Does the “end really justify the means”? Yes, I love my iPod, my iPad, my iPad2 and my iPhone. They are by far the most useful, user friendly and beautiful electronic devices that I’ve ever had. They have changed my life in so many ways and they bring me endless hours of enjoyment and education. But does that mean the pain Steve caused others in the process of creating these wonderful devices should be overlooked? Perhaps he “knew” from an early age that he would not be here long. Therefore to him the end justified his means.

Sometimes “bad people can create good products.” I think that was the case in regards to Steve. I think he behaved poorly as a result of his own internal demons. His internal pain made him very abusive to just about everyone he encountered. And I mean everyone, his family, his friends, his colleagues, his business partners, his doctors, his nurses and anyone that he encountered when he was in his abusive and dark place. I don’t believe that we should be judgmental in regards to anyone, even Steve, but at the same time we should not deny the fact that he inflected a lot of abuse and unnecessary pain on others. We have to be careful not to make excuses for bad behavior just because we come to expect it from someone. If we go down that path the next thing we will find ourselves doing is blaming ourselves for someone else’s abusive behavior towards us.

I am reminded of the story “The Emperor has no Clothes.” If the book described Steve’s behaviors even 80% accurately it still would have been a huge problem for anyone else. It was as if the people around Steve gave up on telling him that he had no clothes on. When in fact not only did he not have any clothes on, he also stank and needed to take a bath.

If you talk to the people that have worked with me over the years and you ask them what is it like to work with Willie, most of them, if not all of them, would say that I am not a judgmental person and that I practice forgiveness and acceptance of others. So my goal is not to judge Steve but to merely avoid making excuses for what he has clearly demonstrated as abusive behavior.

When my friends ask me if they should read the biography of Steve Jobs, I tell them they should not. I make this recommendation because they are like me and they love their Apple products and they carry a high opinion of Steve Jobs. Therefore what would be the point of having them read the biography which would only cause them to have the same emotional letdown that I had. I would rather have them enjoy their Apple products because they are some of the best in the world. And Steve was a visionary that saw what could be. And he made innovative products that made his vision a reality for everyone to enjoy.

I am closing this chapter on Steve Jobs and opening a new one in which I will continue to enjoy my Apple products and I will continue to affirm Apple’s success because they have a history of getting it right for the consumer.

I just finished the biography and refrained from reading your blog post until I had completed Isaacson’s book.

I won’t repeat what others have already pointed out. Rather, I’ll just add my two cents.

* I too couldn’t help but be fascinated by all the coincidences having lived in the Silicon Valley since 1981. I didn’t know the players personally but certainly knew them all by reputation. I lived through all the highlights. I knew all the local references as they were in my backyard in real time.

* As Roger pointed out everyone who worked for Steve knew about his explosive and ‘total shit’/'brilliant’ style. With hundred’s of opportunities for high tech work nobody was forced to work at Apple.

* He certainly did mature as a leader, but it was troubling to me also that he never bothered to soften his approach. He lacked grace. He was not a gracious man. Ric, I loved the way you contrasted his style to the style of Hewlett and Packard – two very gracious men.

* I currently own my 7th or 8th different Mac (since 1989). I have an iPhone and iPad. I love Apple products … although …

* I absolutely hated MobileMe and found it impossible to work with. I found another ‘cloud’ solution so I don’t know if, or when, I’ll be willing to even give iCloud a chance.

* When I read that he fired the guy responsible for MobileMe in front of the entire group I thought it was cruel and unnecessary. But it made me think about all the screw ups that occur in government and some other businesses where individuals are not held accountable for their results … or quietly moved to another job. So I admired his commitment to the product and the business as a whole.

* My guess is Apple will continue for several years at a high level but will eventually turn ‘ordinary’ and suffer the same fate as HP did after their founders left … and ‘managers’ took over and the original spirit died.

In conclusion, was Steve Jobs brilliant? Absolutely. Did he make the world a better place? For sure. Was he a gracious person? No. Was he an evil person? I don’t believe so. Do I admire his accomplishments tremendously? Yes.

