Steve Jobs’ Leadership Lessons for Upcoming Kenyan Entrepreneurs

By Arnold Mutugi
Introduction

The late Steve Jobs has been named a visionary after his death. The Apple company co-founder was undoubtedly a leader who helped the Apple Company to scale unimaginable heights. He was not only looked as a leader by his company but other companies that he
worked with. According to John Baldoni, an internationally recognized leadership educator and author, leadership is inspiration. Steve jobs inspired his employees to come up with superior products that he believed would change the world. It was through his inspiration that the company’s products are known for their superior quality. Here are useful leadership lessons upcoming entrepreneurs should learn about a great leader.

Do What You Love

Before you think about profits you should think about what you love most. Being a passionate leader means convincing your employees to see things as you see them. Doing something that you love translates that you will be a self-motivated leader who will not only motivate the employees but will share personal visions with the employees.

Be Proactive

You should be the most enthusiastic employee in that firm when it comes to invention of new products. You should be able to judge which products will stand a chance of changing the world. Steve Jobs is reputed for turning down models after models that he felt were not good enough. This active participation is what led the final products to be superior ones because they were sifted from inferior models.

Practice Purposeful Leadership

Steve Jobs’ leadership was always purposeful. If he was not pushing his employees to upgrade a gadget to beat possible competition he was pushing them to come up with a new gadget. Purposeful leadership calls for dedicated leadership that has a well defined purpose. Whether you want your employees to come up with a new product or to push up the sales of an existing product, you should know clearly what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Narrow Down Your Focus

Steve Jobs is reputed for reducing 350 products to 10 products in a two years’ period after taking over Apple Company in 1997. Narrowing down your focus means working with what you are sure you will be able to manage. For instance, instead of concentrating on multiple roles you should narrow down your focus to only those roles that will favour an immediate favorable outcome.

Learn to Sell Your Dreams

Steve Jobs was a master at selling his dreams to others. He would just insist on something he thought would work. If you want to see your employees pursuing your dreams, you should fashion them in a credible manner and market them.

Be Decisive

Steve Jobs was known for turning down models without an apology. Leading with a resolution is good because as a leader, it is up to you if inferior products infiltrate your watchful eyes and bring your reputation down. As Steve Jobs, you should be able to say no to what you think will not work, without guilt.