Not unlike the rest of the world I was saddened but not surprised to learn of Steve Jobs passing last night. I had just returned home, finished a call on my iphone, plugged in my ipad for charging, turned on my Macbook Pro and saw this picture on the Apple homepage when I turned my computer on.
Sad.
Truly a marketing genius.
A visionary in the realm of what's possible and yet an unlikely hero.
Adopted.
College drop out.
He traveled to India to go 'find himself.'
On several occasions he used psychedelic drugs.
He built a company and was then fired from the very company he built.
He was a loser just like me and you.
But his losing was our gain.
He legitimized starting a business in your home, even your garage, giving the green light for many a start up.
He helped us to see that those thin threads in life can make the difference. Studying calligraphy at one time in his life, fueled his desire for font options later on.
Who knows maybe even his self professed dabbling with LSD even had an effect.
Here's what I do know.
Early on, on paper, he looked like just some other hippie loser with pie in the sky dreams.
But he stuck with his vision.
He believed his product(s) could make a difference.
He was the chief evangelist officer for his company and progress in his niche.
His legacy lives on in products yes.
But his real legacy to the rest of us losers, is that of overcoming adversity by taking action.
He is one amazing example of The Law of Influence. If you've read John C. Maxwell's book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, you''ll be familiar with that law You see leaders influence others, but first they influence themselves to move, to take action, to use most of their experiences as a lesson in learning. That is what Steve Jobs seemed to do. Looking back its easier to see. But when you're in the arena each day remember the lesson of one of the biggest losers yet influencers ever.
Loser? Join the club.
Influencer? Join that club too.
Who or what will you influence today?
