We Could All Learn From Steve Jobs’ Example [Opinion from a Cancer Survivor]

Graham Bower (11:52 pm PDT, Feb 19 2011)

Steve Jobs

For people like me, and the other 28 million living with cancer, people like Steve Jobs are incredible role models. When I was undergoing chemotherapy three years ago, I was often tempted to think “why me?” But then I asked myself, “Why Steve Jobs? Why Lance Armstrong?” And I reflected on the remarkable things that they went on to achieve after their treatment. Their inspirational example helped me more than I can say.

Steve Jobs chooses not to talk about his cancer. He prefers to focus on his work. We should respect his choice.

When someone is not well, the last thing they need is a lot of people making a fuss about it. And if someone chooses to keep their health matters to themselves, their wishes should be respected. No one has a right to know about anyone else’s medical condition.

Discussing someone’s health status in public, and speculating about their prognosis is disrespectful, and unnecessarily negative.

When I got sick and underwent chemo, I was fortunate in that I was able to continue my day job, managing a small business. What made this possible for me was the strength, positive thinking and encouragement of my family, friends and colleagues around me, who were open-minded enough to focus on what I could do, rather than on what I could not.

None of us are immune from occasional sickness. One in six people globally will be diagnosed with cancer at some stage in their life. (One in three in the US.) All of us need to be given the space to get well, in our own way, and with the help of qualified medical professionals.

If you know someone who is living with cancer, the best way to help them is to focus on the positives, give them the space to tell you as much or as little as they choose, and be open minded about what they are able to achieve.

2011 promises to be another amazing year for Apple. Let’s focus on that and and leave the oncology to the professionals.

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27 comments »

  • david

    i can’t even think about this topic. it’s just way too soon!

    • MG

      Then you didn’t understand what the topic is about

  • Tommy T.

    Well written, couldn’t agree more. Frankly speaking, there just too many news articles written about him. Cut him some slack.

    • S.

      Tumbleweed is that you?

  • Mike

    That’s a very good piece and perhaps Cult of Mac could take heed and stop reporting on the rumours about Jobs health as there’s something very distasteful about it in my opinion. Unless Jobs or Apple choose to make a statement, I don’t think there’s any place for stories like the one you ran earlier in the week. Its Jobs life and if we’re all such big fans of him and his company, we should respect his wish for privacy.

    • Alfred

      I second this.

  • Stefen

    Well said!

  • http://N/A Luke Ivie

    I completely agree with this article, it’s really well written and I wish Steve Jobs the absolute best health and I honestly think I might cry if he loses the battle to cancer. He is such an inspiration to me, :)

  • me

    excellent post, thanks!

  • http://warmtape.co.nr Mitch Costa

    i just wish the best for you and Steve. Hope both live a long, healthy life.

  • nak

    I respectfully disagree. Mr. Jobs is the CEO of a very valuable company. I believe he owes the people who have chosen to invest their money in his company some information. Jobs has made himself a very visible part of Apple, and much of Apple’s success is attributed to Jobs personally.

    I think a lot less would be written about Jobs health had he given a modicum of information. In fact, it’s his insistence on secrecy that brings about the speculation and pieces such as your “leave Steve alone!” Rumours and speculation are distasteful, no doubt. And Jobs himself could put most of that to an end with a brief explanation of his condition.

    Jobs does not need to talk about his wife, his kids, his doctor’s dog or what he’s having for dinner. But he does need to talk about his health and how it effects his ability to do his job now, and in the future. There are people who are important to the public, and Jobs happens to be one of them — at least President Obama seems to think so.

    But consider this… Jobs has not said that he has cancer. You are speculating based on his previous leave. You’re doing what you’re asking others not to do — speculate about and discuss Jobs’ health.

    I think it is absolutely wonderful that you’ve survived your bout with cancer. I wish everyone had the same success and strength that you do. I hope that should anyone in your family or any of your friends were stricken with cancer that your ability to overcome it provides them with strength and hope.

    • http://www.macpredictions.com Graham Bower

      Thanks for the feedback Nak. There are a couple of points you raised that I wanted to respond on.

      Firstly, it’s surely up to Jobs what he chooses to tell Apple’s shareholders about his personal health. Equally, it is up to Apple’s shareholders to decide whether they are comfortable with this, and whether Apple still represents a good investment, considering the available information about the nature of his medical leave. They could always sell their shares or move for a dismissal of Jobs, if they seriously think that this is in their best interests. I suspect any rational shareholder is going to stick with Jobs! There’s no doubting his record.

      Secondly, I didn’t speculate about Steve Jobs’ current medical condition in this post. I just said that he was an inspiration to me. The fact that he has been treated for cancer in the past is not speculation.

      • akri

        WEll said and I totally agree with you. I also admire YOU for what you’re going through and wish you a speedy recovery as well. God’s speed to you.

        :)

    • MarkByrn

      Nak, your point would be valid if Jobs hadn’t taken indefinite medical leave and his performance as CEO was in question due to his health. He gave Apple more than sufficient information by turning over operations to Tim Cook and going on indefinite medical leave. The ball is in Apple’s court now.

    • Charli

      The law only requires a CEO to say when he can’t do his job and who is going to do it. Not that the person give every gory detail of what is going on.

      Besides which, Jobs might not know. Clearly he is tired, perhaps his hormones are out of whack again and he needed to slow down and not try to do everything for 16 hours a day 7days a week. Let that handpicked team carry the load since that is part of their job. Meanwhile, he’ll get some rest, add a couple of extra tests to his regular physicals and see what comes up. Perhaps his cancer is back, perhaps his liver is being rejected, perhaps he has developed an allergy to gluten. But making speculative comments about what is wrong is determental to the company, just like when the blogs speculative a coupl of years back. So Jobs isn’t going to do it and the laws back that up.

      And if it turns out that yes Jobs is dying, that should be time for him and his family. Apple will carry on without him. Tech is not an overnight thing. What we are seeing now started 5-10 years ago and they are starting the next 5-10 years as we ‘speak’. Plus if anyone has drunk the Apple Koolaid, it is Cook, Ive, Johnson, Schiller etc.

    • rodz

      nak – the only time anyone’s personal medical issues are relevant to shareholders is when they have a psychological issue or possibly dementia. Jobs decision making ability and opinion (which I am sure is still in consultation) even when on medical leave is still of more value than 99.99% or all other CEO’s. I don’t see it as affecting his job. His value is in his brain not his time spent in the office.

      It also seems that he has injected a culture and built a team that even if his leave is longer than expected can see his vision continued.

      Your opinion is not relevant.

  • Kine

    Nice post!! ;)

  • http://mactothefuture.blogspot.com/ MacToTheFuture

    Wonderful article Graham. I was just heartened to see Steve at a function, and still working, and not giving in to any negativity. If nothing else, he has inspired us with his determination to live each day to the fullest. Godspeed his recovery.

  • Murtaza

    I really like your post and i would advice you to eat apricott seeds.
    More over I don’t understand this CEO hoopla i mean come on man he has done so much for every one and he can’t even take a brake for himself. Mr Jobs is a human for God’s sake not Gautama buddha or someone.

  • David

    I recently had a scare with what turned out to be a benign tumor in my salivary gland. I thought about Roger Ebert who ended up eventually losing his lower jaw and his voice to cancer. Lance, Steve, and Roger are very inspirational. Especially Roger who still can be seen out occasionally at Hollywood events. His only concession to his disease is to wear a scarf to hide his mouth. They all have persevered and made incredible contributions to the world. Roger has been very influential in working with software companies in developing communication applications for the Mac platform that use old recordings of his actual voice.

    I lucked out and did not have cancer. I hope my contributions to the world will be a small fraction what these three men have done as well as the thousands unknown people have done since being diagnosed with cancer.

    I have a friend who is a breast cancer survivor who really lights up the room when she is around, thank god she survived. Her advice and voice of reason helped me get thru my issues.

