The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
Steve Jobs
You can also listen to this post by clicking play:
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1996, the Think Different campaign was launched the year after and secured Apple’s trajectory to global domination and stardom. The campaign moved from a focus on their products and justifying why their products are superior to competitors, but to the people who believe they can change the world. These are the people like you who work tirelessly and rise above self in service of something greater, believing you can change the world for the better!
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes … the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. … You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things. … They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
In the launch of this campaign, Steve Jobs put this belief at Apple’s center and established it as its core value.
What does this mean from a leadership and self-interest perspective?
Steve Jobs skillfully took the focus away from Apple’s products and shone the spotlight on the potential customer. He put his self-interest aside in favour of the customer because he believed this was the best course of action – and he definitely won!
Remember, leadership and self-interest are two sides of the same coin. When the coin is tossed and the leadership side faces up, self-interest is facing down. Simply put, leadership has stepped up!
This approach was not accidental. Steve Jobs believed this was why Apple existed.
Crafting a winning formula is easy, it’s the execution that is tough, especially when you are not being genuine. How do you become genuine? By establishing this value as your core belief. Why? It takes root in your soul and begins to grow. It is not superficial or intended to deceive, but you truly believe in it. Today, Apple has lead and dominated the global space in tech because it put its self-interest aside and began to serve the customer. People are naturally self-serving. When you change your focus from yourself, to the people you intend to serve, something happens. They begin to love you and support you because you have shown that above all, you also care about them, are willing to sacrifice for them and will do everything in your power to work and make their lives better. This is in their interest. This is your leadership. By putting your self-interest aside and choosing to lead, they then give you all their support. Steve Jobs understood this and moved to implement it permanently into Apple. That’s how you win!
Tell me what you think! Leave a comment or send me a direct email here
Here’s the video to Steve’s presentation: