"...our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out."
Steve Jobs was referring to John Sculley, the CEO of Apple (AAPL) he had recruited from Pepsi (PEP).
One thing we must do when considering leaders in a company, is to be sure they have the same vision of the future we have. The disastrous falling out between Steve Jobs and Sculley came about from that very failure. It ended with Jobs being cast out of the very company he co-founded.
The vision and purpose of a company must be so clear, focused, simple and non-negotiable, that anybody that would consider being part of the leadership would know right up front if they would fit in or not.
The other side of it is those looking to hire must also make sure we understand the traits that would make up someone that would thrive in our business culture.
Unfortunately there are many people who secretly think they're going to change the purpose of a company, if they quietly accept on the outside what is expected of them.
This is one major reason why most the time it is essential to hire from the inside rather than outside the company. Hiring from the inside will make it relatively sure that what we see is what we get. Working in a company over a period of time will usually filter out those able to lead and those that can't, and whether they go along and believe in the purpose of the company.
There are of course occasional times when we must go outside the company based simply on skills that don't exist in the company, and must make decisions based on interviews. That's a good reason to interview someone many times before making a decision. I'm aware of a number of companies that won't hire unless they interview a potential candidate at least ten times; some companies even do it more than that.
At minimum, we need to do this with anybody in leadership, but some companies do it with anybody they hire. We can't allow whatever needs we have determine or change how we do this process. The short-term gains will be nullified over the long-term pain if we're wrong.
The key element, above all others, is that the future we envision must be the same, or as near to the same as possible, if we want things to work out over a long period of time.
Other Steve Jobs Resources:
You've got to find what you love
Steve Jobs, Business Personality
Steve Jobs' Greatest Presentation
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