Steve Jobs's Career Lessons - Larry Ellison and Edwin Catmull- D10
Summary
TLDRThe transcript discusses Steve Jobs' evolution as a leader, highlighting his initial brutal approach to achieving excellence at Apple. It emphasizes how Jobs' experiences, particularly with the Macintosh project, taught him to balance his genius with compassion and better negotiation skills. The conversation also reflects on the power dynamics between tech founders and their boards, noting how Jobs' ousting from Apple influenced the way modern tech leaders like Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Mark Zuckerberg assert control over their companies.
Takeaways
- π Steve Jobs was known for being brutally honest with his team, pushing them to achieve greatness because of his deep desire for excellence.
- π Despite his harsh approach, Jobs learned to become more compassionate and empathetic over time, which improved his interactions with others.
- π‘ The Macintosh project was a significant learning experience for Jobs, where he demonstrated his leadership and ability to drive a difficult project to completion.
- π Steve Jobs' genius was evident from the beginning, but his interpersonal skills improved as he matured, making him a more effective leader.
- π€ The speaker suggests that Jobs' initial downfall at Apple may have been due to his lack of negotiation skills and his failure to manage the board's expectations.
- πΌ There's a contrast drawn between how Jobs was treated by the Apple board and how modern tech leaders like Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Mark Zuckerberg have more control over their boards.
- π The speaker implies that the tech industry has shifted, with young leaders now having more power to shape their companies' destinies without board interference.
- π€ Jobs' evolution as a leader included learning to balance his genius with the softer skills needed to motivate and inspire his team effectively.
- π The Macintosh was considered superior to Windows, but its success was hindered by Jobs' initial lack of certain skills, which he later acquired.
- π΄ As people age, they tend to become more empathetic, and this was true for Jobs, who became a nicer person over time, making him easier to work with.
- π€ The dismissal of Jobs by Apple is viewed as a significant mistake, highlighting the importance of recognizing and nurturing genius, even when it comes with challenging personality traits.
Q & A
What did Steve Jobs learn from his experiences before returning to Apple?
-Steve Jobs learned lessons about negotiation, clarity, and how to interact with people who were initially stronger than him.
How did Steve Jobs' approach to people change after his return to Apple?
-Steve Jobs became less brutal, more compassionate, and a nicer person to work with, while still maintaining his drive for greatness.
What was the impact of Steve Jobs' leadership on the Macintosh project?
-His leadership, combined with his tough approach, helped deliver the Macintosh, an enormously difficult project, showcasing his genius and determination.
How did Steve Jobs' management style evolve over time?
-He learned to be more empathetic and compassionate, understanding that people did not respond well to feeling like they were failing.
Why did Steve Jobs lose his job at Apple?
-Steve Jobs lost his job because he didn't negotiate well with the board and made himself vulnerable due to his reliance on his own brilliance and contributions.
What was the board's perception of Steve Jobs' behavior during his early years at Apple?
-The board did not like his behavior, as he was not as nice or politic as they would have preferred, which contributed to his dismissal.
How have young tech leaders in Silicon Valley changed their relationship with boards compared to Steve Jobs' time?
-Young tech leaders today, like Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Mark Zuckerberg, have more control over their boards and can fire them if necessary, reflecting a shift in power dynamics.
What mistake did the Apple board make by dismissing Steve Jobs?
-The Apple board made a terrible mistake by dismissing Steve Jobs due to superficial personality characteristics, which almost cost Apple its existence.
How did Steve Jobs' experience at Apple influence the behavior of young tech leaders towards their boards?
-Steve Jobs' dismissal by Apple made young tech leaders more cautious and less trusting of their boards, leading them to assert more control over their companies.
What was the significance of the Macintosh project in Steve Jobs' career?
-The Macintosh project was a testament to Steve Jobs' genius and leadership, even though it predated his learning experiences that made him a better leader.
Why did the interviewee believe that the Macintosh was superior to Windows?
-The interviewee believed the Macintosh was superior due to its innovative design and functionality, which were a result of Steve Jobs' vision and leadership.
Outlines
π Steve Jobs' Learning and Leadership at Apple
The first paragraph discusses Steve Jobs' evolution as a leader, particularly his return to Apple and the lessons he learned about negotiation, clarity, and interaction with people. It mentions his initial brutal approach to work, driven by a desire for greatness, and how he became more compassionate and empathetic over time. The speaker also reflects on Jobs' genius and how his improved interpersonal skills allowed him to take a superior product and propel it forward. There's a debate about whether Jobs' learning occurred before or after the Macintosh project and the impact of his personality on his relationship with the Apple board, which ultimately led to his dismissal.
π€ Trust Issues Between Tech Leaders and Boards
The second paragraph delves into the trust issues between tech leaders like Zuckerberg and Page and their respective boards. It contrasts the power dynamics of today's tech founders, who can dismiss their boards if they wish, with the situation Steve Jobs faced when he was ousted by the Apple board. The speaker suggests that Jobs' dismissal was a grave mistake and reflects on how it has influenced the current generation of tech leaders to maintain control over their companies, avoiding a similar fate.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Negotiation
π‘Clarity
π‘Interaction
π‘Macintosh
π‘Leadership
π‘Compassion
π‘Empathetic
π‘Genius
π‘Brutality
π‘Silicon Valley
π‘Board of Directors
Highlights
Steve Jobs learned valuable lessons about negotiation, clarity, and interacting with people by the time he returned to Apple.
