I have been called to DISRUPT!
I absolutely love this video, but I have to admit it has taken many years to fully embrace it. As Steve Jobs said, “Somewhere between the janitor and the CEO, reasons stop mattering.” To achieve success in this world you must adopted a “No Excuses” mentality.
I know – it’s definitely much easier said than done. Even once embraced, it’s something that must be worked on every day. I watch this video often and I think about it whenever I want to point the finger…
Carmine Gallo is his book “The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs” outlines seven principles that he believes guided Steve Jobs to greatness. As I think about these principles, each one applies to Steve Jobs – but aren’t unique to him. Many people who have achieved greatness have mastered several of these ideas. Although I have only read excerpts of the book – I believe that’s the author’s exact point.
If it is our desire to achieve greatness (how ever you define greatness) we must internalize several of these ideas and live it. Personally, number three jumps off the page at me. If I had said no to more things when I started my business in 2006 – I would be much farther along.
Which of these resonate the most to you and more importantly which ones are you going to commit to internalizing and make it your own? Would love to read your thoughts in the comment section.
In 1 minute and 43 seconds, Steve Jobs has our trainer throwing in the towel and asking for mercy. Â He draws a line between dreamers and doers. Â It comes down to two points.
Dreamers:
Don’t ask for help – which becomes a justification for not acting
Are not willing to fail
There are several directions I can go with this, but I will just tackle the first point.  I recently read a survey where 71% of workers are “not engaged†or “actively disengaged†from their work. Look around your office 7 out of every 10 people would rather be doing something else. There are many reasons, but mostly people are not fulfilled.
How many opportunities for advancement are there? If you are honest – a fat pay raise is not going to make you happier. Even changing jobs is not the answer. How long before you stall out there?
People live unfilled lives for a variety reasons, but they continue to do the same things over and over again.
Question: You encourage your kids to dream, but you are afraid to act on your own dreams. Do you really think your kids are going to do what you say not what you do? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
“Here is to the crazy ones. The misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in square holes, the ones who see things differently.â€
It is very easy to watch this video and say – Come on Einstein, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, Amelia Earhart, Pablo Picasso – those are truly world changers. The probability of me having a similar impact on the world is ZERO.
LOL, if you are reading this post that’s probably true. Maybe a little bit higher than zero. All kidding aside, Steve Jobs is challenging us to make a difference. Consensus thinking is not going to cut it.
At the end of our lives, we will ask ourselves several questions and one will be – Did I matter? Personally, my goal is to have an impact on a broader number of people than my direct family. Thru entrepreneurship and helping others pursue this path is how I’m attempting to make a difference. This can be a difficult and at times very lonely journey, but the rewards outweigh the risk in my opinion.
Note: Obviously there are numerous people who slave away all day or their day job and then spend countless nights and weekends volunteering and doing other things to make an impact. It is not my intent to imply that only entrepreneurs can make an impression. My hope is that we simply flip the switch and aspire to spend our most productive hours on our passion.
Question: Even if it your entrepreneurial endeavor completely falls apart, will you look back at it as a waste of time? Or will you smile and say at least I mattered – if only for a short time? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
I have been slacking off on blo
gging, but saw this story today by Silicon Valley investor Marc Andreessen on Steve Jobs (The Atlantic Wire) and just had to share it.
In the fall of 2006, my wife, Laura, and I went out to dinner with Steve and his brilliant and lovely wife, Laurene. Sitting outside of the restaurant on California Avenue in Palo Alto waiting for a table to open up, on a balmy Silicon Valley evening, Steve pulled his personal prototype iPhone out of his jeans pocket and said, ‘Here, let me show you something.’  He took me on a tour through all of the features and capabilities of the new device.
“After an appropriate amount of oohing and aahing, I ventured a comment. BlackBerry aficionado as I was, I said, ‘Boy, Steve, don’t you think it’s going to be a problem not having a physical keyboard? Are people really going to be okay typing directly on the screen?’ He looked me right in the eye with that piercing gaze and said, ‘They’ll get used to it.’
Wow, if I only had half of his conviction!