A few weeks ago at at the Business Book Club, we discussed Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.
This book isn’t for those intimidated by an almost 600-page, hardcover behemoth. I’m honestly one of “those” people, so if it wasn’t on the reading list for the Business Book Club, I wouldn’t have even picked it up.
But I’m glad I did.
Not an Apple-enthusiast, I’ve made it a point to steer clear of anything related to Jobs and his products because it seems like everyone I know gets sucked in after their encounter with any Apple product. Being the frugal maven I am, and knowing how much Apple products cost, I didn’t want to drink the Kool-Aid.
After reading this book, I can now say that I appreciate what goes into every Apple product and the fact that it’s been this way since the beginning.
As I read more about Steve Jobs, this book became quite the page-turner, because his life and behavior read like a soap opera I would be watching on day-time television. He had no tolerance for failure, treated his employees like shi* (his word) and was totally unpredictable. His entire life was a contradiction.
My major takeaways from this book:
Focus
If you can focus on one thing without distractions, anything is possible.
Demand Excellence
Demand nothing but excellence from yourself and those you manage. Although Steve Jobs was insanely delusional with his demands, his team rose to the challenge. I believe there is a better way to inspire others than his methods, however. Accept nothing but the best and deliver nothing but the best – every time.
Have you read Steve Jobs biography? What were your takeaways?
