Steve Jobs

Up from the Hub archives. Originally published 2007

It's been circulating the Web a bit since he made this speech, but Apple and Pixar founder Steve jobs' speech to Stanford University students is a model in how to give a great speech that is human, authentic, honest and inspiring. It's attached as a Word document. To add a bit of value to it, I've added three short learning points at the beginning.

Jobs' speech tells three stories. He starts by saying:

I was born in 1955, the same year as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.

As a fellow cohort a few things distinguish me from them: I’m a lot shorter, far less wealthy, not nearly as smart, nowhere near the visionary, and the list goes on. Plus, I’m a boring Canadian.

The word used most about Steve Jobs is VISION.  His vision that the Apple computer be an extension of what people do was amazingly fulfilled during his life. The Three-Dimensional Leader: Negotiating Your Mission, Resources and Context, says, “Steve Jobs has a vision that the Apple computer is an extension of what people do. He wants every kid in school to have access to one. Mission fulfillment starts with someone in leadership envisioning what can be.”

Some cool inspirational stuff here, from www.martonhouse.co.uk . Not sure about the Klingon one, though. Even less sure about the Hitler quote - Doesn't show sound judgement including him in this montage, I feel.