The Macintosh project predated Jobs' learning experiences and was fundamental to his leadership style.
Jobs became less brutal to his colleagues over time, showing more compassion and empathy as he aged.
Jobs' genius was evident from the beginning, but he also developed his leadership and people skills.
The Macintosh was superior to Windows, but its success was hindered by Jobs' lack of negotiation skills and board relations.
Jobs' confidence in his abilities and contributions to Apple led to a strained relationship with the board.
Today's young tech leaders, like Larry Page and Sergey Brin, have more control over their boards than Jobs did.
The Apple board's decision to dismiss Jobs was a significant mistake that almost cost the company its existence.
Jobs' personality and communication style with the board contributed to his dismissal from Apple.
Jobs' experience at Apple influenced the way modern tech leaders approach board relations and control.
The comparison between Jobs and the CEO who replaced him, with a background in flavored water, highlights the absurdity of the board's decision.
Jobs' genius and leadership were apparent from a young age, setting him apart as an extraordinary individual.
The distrust between tech leaders and their boards today can be traced back to Jobs' experience at Apple.
The board's power dynamics have shifted, with leaders like Mark Zuckerberg having the ability to fire their boards if necessary.
Jobs' story serves as a cautionary tale for tech leaders to balance their genius with effective board relations.
The transcript emphasizes the importance of personal growth and adaptability in leadership roles.
Transcripts
that the whole point is he learned from
those things by the time he came back to
Apple he had learned enough lessons
about negotiation about clarity about
about how to interact with people that
were stronger than they were initially
do you agree with him
no the I think I think the Macintosh
predated the learning what was to me
fundamental and did he learn that he
become less less brutal to people he
worked with absolutely because I've seen
Steve be brutal and Steve was brutal
because he desperately wanted to be
great he wanted Apple to be great he
wanted product to be great and he wanted
you to be great and if you weren't doing
your best work he was upset he was angry
he was you know because we had if we do
this right we can build something that's
so great we can't screw this up
and you saw him take the Macintosh and
finish the Macintosh we've moved before
that the Apple too but then the actual
delivery the Macintosh which was an
enormous ly difficult project that he
got through by a combination of his
leadership which was very again he was a
young man is a very young guy and he was
tough on the on the people on the people
around him he learned he tempered that
he understood that people did not enjoy
[Music]
being um made to feel like they were
they were they were failing you know
that they weren't doing a good enough
job people did don't like that people
like them to work to understand I'm not
doing a good job that they didn't find
that in they didn't find that
inspirational and he learned he was more
compassionate and he was a nicer person
and as we all get older I think we all
you know learn to be a little more
empathetic but I think the essentials of
his genius I think I think that was
finishing school and it's very important
as human beings because what you know
you know that was a much nicer Steve to
deal with on a daily basis but the
essentials of his genius was was there
from the very big
well I would agree with that but I think
the Macintosh which was so clearly far
superior to what Windows was didn't win
because those other elements weren't
there
and when I say Steve learned because he
had that genius I agree there but he
learned those other skills so by the
time he got back to Apple he was able to
take the superior product and basically
blow it forward because he was no longer
weak in those other areas yeah no I
think I think he lost his job probably
because he didn't negotiate with the
board well enough I mean so so III agree
that he made himself vulnerable because
he relied so much on what he did and how
brilliantly he did it that he expected
the Apple board to recognize that that
he was confident
you know that Apple had more need of him
than he had need of Apple kind of kind
of thing which quote Napoleon said about
France the the but at the Apple board
didn't like the way he behaved now look
at the young geniuses in Silicon Valley
right now if they don't like their
boards they fire their boards Larry Page
and Sergey Brin if they don't like the
board get it get rid of them if Mark
Zuckerberg doesn't like his board get
rid of him you know to some degree I
think that's a result of what Apple did
to Steve as a young man the Apple board
made a terrible mistake because of his
if you will super some superficial
personality characteristics he wasn't he
wasn't as nice to the board members
perhaps as they would've he wasn't as
politic I didn't learn you know to just
smooth out those rough edges and that
cost him his job and almost cost Apple
as existence when they uh when they got
rid of him so he yeah so he got he got
he got better at that but but no I'm to
me I mean from a bit from a very young
man this is this is this was an
extraordinary guy and you could see it
from the very beginning so is the if you
you were just talking about some of the
younger
major leaders but still young in the
valley and they don't they don't trust
their boards anymore they don't trust
it's very interesting if the Board of
Directors can fire a Steve Jobs it is it
is interesting I mean I you know Larry
Page and Sergey Brin have control of
Google they can fire the board the board
can't fire them Mark Zuckerberg has
control of Facebook they can fire the
board the board can't fire them I think
this is know this is you know the Steve
Jobs Apple dismissing Steve Jobs in
favor of a guy whose only track record
was flavored water was such an
incredible mistake why should they trust
these these you know these guys
why should Zuckerberg and page to trust
his best
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