Viewpoint: Tom McNichol

From TheAtlantic.com: “With the death and canonization of Steve Jobs and the emergence of the Jobs biography as a kind of sacred text for managers...

“With the death and canonization of Steve Jobs and the emergence of the Jobs biography as a kind of sacred text for managers, the ranks of bosses who see Bad Steve’s nastier traits as something to imitate are liable to swell. [But] the fact is, Steve Jobs didn’t succeed because he was an a--hole. He succeeded because he was Steve Jobs. He had an uncanny sixth sense about what consumers wanted, an unmatched ability to adapt existing technology and turn it into something new, and a commitment to quality that turned ordinary Apple customers into fans for life. Being an a--hole was part of the Steve package, but it wasn’t essential to his success. But that’s not a message most of the a--holes in the corner offices want to hear.”

Tom McNichol in TheAtlantic.com

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