  • Jim

    I have had a substantial investment in Apple since just before Jobs returned, and still retain a good portion. It has been without a doubt a great investment and will likely continue to be.

    Any CEO older than 50 (or even younger) can drop dead from a heart attack without any notice. Automobiles also have a tendency to get into accidents which take lives. I myself have had an incurable cancer for the last five years, but have watched an otherwise healthy friend die during a minor medical procedure, as well as others who were presumed healthy meet an untimely demise.

    Anyone who doesn’t want to own Apple stock under the terms Jobs has chosen for his health disclosure, needs to sell theirs and go buy Microsoft or Dell. Let me know how that works out for you!

  • Lynda

    Thanks for this. I know someone that died of pancreatic cancer just months after the doctor’s prognosis. They did though not tell some people and it was a bit awkward to tell people that asked how she was that she was dead but I know that if I were terminally ill, I would not care about stockholders. But if I were a stockholder, I’d be taking out my stocks soon.

  • pog

    well written!

  • iRikal

    I couldn’t agree more with the above text.

    I think that whatever happens to M. Jobs is none of our business. I’ll admit that i DO want to know how he is doing but it really isn’t any of my business.

    I will tell him this, if he reads it…

    Steve, I personally want to thank you for ALL you have done for Apple. No matter what, you have showed some of us (and still do today) that perseverance (borderline obstination) can lead to success. All you need to do is believe in yourself and surround yourself with people of like mind.

    Get well soon Steve.

    -JS aka iRikal

  • akri

    It’s true it’s not our business about Steve’s health if he doesn’t want it to be. I hope he’s winning the fight against whatever is ailing him at the moment, not only for his sake but Apple’s as well. While he does have what seems to be an excellent team working there, like Tim Cook, who’s more than capable of carrying on (God forbid) if something bad happens to Steve, they don’t have his vision and his innate (not sure on spelling..sorry) ability to make products that people will actually want to buy even if they don’t need them and even if they’re expensive. Most people can’t afford every Apple product..myself included..but I have 4 of them..Why? because it’s Apple and they’re like noone else when it comes to not only designing but making products that actually work and they’re worth not eating for a month..lol..I exaggerate..but you get my drift.. Steve Jobs is a visionary unlike any we’ve seen or ever will again and I hope he lives to be 100.

  • lyn

    My father the most important man in my life was diagnosed with the same type of pancreatic cancer that Steve Jobs was diagnosed with. My father was given a death sentence and outright told that he had only one option and that was too die. So when a public figure who makes a disgusting amount of money is miraculously still alive in 2011 when he was diagnosed in 2004 you bet your ass I’m gonna make it my business. It’s no secret that money buys you many benefits in life but when it comes to life and death that’s when it becomes personal. It’s pretty evident within this country that there’s one vital factor that outweighs any law, or any constitutional right and that’s money. When it comes to the justice system the scales of Justice are severely off balance, the poor are convicted and the rich are vindicated. The medical system is sadly no different. As much as I appreciate your inspirational message I don’t owe Steve Jobs any type of respect or sympathy nor does anyone else. In fact the thought of him makes me sick. My father could be alive today just like him if he had money to throw around, not to mention the endless list of recipients waiting for years to be blessed with a liver transplant that Steve Jobs passed by. The amount of children on that list are struggling to survive with parents who would give anything to receive a miracle. Years they wait and suddenly the CEO of Apple gets sick and whatever treatment there is in existence is at his disposal. Give me a break. The last thing the public should do is mind their business or respect Steve Jobs as a role model. That’s the problem with our society today is we turn the cheek and let this shit happen,

  • Richardgwright

    Well said

About the author

grahambower

Graham Bower is a digital strategist, writer and fitness fanatic. An Apple-obsessive for over 20 years, Graham's company, Polymath, uses Macs to create ad campaigns for the likes of Nickelodeon, Starbucks and The Economist. Graham is the geek behind MacPredictions, a blog with an uncanny track record for anticipating what Apple will do next. Follow Graham on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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