Applying The Business Lessons of Steve Jobs - 10 Lessons for Building Your Business - Plus Some Extras

Two of the best business leaders I work with are Ben Corrigan, Founder and CEO of Bluehaus. and legendary hospitality leader Guido de Wilde Director of Hospitality at Al Wasl.

Both of them of them regularly share wisdom with me and challenge me to think 'Better and Different'.

They help me channel different ideas and this is something that deeply matters to me.

Walter Isaacson’s insights into the strategic and business brilliance of Steve Jobs, as highlighted in The Business Lessons of Steve Jobs for Harvard Business Review, offer profound lessons for leaders and entrepreneurs striving to build impactful organisations.

This is a piece of reading, indeed a piece of listening (available on Audible ) that I love to listen to... A lot of people focus on the 'rough edges' of Jobs' personality however I prefer to focus on his strategic approach and his amazing ability to 'leapfrog' (This was my favourite insight - In the late 90's early 00's when everybody was 'ripping and burning' CDs the i-mac did not have a disc drive, he thought he had missed it... But instead of simply trying to catch up he... 'Leapfrogged' and creating i-tunes... I love this business genius... It also also applies when you are in front... How can you leapfrog?

Here are my other key takeaways and reflections:

1. Focus on Simplicity

? Insight: Jobs had an unparalleled ability to simplify complex problems, products and ideas, focusing on intuitive user experiences. He believed simplicity required deep understanding.

? Application: In your business, strive for clarity and reduce complexity. Simplify your offerings, processes and communication to make them accessible and impactful.

2. End-to-End Focus on Details

? Insight: Jobs championed vertical integration, ensuring Apple controlled hardware, software and the ecosystem. This allowed for seamless quality and user experience.

? Application: Focus on controlling the critical aspects of your product or service. Ensure all elements align to deliver a cohesive, high-quality experience for your people, customers and clients.

3. Passion for Excellence

? Insight: Jobs was obsessed with excellence, demanding excellence from his teams and products. His mantra: “Details matter. It’s worth getting it right.”

? Application: Cultivate a culture of excellence in your organisation. Encourage attention to detail, craftsmanship and relentless pursuit of the best outcomes. (Remember, 'perfection' is the lowest standard in the world BUT a constant focus on your '1% better' and let's you access what Einstein described as the 'Eighth Wonder of the World' - COMPOUND INTEREST.

4. Seamless Integration of Art and Technology

? Insight: Jobs believed great innovation happens at the intersection of humanities and science. Apple’s success lay in its ability to marry cutting-edge technology with beautiful, user-friendly design.

? Application: Foster interdisciplinary thinking in your business. Look for opportunities where creativity and technology can converge to create something unique and valuable.

5. Focus and Ruthless Prioritisation

? Insight: Jobs famously said, “I’m as proud of what we don’t do as I am of what we do.” He concentrated on a few core products and invested deeply in their success.

? Application: Identify the few things that matter most to your business and allocate resources accordingly. Avoid distractions and stay true to your core mission.

6. Anticipate What Customers Want

? Insight: Jobs believed in creating products customers didn’t know they needed until they experienced them, such as the iPhone. He prioritised intuition and vision over focus groups.

? Application: Develop a deep understanding of your customers. Anticipate their latent needs and create innovative solutions that exceed their expectations. The idea of 1000 songs in your back pocket (although now antiquated) was the motivaton for the classic i-pod that Jobs said he built for his friends - 'When you are building things for your friends you do not do LAME things.'

7. Embrace Bold Risks

? Insight: Jobs didn’t shy away from radical change - whether it was cannibalising apple’s own products (e.g., i-pod for the i-phone) or launching entirely new categories.

? Application: Be willing to disrupt your own business before someone else does. Take risks to innovate and stay ahead of the curve. (Nothing fails like success.)

8. Build a Holistic Brand Experience

? Insight: Jobs focused on every touchpoint of the customer journey, from product design to packaging to retail stores, ensuring consistency and alignment with apple’s brand values.

? Application: Think holistically about your customer experience. Make every interaction with your brand - from marketing to after-sales support - consistent and memorable. At 2b Limitless , Olivia Marshall is so focused on this role as are all of our coaches.

9. Inspire and Challenge Your Team

? Insight: While Jobs was known for his demanding nature, he inspired his teams to achieve the seemingly impossible, pushing them beyond their perceived limits.

? Application: Set high standards for your team while instilling belief in their abilities. Provide a compelling vision that motivates and challenges them to excel. (Care Personally, Challenging Directly).

10. Stay True to Your Core Purpose

? Insight: Jobs was deeply driven by a sense of purpose - creating products that changed lives and connected people to technology in meaningful ways.

? Application: Define the “why” of your business. Build your company around a purpose that resonates with your team, customers, and stakeholders.

‘Because… Your world needs you at your best!’ - 2b Limitless - This is OUR "why"!

Lessons for Building Your Business

? Think Different: Challenge conventional wisdom and be bold in your vision.

? Prioritize Quality Over Quantity: Focus on a few things and do them exceptionally well.

? Foster Emotional Connection: Build products and experiences that resonate emotionally with your customers.

? Adapt and Evolve: Stay ahead of industry trends and be willing to pivot when necessary.

? Relentless Execution: Combine vision with the discipline to deliver, making every detail count.

? Engage in Risk: Remember at the end of your life 'it is not the risks you take that you end up regretting' risk always has plan recklessness never does... Plan and stretch.

? Leapfrog: If you are behind rather than try to catch up, examine ways to leapfrog, like Jobs finding ways to go to different places to create value.

By applying these principles, you can cultivate businesses that are not only financially successful but also transformative in their industries and meaningful to their customers.

When Isaacson asked Jobs at the end of his life what his achievement was he was surprised - He thought he would say the i-phone, i-mac or even i-tunes but instead he said the brand apple... In his mind his greatest success was building apple brand that became the first in history to be valued at $1 Trillion.

• What are the lessons that are most important to you?
• How are you building your company's brand?

‘Because… Your world needs you at your best!’ - 2b Limitless

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