4 Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs
by GEORGE AMBLER
I came across a great article based on Carmine Gallo’s new book, “The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs” which are as follows:
1. Put a Dent in the Universe: “Innovation requires a team and you cannot inspire evangelists unless you offer a compelling vision….”
2. Sell Dreams, Not Products: “Steve Jobs doesn’t rely on focus groups. "Steve Jobs avoids most focus groups like the plague," says tech analyst Rob Enderle. "It comes down to the very real fact that most customers don’t know what they want in a new product." Apple customers should be glad Jobs doesn’t do focus groups. If he had, they may never have enjoyed iPods, iTunes, the iPhone, the iPad, or Apple Stores. Jobs doesn’t need focus groups because he understands his customers really, really well. Yes, sometimes better than they know themselves!… Sure, "listen" to your customers and ask them for feedback. Apple does that all the time. But when it comes to breakthrough success at Apple, Steve Jobs and his team are the company’s best focus group. Asked why Apple doesn’t do focus groups, Jobs responded: "We figure out what we want. You can’t go out and ask people ‘what’s the next big thing?’ There’s a great quote by Henry Ford. He said, "If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted, they would have told me ‘A faster horse.’"”
3. Say No to 1,000 Things: “Steve Jobs once said the secret to innovation comes from "Saying no to 1,000 things." In other words, Jobs is as proud of what Apple chooses not to do as he is about what Apple chooses to focus on. This philosophy has helped Apple introduce products that wow consumers because of their elegance and simplicity…”
4. Create Insanely Great Experiences: “There are no cashiers at an Apple Store. There are specialists, creatives — even geniuses — but no cashiers. Although the Apple Stores have no commissioned sales staff, they generate more revenue per square foot than most other widely recognized brands. Why? According to Jobs, "People don’t want to just buy personal computers anymore. They want to know what they can do with them, and we’re going to show people exactly that…"
Reflecting on the above four innovation secrets, the one that stands out for me is the ability of Steve Jobs to understand what the customer actually wants and not just what the customerneeds. It is this the unique ability of great leaders, to gain deep insight into their constituents and to provide a vision, purpose and dream that speaks to their unspoken desires and aspirations. Just as a changing context allows new and innovative products to be created and become successful. A changing context calls for new kinds of leaders and new approaches to leadership. A shifting context, shapes the expectations of followers and demands new approaches to leadership…!
§ How is the context changing around you?
§ What does that mean for the kinds of leaders people need?
§ What changes do you need to make in your or your organisation’s leadership?
Be a valuable person, a kind of value in the world now! (The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.) The more you share, the more you receive!
