Leading Apple With Steve Jobs: Management Lessons From a Controversial Genius

A former Senior VP of Apple shares how Steve Jobs motivated people to do the best work of their lives

Jay Elliot was hired personally by Steve Jobs, just in time to accompany him on the last of his historic visits to Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center, the visits that changed the course of computing. As Senior VP of Apple, Jay served as Steve’s right-hand man and trouble-shooter, overseeing all corporate operations and business planning, as well as software development and HR. In Leading Apple with Steve Jobs, Jay details how Steve managed and motivated his people—and what every manager can learn from Jobs about motivating people to do the best work of their lives.

Steve Jobs used the phrase “Pirates! Not the Navy” as a rallying cry—a metaphor to “Think Different.” In the days of developing the Macintosh, it became a four-word mission statement. It expresses the heart of Apple and Steve. The management principles that grew out of that statement form the backbone of this book.

• Explains how to find talented people who will understand your objectives and be able to make a contribution to that effort
• Lists traits that can determine whether a person will be so committed to the vision that they will provide their own motivation
• Explains how to ensure that your employees hold an allegiance to the captain and to his/her shipmates, and also possess the ability to come up with original, unique ways to approach a problem, and be self-guided with a strong sense of direction

Leading Apple with Steve Jobswill shift your thought paradigm and inspire you to assemble and lead innovative teams.

How close were you and Steve Jobs? Describe your relationship.

I worked directly for Steve from 1980 to 1986, both as Chairman of the Board of Apple and as the head of the Macintosh group. I went to the Board of Directors around Sculley to protest them throwing Steve out of Apple, which he greatly appreciated. We kept in touch over the next 20+ years and I visited him weeks before he passed away.

What is the most valuable leadership lesson you learned from Jobs?

To focus in on the product and the user. Everything you do in the organization is about that, also create markets, follow them and stay the course.

What was it like to work at Apple in the early days?

Apple was the classic start-up; whoever got there first made the coffee. The atmosphere was electric with excitement about building new products and the success of current products, the Apple II and the Mac. Everyone was highly motivated and politics did not exist.

In the book, you compare Jobs to other corporate executives and say that Jobs was like a rock star. Please explain.

Steve Jobs had a totally different language; he would quote Bob Dylan at shareholder meetings. He was completely motivated by the great products–share prices and finances did not matter to him. As the young entrepreneur, he was the face of Apple: brash, young and exciting. He carried that same spirit into the company.

Jobs started as an entrepreneur. What piece of advice would a young Jobs share with a struggling entrepreneur today?

Make sure you are doing something that you have great passion about and you are not in it for the money. Be the biggest user of your product, not for someone else. Stay the course and find great people around you: the first ten people you hire have to be the best people you will ever hire and they need to have the same spirit you have.