Steve Jobs: A Ding in the Universe
Steve Jobs created the ‘ding in the universe’ he so desired.
When my book, The Advantage-makers: how exceptional leaders win by creating opportunities others don’t, was published in 2007, I also announced the FIRST Advantage-Maker of The Year Award: Steve Jobs
He was a transformational pioneer & game changer.
A profound learner who as we know was able to Think Different.
Advantage-Makers interact with the world differently. They shift the odds in their favor in the worst of times and best of times. Their capacity to shift is what distinguishes them. But is it genius and desire in Steve Jobs case, or is it something that we can do in our own lives?
Steve Jobs shifted the world by having us interact differently with his technological toys.
We experience the results of his genius but can we be inspired and encouraged to do it ourselves,
can we, at minimum, approximate and perhaps engage in the same type of thinking that led to the outstanding contribution?
The five shifts of Advantage Makers was evident in Steve Jobs
Shifting the question, time, interactions, perceptions and structures.
Shifting the question – a simple example that changed computers is his questioning the need for a fan in the computer, so computers are quieter, lighter and portable.
Shifting time – as Mayor Bloomberg of New York City said, “Steve Jobs brought the future to the present before most people could even see the horizon …”
Shifting interactions – we interact with the world differently because of the computer tools and technology toys he made user friendly for the consumer. With our smart iPhones we interact with everyone. Our iPads enable us to relate to information differently.
Shifting perceptions – masterful at influencing people to Think Differently. He kept everyone looking to the next cool thing Apple would create.
Shifting structure – here he changed the music industry with ITunes, taking a troubled industry and reviving it to an entirely new way to get your music.
His advantages made the complex, simpler; the hard, easier; the slow, faster; took the existing and multiplied the value; and took the mundane and make it engaging. These are advantages we use daily.
He shifted the question by questioning the givens that led to new approaches beyond obstacles
He shifted time by imagining and creating the technological future before most of us saw it
He shifted interactions by changing the game and our relationship with technology
He shifted perception by influencing a generation to think different
He shifted structures to shape behavior by creating entire new markets
Thank you Steve Jobs for your legacy of engaging useable devices that changed the world, and for your inspiring Advantage-Making Leadership.
Let’s go out and create our future …
