Steven Paul “Steve” Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) was, among other amazing achievements, the co-founder of Apple, Inc. and CEO since 1997. That year, the Think Different campaign was launched with these words:
“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… 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 ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
Here’s to Steve Jobs, who died October 5 of pancreatic cancer at age 56 leaving an amazing legacy and an insanely great life to celebrate. Although I never met him, his leadership, his genius, his insights, his ability to inspire others, his brilliant mind, his successful career, and his innovative products, have deeply influenced me over the years.
Steve’s death has touched people worldwide, but what speaks volumes is really how many people his LIFE touched.
Here are five lessons Steve Jobs taught us about business and life:
- Your Time Is Limited, Don’t Waste It Living Someone Else’s Life
- Be A Yardstick Of Quality.
- Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.
- Don’t let the noise of other’s opinion drown out your own inner voice.
- Have the Courage to Follow Your Heart And Intuition.
From the president of the United States to the founders and executives of Disney, Facebook and even competitors Google and Microsoft, the world agrees that it has lost a visionary, an innovator, an exceptional human being.
The Google search box paid tribute to Steve Jobs reading: “Steve Jobs, 1955-2011,” linked to Apple’s homepage, which also features a tribute and where they encourage condolences to be sent to rememberingsteve@apple.com.
This is my humble way of saying:
Thank You, Mr. Jobs, for seeing things differently! I quote you, glorify you, and certainly cannot ignore how you changed the world because you were crazy enough to believe you could!
[ela]