Learn from Steve Jobs!
Steve Jobs has become an inspiration for many people. He sets a good example and challenges us to see the world in a different light and live a better life.
Steve Jobs founded Apple in his parents' garage in 1976. But in 1985, the company had to experience financial difficulties and even went bankrupt in 1997. The ups and downs experienced by Steve Jobs did not stop him. With strong determination and high commitment, he managed to build a company that is most valuable in the world currently.
Steve Jobs died in October 2011. This incident broke the hearts of many people, including myself. I remember how impactful Steve Jobs was to me and the world when he was alive. Even when he is no longer in this world, Steve Jobs continues to inspire many people through his works. Even though I know I will never be Steve Jobs, I still want to learn from Steve Jobs. Here are some lessons from Steve Jobs that I will try to remember for the rest of my life.
1 - Focus!
When Steve Jobs decided to rebuild his bankrupt company in 1997, he was producing a series of computers and 12 different versions of the Macintosh. After several weeks of studying each product, he finally had enough and was satisfied with his work. Steve Jobs chose 4 products that will be the main focus of the Apple company. This decision managed to save Apple. According to him, not all products that are made must be sold.
Deciding what not to do is just as important as deciding what to do. -Steve Jobs
After his company recovered, Steve Jobs often invited his men to discuss. At a retreat, Steve Jobs asked them, "What are the 10 things we should do next?"
Everyone who attended the retreat was dying to impress Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs also crossed out ideas that were considered stupid. Although the session at the retreat ultimately resulted in the next 10 things Apple could do, Steve Jobs trimmed the bottom 7 and said, "We can only do 3 things."
From that brief incident, I realized that focus was ingrained in Steve Jobs. He always filtered out what he found disturbing. That said, his co-workers and family sometimes got irritated when they tried to get Steve Jobs to work on issues – legal or health issues, for example – that they considered important.
Steve Jobs always refused to shift his focus to things that were not significant to him. Shortly before his death, Steve Jobs was visited by Larry Page, the founder of Google. At the meeting, Steve Jobs gave some advice to Larry Page.
“The main thing I always emphasize is focus. Find out what you want for Google as the company grows. Now, Google has spread all over the world. However, what are five things you want to focus on? Get rid of things that could drag your company down. These things will cause the company to produce an adequate, but mediocre product.”
Larry Page followed Steve Jobs's advice. In January 2012, Larry Page asked his employees to focus on only a few priorities, such as Android and Google+, but make it extraordinary. Let's learn to simplify things in life – study, work, or others – by focusing our focus on the things that really matter and eliminating unnecessary components of life.
2 - We can't do everything alone
According to Steve Jobs, no one person can do it all alone, at least if they want to see their work succeed on a large scale. I totally agree with Steve Jobs' statement.
We all need other people. Talented people. People who want to learn. Always inspire people. Responsible people. People who are willing to take chance and accept failure. Through collaboration with others, we can see the extraordinary ideas and hard work of others that have a great impact. In the end, we, together with them, will always find new things to learn. Willing to fight with others will also improve leadership. We can learn to delegate tasks, have the courage to rebuke teammates who are not working optimally, and be role models in behavior and speech.
3 - Never rest on your laurels
Apple rose from bankruptcy and needed approximately 10 years to become the dominant company in the world of technology. When it reaches the top, Apple continues to do what it does best. They never take their foot off the gas. They always position themselves in big fights against other great competitors. This is what makes Apple continue to survive in the industry and remains one of the most popular brands in the world.
Have you achieved your goals in studies or work? Did you become careless after you achieved that success? Never feel satisfied! That feeling will kill your success. Remember that what we have done in the past is in the past. We cannot be complacent for too long. We must keep moving forward.
In my opinion, success is temporary. If we don't stick with what we did to achieve that success, we may end up going back to square one. We can be satisfied with our achievements, but we should not rely on them. It is very easy for us to be complacent, especially when we have achieved success in many ways. However, we must continue to make progress. May we always take the time to think about what goals we want to achieve in the future!
CONCLUSION
Steve Jobs is a role model! After reading this article, do you also want to learn from Steve Jobs? If yes, don't forget to note some of the 3 important points above...
