Steve Jobs Was a Terrible CEO. Here’s Why.

By Jamie Turner, Founder, The Unspoken Rules of Leadership.

I know what you’re probably thinking — I’m an idiot for saying that. But hang on a minute while I explain.

We all know that Jobs built a $1 trillion company from his garage that revolutionized the way we lead our lives.

But he was also cruel to his employees, his family members, and even to strangers.

Here are some “winning” behaviors from Jobs.

When MobileMe launched in the summer of 2008, it was plagued with problems. People had trouble getting their data to sync to the cloud and across their devices.

To address the problem, Jobs gathered the MobileMe team in Apple’s auditorium and asked: “Can anyone tell me what MobileMe is supposed to do?”

When the team gave their answers, Jobs replied, “Then why the fuck doesn’t it do that?”

Jobs then fired the MobileMe boss on the spot and replaced him with Eddie Cue. (Source: Business Insider)

And then there’s this…

According to Business Insider, “While working at Atari, Jobs recruited Wozniak’s help to build a scaled down version of Pong. There was a big bonus involved in getting it done quickly and efficiently, and Jobs lied about how much money was involved, pocketing the majority of the money for himself.”

And finally this…

One of Jobs best friends and confidants, Jony Ive, says this about Jobs:

“The normal rules of social engagement, he feels, don’t apply to him … he knows exactly how to efficiently and effectively hurt someone. And he does do that. (Source: Business Insider)

Why am I coming down so hard on Jobs?

Because we, as leaders, owe it to ourselves and to our employees to not be like Steve Jobs.

And for those who say, “But wait! The iPhone! The iPad! The Apple watch!” that’s like saying that putting up with Henry Ford’s racism and anti-semitism is acceptable because Ford improved the way we manufacture cars.

As stated by Ronald Riggio, PhD in this article in Psychology Today, “Jobs sends the wrong message to aspiring leaders. The very best leaders are positive role models for their followers—modeling positive and ethical behavior, and giving credit where credit is due.”

Bottom Line: You’re a leader. It’s your job to get the most from your employees. Great leaders don’t lead through tyranny. Instead, they lead through empathy, compassion, and vision.

About the Author: Jamie Turner is an internationally recognized author, professor, consultant, and speakerwho has helped employees at The Coca-Cola Company, Holiday Inn, Verizon, Mercedes-Benz and others do a better job leading, managing, and mentoring others. To have him speak at your event or organization, email him at:Jamie@JamieTurner.Live