Richard Branson once tweeted, “Steve Jobs’ leadership style was autocratic; he had a meticulous eye for detail and surrounded himself with like-minded people to follow his lead. His creative awareness and his meticulous eye for detail were clearly a driving force in Apple’s success”.
From small business owners to the CEOs of large corporations, we can all learn valuable lessons from the outstanding career of Steve Jobs, from his professional development to the characteristics that made him such a great leader.
By understanding what made the great man tick, we can also forge a career for ourselves, running a business and seeking more trading opportunities as we grow.
Work Hard but Learn to Delegate
Although Steve Jobs was notoriously known for his reluctance to delegate, he also recognised talent when he saw it, and once said, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do”. Jobs was also famous for working hard, and some of the world’s most successful leaders are also the most hard-working people in history. This was one of the many things that made him such a roaring success.
We have all been told to ‘delegate, delegate, delegate, but whether you’re a CEO, CIO or manager, don’t forget that you’re being paid to work, too. Delegation is necessary, but you have a job to do. Put in as much work as you can personally, before piling responsibilities onto other people.
Understanding Creativity
Jobs knew that creativity is “just connecting things,” and that innovation boils down to the simple act of putting two unlikely ideas together to create something new. With the iPhone, for instance, Jobs took his love for calligraphy and design and amalgamated it with his passion for technology.
For Apple, the problem was that tech was ugly, bulky, and unattractive, so Jobs took the idea of a computer and made it better, sexier, and different.
He combined two ideas, solved a need, and revolutionised an entire industry. You can either take an idea that’s working and make it better or meld two novel concepts into the creation of something the world hasn’t yet seen. That is the key to success in business.
You Have to Love What You Do
The truth is, unless you enjoy what you’re doing, it simply won’t work out. There will be times when you have to put long, exhausting hours into growing your business, and others when crushing lows and setbacks will almost cause you to give up. The only thing that will enable you to keep going during these times is a passion for what you do.
Jobs said, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work”.
Thinking Outside the Box with Bartercard
When you’re embarking upon any new venture or idea, thinking outside the box is essential to success. Apple was renowned for its willingness to subvert technological norms and pave new paths in the digital landscape, and Steve Jobs’ impact on the world continues today.
Bartercard will help you to think outside the box, providing you with a vast marketplace of thousands of businesses to trade with and to be truly effective as a small business owner, it’s time to start working on your business, rather than simply in your business. We wrote the eBook The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Small Business Owners to bridge this gap, to help you with solutions to manage your business more efficiently.
Become a member today and discover how Bartercard can grow your business.
