It required something counterinstinctual from Jobs: the putting of old enmities aside.
Steve Jobs has a quality that can be both a strength and weakness. His demand for what he wants has resulted in extraordinary product results, but as it applies to cooperation with other companies, he has had to change a lot over the years to extend the Apple (AAPL) brand. This is more important to the growth and success of the company than most people know.
A couple examples are his eventual working together with Bill Gates and Microsoft (MSFT), and also before that he had made demands of Andy Grove who was CEO of Intel (INTC) at the time, which were rejected. It took years to work out the ensuing bitter relationship. It cost both companies a lot.
What's important is that Jobs understood this was not only a problem for him, but a problem for Apple. His personal weakness in this area cost them a lot of success, time and money. It's doubtful the iPod and the iTunes music service would have been successful if he hadn't dealt with these personal issues which were affecting so many others.
Last year when he was interviewed alongside Bill Gates, he acknowledged one of the things he lacked for a long time was the ability of Gates to form working partnerships. Who knows where Apple would be now if it had been taken care of earlier?
But really, that doesn't matter. That Jobs honestly looked at it and took steps to deal with is what matters in the end.
We also need to look at ourselves and see if things within us are holding our businesses back. If Steve Jobs had things like this within him, we can be sure there are things in us that need to be adjusted and dropped as well.
Even though we live in a highly competitive business market and climate, it doesn't negate the need to make alliances and work together; even if it's on temporary projects.
Sometimes we have to go against our instincts in order to get what we want. Steve Jobs learned it and has flourished even more than he ever had before.
At the same time, we don't drop our purpose, values or culture to do this. That could destroy the company. We're talking personality traits here like unforgiveness and holding a grudge that could hold back going forward. Those are the things that can be counterinstinctual. Those are the things we need to be willing to drop and change.
Knowing how passionate Steve Jobs is about things, if he can do it, so can we. And we should.
Other Steve Jobs Resources:
You've got to find what you love
Steve Jobs, Business Personality
Steve Jobs' Greatest Presentation
Remember to Sign up for my feed!
Sponsored link: The outsourcing every manager requires - Tampa Locksmith
Comment Preview