Fast Company Co-Founder Has it Right: Steve’s Not a Role Model
10:34 pm, July 1st, 2009, Pete Mortensen
Fast Company co-founder Bill Taylor has sparked a bit of a controversy on his Harvard Business Review blog by suggesting the heretical idea that — shock! — Steve Jobs might not be the best role model for other business leaders.
Apparently, it’s deeply offensive to suggest that what makes Steve great are the exact qualities that typically make for bad management at most companies. He micro-manages every aspect of Apple, has been known to fire people with minimal cause, and perennially runs the risk of out-shining his company — which is particularly problematic when his health problems continue to cast into doubt his long-term prospects as CEO.
Foto: Markus Aarstad/www.ps.no
What Taylor is pointing out should be self-evident: Steve is a once-in-a-generation genius, and the reason he can break all of the rules is because he’s an extraordinary individual. If you want to compete with him and be great yourself, the worst possible thing you can do is try to act like him. Think about it: the most embarrassing moments other CEOs have is when they attempt to force the charisma, charm, and chutzpah Steve brings to bear in his keynotes. Whenever Bill Gates tries to act cool, you can practically smell the flop-sweat on him.
The most important question is not, “How do we become more like Steve Jobs?” The best question is, “How do we become the best version of our own company?” That might mean the kind of leadership Taylor espouses in the rest of his column, or it might mean something else. It definitely doesn’t mean replacing your wardrobe with black turtlenecks, blue jeans, and New Balance sneakers. Even when Apple eventually has to replace Steve as CEO, whether in five or, with the assistance of cybernetics, 50 years, the best thing the board of directors could do is look for someone who is nothing like Steve. You’ll never top him in a million years if you play his game, but you might do something awesome on your own terms if you figure out what makes you great.
Note to Silicon Alley Insider: Bill Taylor’s giving Steve wannabes an F — not Steve himself. There’s plenty to admire about him, little to imitate.
Practically Radical blog via Silicon Alley Insider
Posted by Pete Mortensen in News | Comment on this article
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applestories's status on Thursday, 02-Jul-09 05:35:10 UTC - Identi.ca, on July 1st, 2009 at 10:35 pm
“the reason he can break all of the rules is because he’s an extraordinary individual.” – That’s why we all want to be like him. How many of us want to be ordinary or just follow the rules?
Khürt Williams, on July 2nd, 2009 at 3:50 am
Bill Taylor, and you are both absolutely correct. Apple makes amazingly sexy devices, I’m a customer, but their philosophy, and their CEO only works for them, and in fact many of the principles they use, I would normally tell people to not just stay away from, but to RUN from. It’s amazing it works over there, but it does.
Aaron Houssian, on July 2nd, 2009 at 5:38 am
Agreed, that Steve’s management style is outdated by todays standards and what is currently being taught in business schools…….
However, one has to stop to think if that style is all bad when looking at the way company’s are functioning these days in the hands of MBA’s………
Ron Koch, on July 2nd, 2009 at 10:42 am
Absolutely, brilliant post! I never thought I would see something like this on a blog devoted to Apple, no less one with Cult in the name, but this post is very empowering and I like it. I’ve always wanted to be like Steve, but early on I realized that Steve succeeds because he is true to himself, and the best way to be like him is to do what he does: be true to yourself.
Paradoxically that means the way to be like him is to be different from him. Remember: don’t live in other people’s shadows, true growth cannot occur in the shade.
Austin, on July 2nd, 2009 at 12:53 pm
[...] Pete Mortensen (at Cult of Mac) posted “Fast Company Co-Founder Has it Right: Steve’s Not a Role Model.” He generally praised Bill’s take on Steve: Apparently, it’s deeply offensive to [...]
It’s Not the Myth, But the Fight Over the Man « Joe Wilcox, on July 2nd, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Guys….
Just think about what we’d end up using by now…without Apple& Jobs!
Forget about textbook MBA shit… Peoples like him(Jobs) are just born that way, intolerant to so call boring “status quo” culture.
And don’t worry about such persons negative? influences within the business communities……because thay are “RARE” but……..genuine innovator!
SD, on July 2nd, 2009 at 6:38 pm
“Fired for minimal cause” ….
There’s no such thing as “minimal cause” — a cockup’s a cockup.
Are you saying he fired some people because they were late a few times?
I doubt that.
CaryMG, on July 6th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Well, he has fired people who presented product ideas he didn’t understand, or who acted awkwardly on the elevator with him.
Pete Mortensen, on July 6th, 2009 at 11:31 am
[...] Pete Mortensen (at Cult of Mac) posted “Fast Company Co-Founder Has it Right: Steve’s Not a Role Model.” He generally praised Bill’s take on Steve: Apparently, it’s deeply offensive to [...]
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