A Jobs Well Done

With all the news related to Steve Jobs' resignation as the CEO of Apple, I had some thoughts.

It is the brand that makes the people or the people that make the brand?  Further, is it people or a person that makes a brand?

Could it be that the most valuable company in the Nation has been made by a single person?  Or was it more?

I once thought it was more, but recently I have changed my mind.  I think a brand without visible leadership is a name.  I compare Apple to American Airlines.  A clear leader versus what I consider to be a blur of lots of people making things happen.

Yes, Apple has lots of people too, but when I think of product, innovation, quality I think of Jobs and not the guy at the local Apple Store.

TECHNOLOGY

Steve Jobs Reshaped Industries

By DAVID POGUE

It's hard to imagine that we'll ever see another 15 years of blockbuster, culture-changing hits like the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad - from Apple or anyone else.

Somehow Apple was able to almost reincarnate Jobs' in each and every one of its employees.  An amazing feat if you think about it.  Each and every person I have interacted with at an Apple store seems to me to be a person that doesn't exist any where else in retail sales.  It's almost like Apple flew this massive group of aliens to Earth to serve mere consumers. 

Everyone one of them little Steve Jobs' clones walking around being Apple.  Not one of two of them - every one of them.

With all the debate about Apple's future success or failure without Jobs at the helm, if the new guy is able to embrace and fill the shoes of a very bold and cocky visionary who accepted nothing less than "follow this leader" the company will soar.

On the other hand if the company falls into the stale mold of a typical corporate structure of a constantly blurred vision governed by committee management Apple will eventually die a horrible death at the hands of another company with a strong, determined and focused leader.

So the conclusion I have made here?

Go out there and be passionate you.  Create a unique and different brand - starting with you and extending to many others.  Dump all the conventional wisdom and traditional thinking and kick it right out of current game into a new one!

Use Steve Jobs' legacy as an example, not as an exception. 

The best news is that it pays off in many ways and most importantly, it usually results in the creation of a more purposeful life.

And as for how this relates to reFreshing residential real estate?  We'll talk about that later.