(Warning this blog is for mature audiences only)
I’m reading the book, Steve jobs, by Walter Isaacson.
It’s clear Jobs was completely and totally obnoxious.
If Dale Carnegie, the author of How to win friends and influence people, had heard about Steve Jobs, he would turn over in his grave.
According to Isaacson, Jobs classified people either as “enlightened” or “ass holes.” He thought of others as “the best” or “totally shitty.”
Because Jobs was a vegan, he was certain he didn’t have body odor so he rarely bathed. He was known to walk into business meetings smelly, barefoot, and prop his dirty feet on a desk.
He removed the license tag from his car so he could park in handicap spaces.
And when Lisa, his out of wedlock daughter, was born, he abandoned her and denied paternity to absolve himself of financial responsibility.
He could have starred in the movie Despicable me. Need I go on?
And yet, even though Jobs may have been a jerk, he was a genius and will likely be remembered with other greats like Bell and Edison.
He completely transformed personal computers, music players, books, mobile phones, apps, tablet computers, journalism, movies, and the recording industry’s music model.
I’ve been a business owner most of my adult life and I’ve hired a lot of people. Jobs attitude and behavior is causing me to have second thoughts about some of the likeable job candidates I selected.
I’ve always tried to hire people who are capable of doing their jobs, but it’s important to me that I like and respect them.
To borrow words from the Girl Scout oath, I want to work with people who are “honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring…respect others, respect authority…”
Well that’s exactly the opposite of Jobs.
Maybe it’s not necessary to like everyone you work with. Companies might be more successful if they select all kinds of employees—maybe even non-conformists and renegades like Steve Jobs–especially if they are geniuses.
David Sher is a partner in Buzz12, a content and reputation marketing company. You can read more of his posts by looking for the “David Sher Posts” category in the sidebar of Buzz12’s website
I’m off to buy this book. I’m convinced that talented, innovative individuals willing to take a chance on what they believe are the future for our country. In other words, it’s people from where our country pulls it’s strenght, not from our government.
And yet despite his obnoxious behavior, those who knew him kept coming back for more. The book made me rethink how I evaluated people as well as myself.
By the end of the book I liked him.
Bruce, I’m about half way through the book. It is so darn interesting. Maybe I’ll like him too by the time I’m finished.
I always been a Mac guy since 1989. I always had the greatest admiration for Jobs, but the fact that he was a jerk kinda surprises me. Mind you, he could afford to be one. But abandoning his own daughter for “financial” reasons is beyond despicable. Especially from someone as crazy rich as him.
Michel,
It is disappointing that someone so great could be so petty.
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There is a difference between renegade and asshole. My southern roots allow me to be at least be superficially less than tedious to deal with.