And finally, having worked for you Ric from 1981 to 1987, I found you to be extremely driven, singularly focused, uncompromising in your pursuit of building a world-class business … but always extremely gracious.

1. Steve was a very effective entrepreneurial leader in the early days of Apple, when he and Wozniak were constantly arguing about the features of the Apple II. Steve won some arguments and lost many with Wozniak, but each argument was ended with exactly the right brilliant decision for the design. During those years Steve delegated to others. He hired and then listened to Markkula, and fought but still listened to Scott. He let Holt do his thing. He was arrogant, but he listened and prospered.

2. He no longer listened once Apple was successful and he wanted to prove that he could lead the design of a great computer. What he did not listen to from his Macintosh team ultimately made the first Mac a flop. He did not listen at NeXt where he designed the exact same computer as the Mac, only better looking, but with exactly the same faults. Pretty lousy leadership!

3. But he listened to the Pixar team, at least when they did not use his whiteboard. He deffered to their judgement, and avoided making big mistakes that would have sunk the company.

4. He also clearly got more astute about how to build his team after he got married to a wife that stood her ground and produced a beautiful family.

5. So when he came back to Apple he actually was a leader again. He hired the absolute best people on the planet and he let them do what they were good at! Yes, he took too much of the credit; yes, he occasionally lost his temper with them, but he never broke the bond of trust with his executive team.

6. And his leadership blossomed when he figured out how to ask questions and let others provide the answers. He had changed.

Of course, he wasn’t the leader for all men. He could only lead the already brilliant who were so confident in their abilities (like Wozniak had been with designing the Apple II) that they could work at his level and create together.

I have found the there are “horses for courses” and Jobs’ leadership style only worked on the already brilliant – and it only existed when he was willing to listen and delegate.

Thanks for pointing me to your fine post on Steve Jobs. I’m sure you did so wondering if I had seen evidence of his behavior in my dealings with Apple.

Certainly, I “felt” his style when I walked in Apple’s door. What you see as “good” and also what you identify as “troubling” were talked about in meetings or over a beer later on. His passion and his quirks translated into the organization – and were well understood.

We greatly admire what Jobs did for us, the users of the his products, and for his company. His success in transforming many industries is equally remarkable. Edison may be the only other person who achieved as much. But, you ask, did Jobs do it in the true spirit of an entrepreneur?

Many years ago (circa 1990 I’d guess) someone aired the story about Steve and his NeXT organization. They made his style the sub-topic and his people discussed it openly as the cameras rolled in his offices. I found that to be refreshing – and certainly interesting TV. The point is that his quirks were well known – not a new revelation from the biography.

The side of Steve that we might find objectionable was part of the package you “bought into” if you worked there (credit given to Marc Gunther’s comment). Specifically, if Steve blatantly took credit for another’s idea as the author suggests, it would not have been a surprise either. That would not make it ethical, in our eyes, but would not be a secret either. BTW, idea evolution is an interesting issue – a topic for another day.

I completely get your point about his representing the “wrong template for a good entrepreneur”. He was a polarizing individual, not one to employ a collaborative management style. But, let’s forgive Steve for what is troubling, praise him for the accomplishments and employ those traits we admire. His is a phenomenal story.

But this will only happen when started from the base of the pyramid. Top down does not scale.

Thanks, Ric, for your sharing your perspective and for being active in this world. You are making a difference.

Two Points:
1. Remember almost 30 years ago when I worked for you I felt valued and an important part of the team. You, as the CEO, made me (the young guy working in the facilities dept) feel special, important … part of the team. So you haven’t changed.

2. The internet (and email / social media) has shortened and changed the communication style. A great mystery to me is ‘why’ people want to ‘Friend’ you on Facebook or ‘Connect’ with you on LinkedIn but don’t bother to send a personal message with the request or a simple followup after a personal reply. Without the ‘touch’, there is no friendship or connection.