multiple times, the very question Dr. Bob poses below:
“Was Steve Jobs’ obnoxious personality necessary for the beauty he brought into our world?”
I’ve been an Apple girl since the get-go, way back in the “Apple 2e” days and am an avid iPad2 fan today. There’s no way I cannot deeply value and admire Steve Jobs’ determination and vision, nor the stellar level of achievement he attained.
That said, I feel equally as sorry for him. He left in his wake, an incredible toll of human emotional carnage: as a friend, a father, a boss and a husband. He lived life outside of and unaware of the value and strength of committed community. Being tough is okay, even desirable at times, but his rampant lack of respect and concern for others, is both unconscionable and unacceptable to me. I am convinced that his achievements, (as remarkable as they are), would have been far greater had he showed regard for those he worked and dealt with.
Personally, I do not have to like someone to produce well under their leadership, but I do have to respect them. Attempted intimidation antics serve only to ignite my stubbornness – not my cooperation. That Jobs was a genius is not under scrutiny.
I believe it was Jobs’ narcissistic nature that took him down and likely contributed to the deterioration of his health and ultimate premature death. How does a toxic soul not poison the body in which it resides?
I give Jobs tremendous credit for allowing his biographer to tell the truth about him and his life… the successes and the regrets.
I eagerly await the movie version, though I know how the story ends.
© 2012, Savannah Walters / All Rights Reserved
To my readers:
1. At what times in your life did you feel you were living out your highest potential? What factors most positively contributed to this period of achievement?
2. Conversely, were there times in your life when you struggled with circumstances that hindered your potential? What factors played into this situation?
