The Reality Distortion Field: Steve Jobs’ Best Job Performance

“Have you ever thought about what it is to be intelligent?”?

That’s a question Steve Jobs asked a 1982 audience after winning an award from the Academy of Achievement. Though I was often bothered to hear about the infamous culture of anxiety and control that Jobs sustained in his work and personal lives, there was no denying he was a genius. He had a unique mind, capable of brilliant innovations that others saw as impossible. His sheer will in driving forward changed our world.?

He believed that big dreams are bold, specific, concise, and consistent. Jobs' dream was to "put a dent in the universe.” And he did. He accomplished, through intense determination, his vision to make computers accessible to everyone.?

There’s a phrase to describe Jobs’ ability to motivate teams to achieve what seemed impossible. It was coined by Apple engineer Bud Tribble in the early days of Macintosh development.?

Reality Distortion Field (RDF).?

RDF put a name to Jobs’ ability to influence, inspire, and drive people beyond their perceived limits by making them believe that almost anything was possible. His magnetism, keen focus, and elevated expectations pushed his teams to realize accomplishments they originally tagged as unfeasible.?

Jobs’ RDF was a combination of several elements: persistent optimism and convincing storytelling, backed by the boundless power of his personality. It was a spell that creative professionals were caught up in, one that made engineers, designers, and developers create and innovate more quickly, work harder, and produce revolutionary outcomes and products.?

Imagine if you achieved, through your work, the kind of impact he’s had on the entire world. And yet he attributed most intelligence to the ability to zoom out and make connections that other people can’t see.??

“You have to not have the same bag of experiences as everyone else does — or else you’re going to make the same connections.”?

Tim Cook, who called Jobs “the teacher of a lifetime,” said Jobs modeled a particularly impressive skill that strengthened his success. Cook said that working with Jobs taught him “Not to be married to my past views. Not to be so proud you can’t change your mind when you’re presented with new evidence in things. He could change like this. I, initially, was sort of taken aback by that. And, then I became so enamored with it.”

Jobs often pointed out that successful people “had a variety of experiences which they could draw upon in order to try to solve a problem or attack a particular dilemma in a kind of unique way.”??

We all know people who see connections quickly between data/information and processes, events, innovations and inventions. In fact, I’ve been thinking about Job’s thoughts on making connections since I saw them referenced in an article yesterday. There’s a part of me that feels seen!

?I’m so grateful to be in an industry and company that offer such a wide range of experiences.?And hoping we’re all able to make our own dent in the universe. ?

What’s your experience? Is the reality distortion field management real? ?Do you know anyone who brings products or services to life like this? ?