Steve Jobs, recognized globally as the co-founder of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), once highlighted a personal vulnerability that transcended technical missteps or flawed product decisions. He pinpointed arrogance as his chief weakness, particularly emphasizing how this trait tends to surface predominantly when a person reaches significant success.
In a 2003 interview featured on the program "60 Minutes," Jobs expounded on this insight, cautioning that arrogance is a danger "which knocks at the door whenever you're successful." His candid acknowledgment shed light on the often overlooked psychological challenges that accompany achievement and leadership.
Reflecting further, Jobs recounted a pivotal chapter in his career, describing his tenure following a forced departure from Apple in 1985. "I was basically fired from Apple when I was 30 and invited to come back 12 years later," he remarked. "That was difficult when it happened but maybe the best thing that ever happened to me." This period away from Apple, often referred to as his "wilderness years," included his leadership roles at NeXT, a computer platform development company, and Pixar, an animation studio, both of which were instrumental in his personal and professional growth.
Jobs credited these years with prompting a critical self-examination, confronting how early achievements had contributed to an overbearing sense of confidence and interpersonal conflicts during his initial stint at Apple. This introspection and maturation process was fundamental in developing a more measured and effective leadership style.
Brent Schlender, an esteemed biographer and author of "Becoming Steve Jobs," has underscored the significance of this "middle period" in Jobs' life. According to Schlender, the years when Jobs established familial roots and managed NeXT and Pixar constituted the most transformative phase, refining the qualities necessary for Jobs to orchestrate Apple's remarkable turnaround after his return in 1997.
Jobs viewed arrogance as particularly hazardous because it often attaches itself to genuine accomplishments. He cautioned against mistaking success as solely a product of individual talent, highlighting instead how timing, collaborative effort, and occasionally, fortunate circumstances, heavily influence outcomes. This perspective fostered a sense of humility that informed his approach to leadership and innovation.
This philosophy was deeply embedded in the culture Jobs cultivated at Apple. He frequently underscored that creating groundbreaking products requires small, exceptionally skilled teams, stringent focus, and the discipline to reject a multitude of ideas to pursue the singular vision that matters most. His famous exhortation to employees and students at Stanford University to "Stay hungry. Stay foolish," encapsulates this ideology — a commitment to perpetual curiosity, embracing risk, and resisting complacency after success.
In the later stages of his life, Jobs narrated his journey as an example that setbacks, when met with humility rather than ego, can sharpen one's judgment and pave the way for impactful second acts. These insights underscore a legacy not just of technological innovation but also of personal resilience and leadership evolution.