Life lessons from Steve Jobs

It is always easier to learn life lessons
by walking in the footsteps of others,
especially the footsteps of successful
people. And upon recently watching
the movie “Jobs,” based on the life of
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, I realized
that there are quite a few lessons to be
found, simply in the portrayal of his
character in the film.
Don’t restrict learning to classrooms or
mandatory programs.
Have a wholistic knowledge. Seek out
different experiences in life.
I’m not dismissing the value of
higher education; I’m simply
saying it comes at the cost of
experience.
According to Jobs film director Joshua
Michael Stern, Steve Jobs felt that life
experiences were critical to being
creative. Stern included pivotal scenes
in the movie, showing a young Steve
Jobs taking a college calligraphy
course and visiting India with his
friend, Daniel Kottke. “Absorbing
culture, art, and history were
extremely important to Jobs. He
believed in taking life experiences and
using it as a subtext for something else
you’re doing, like helping to form the
product you’re creating,” said Stern.
This is one of the most powerful
success principles we can learn from
Steve Jobs: a broad set of life
experiences is essential for creativity
to flourish.
Do not be afraid to challenge others.
Early on in the movie, we can see that
a young Jobs is not afraid to push
limits, both in himself and in others.
He was not worried about feelings, just
about the goals the video game
designers were working towards. He
wasn’t concerned with playing nice,
just with people delivering on expected
results. It continued even on to the
point where he challenged the
Macintosh team lead, reviving a
previously dead and listless project. If
something is not right around you,
make it known and make the
necessary changes. If someone is doing
something wrong or not performing
promised duties, it is a key leadership
and life quality to be able to challenge
them and work towards making it
right.
Learn how to negotiate.
Negotiating is something that happens
everyday in your life, whether you
realize it or not. Knowing how to
negotiate so that you do not sell
yourself short or cheat the other party
is an extremely valuable skill not often
taught. Creating a win-win situation
out of a negotiation leaves a favorable
impression of you in the other party’s
mind, which increases the possibility
of further favors.
Do the tough jobs, the leg work.
At one point in the biopic, while
challenging the attitude and work
ethic of Daniel Kottke, Jobs makes the
assertion that he has made over 200
phone calls, most to no avail. Two
hundred! That is an example of the
grunt work and the type of menial
tasks that successful people like Steve
Jobs were willing to do in order to
move forward in life.
Be persistent!
Sometimes life hits you in the
head with a brick. Don’t lose
faith.
It is important to realize that success
in life is not a destination, but a
grueling process, one that includes
tasks that may seem mundane. You
may have to make 200 phone calls and
be rejected each time, only to find
what you were seeking on call #201.
But don’t give up! You will learn many
valuable lessons in the process, and
will be better for it in the end. Thomas
Edison tried and failed over 10,000
times in the creation of the light bulb!
Learn how to effectively market yourself.
Know your worth and do not settle.
If you haven’t found it yet, keep
looking. Don’t settle. As with all
matters of the heart, you’ll know
when you find it.
It is vital in life to know exactly what
you have to offer and to portray that
properly. This tip applies in your
professional and personal life,
whether applying for a job or on a
first date. Underselling yourself will
definitely cap your potential, and
exaggerating your abilities and
characteristics will eventually come
back to haunt you.
Demand greatness from those around
you.
Be a yardstick of quality. Some
people aren’t used to an
environment where excellence
is expected.
In your personal journey toward
success, you may find that other people
will not possess the same drive and
determination. But demanding the
best from the people around you fights
against the attitude of complacency,
and will weed out people who do not
belong in your circle. Demanding
excellence is an effective way of lifting
people to reach towards their
potential.
Delegate tasks.
Be a leader, not a specialist.
Innovation distinguishes
between a leader and a
follower.
Even early on in the infant stages of
what would become the Apple
company, Steve Jobs acted with the
realization that although he had a
great idea and vision, he could not
accomplish anything alone. He looked
at his vision and recruited people who
were willing to help and/or the best at
that particular task. This way, the
maximum work that could be
accomplished was greater than what
he could get done alone, and he had
time to focus on new ideas, building
off of what had already been created.
These designers, board makers, public
relation directors, and CEOs may have
been better at their individual and
specific tasks, but it was Steve Jobs
who drove the vision, the reason and
motivation why they came to work
each day. In life, as a leader, it is
important not to get lost in the details
but to keep the “big picture” in mind.
Have PASSION for what you do.
It [what you choose to do] has
got to be something that you’re
passionate about because
otherwise you won’t have the
perseverance to see it through.
You’ve got to find what you
love… 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. And the only way to do
great work is to love what you
do. If you haven’t found it yet,
keep looking. Don’t settle. As
with all matters of the heart,
you’ll know when you find it.