When talking about Steve Jobs, one immediately thinks of one of the most innovative people globally, however, we must emphasize that his success is not only due to the products he launched on the market, but is also due to his wide and still current influence on technology, business, mentality and organizational culture. Next, we will learn about Steve Jobs’ main rules for achieving success.
Perseverance
Throughout his personal and professional life, Steve Jobs had to face numerous challenges and setbacks, but his perseverance was an important factor in achieving success.
An example of this was when Steve Jobs was fired from Apple in 1985, however, he continued working on other projects, which contributed to his return to Apple in 1997, having the ability to take the company to the top with innovative products such as the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad.
Steve Jobs’ perseverance reminds us that challenges and setbacks are part of any journey we want to take in life, but with perseverance, we can always overcome adversities and obstacles.
Passion
The rule of passion was fundamental in driving Steve Jobs’ success, as he always believed that if you do what you truly love, you would achieve great results, as that passion is the “fuel” needed to feed perseverance and keep moving forward. Therefore, it is important to feel passion and love for what we do.
An example of this was the launch of the iPhone, as Steve Jobs focused on the vision of creating a smartphone with the ability to combine a phone, an iPod, and an Internet-connected terminal all in one device. But his passion for perfection allowed him to delve into every detail of the iPhone, from its design to its functionality. His passion helped keep the team motivated and focused during the development of this groundbreaking device, leading them to develop a device that was not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing.
For this reason, the iPhone in 2007 revolutionized the smartphone industry and even set new and high standards for mobile devices. For example, many current smartphones use different functions of the first iPhone, such as pop-ups and touch keyboards, in addition to the famous “Gorilla Glass”, which is a resistant glass used in current mobile devices.
Innovation
Steve Jobs always had an innovative mindset, which allowed him not only to be successful in creating new products, but also because he was a person who thought differently, he had the ability to influence the technology industry and the way people interacted with technology, thus leaving a legacy that redefined entire companies.
An example of this was the Macintosh computer, which was launched as an “all-in-one” device to make it accessible to the average person. The Macintosh was introduced with a user-friendly interface, innovative design, and a built-in display that utilized visual elements such as icons, windows, and a mouse, which set it apart from other computers available at the time.
Collaboration
The collaborative mindset was an important factor in Steve Jobs’ life, as he understood that it was of utmost importance to work and surround himself with a team of professionals made up of talented and collaborative people, above all to be able to take advantage of the strengths of each specialty.
An example of this was his collaboration with Jonathan Ive, who served as Apple’s chief design officer, with whom he had the same vision of creating products that were not only functional and technologically advanced, but also beautiful and easy to use, which they were able to make a reality in products such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad.
By applying the rule of collaboration, we not only take advantage of the strengths of each member of our work team, but we will also be exposed to different perspectives and ways of thinking, which allows us to achieve innovative results or solutions.
Approach
Focus was one of the rules that allowed Steve Jobs to achieve success, since his level of concentration and focus on only a few projects allowed him to obtain exceptional results.
For example, Steve Jobs’ approach was a key part of the development of the iPod, a device that emerged because Steve Jobs focused on the potential that a portable digital music player with the capacity to store thousands of songs could have. In this way, Steve Jobs focused on solving the problems that MP3 players of that time had: limited storage, poor user interface, and cumbersome designs.
Thanks to Steve Jobs’ focus on a simple and elegant device, the famous “click wheel” and the minimalist design of the iPod were achieved, which was characterized by offering an intuitive and minimalist user experience, allowing users to manage large volumes of songs using Apple’s iTunes software.
In this way, it can be seen how Steve Jobs’ focus on a single objective and executing it with precision was a decisive factor in the success of the iPod. Therefore, by applying the rule of focus, we can reduce the distribution of resources and time on less relevant projects, which will allow us to concentrate on projects that have greater priority or importance.
What do you think about this topic? Do you know any other rules that Steve Jobs uses to achieve success?
If you have any questions or queries, you can write your questions in the comments section.
Image by Tom Coates via Flickr.com under creative commons license.
