While we are on the topic of ego’s, I would like to share a special interview I had with Leander Kahney, who is the News Editor at Wired.com, and the author of the New York Times best seller, Inside Steve’s Brain, about Apple’s unique CEO, Steve Jobs. He’s also author of two award-winning books about technology culture: The Cult of Mac and Cult of iPod. The tech culture is absolutely obsessed with Steve Jobs, but his personal brand has been a mystery for ages. In this interview, I try and crawl into Leander’s head, so we can get a glimpse of the brand behind Jobs. Read as we unravel Steve’s brain and learn about his leadership, management and personality traits.
Leander, how did you manage to get inside of Steve Job’s head? Did you find anything interesting inside there, aside from a brain? Did you get to interview him or was the information based on research and assumptions?
Leander Kahney: I interviewed lots of people who have worked with Steve Jobs, as well as dozens of experts in technology, design and marketing. I did not get to interview Jobs — his PR handlers declined my requests — but he has given several in-depth interviews over the years, which I used as primary sources. I found that he’s surprisingly candid about his thought processes in interviews and product presentations. And yes, I found a lot of fascinating stuff “in there.” I thought I knew a lot about Steve — until I started to seriously research the book. The most interesting thing is how he’s turned his personality traits — his perfectionism, elitism and control freakishness –into business processes that turn out fabulous high-tech products.
How have the positive aspects of Steve’s personal brand outweighed the more negative ones?
Leander Kahney: This is a hard question because it’s traits like Steve’s perfectionism that are driving Apple’s success. And where some people see a negative trait like obsessive, fanatical attention to detail, others see an admirable refusal to compromise. It’s a matter of definition. Are these negative traits or positive ones. In the book, I argue that these “negative” traits are positive.
What are some lessons learned from his management, his inherent leadership abilities and the way he treats employees at Apple?
Leander Kahney: He has a reputation as a terrible screamer and shouter, but not enough has been made of his incredible charm and passion. He has a great ability to get others excited about fulfilling a vision. This has more to do with Apple’s success than yelling at people. Steve’s works hard to get people to “buy in” to his vision. He does this by arguing and debating everything the company does, from new product designs to new looks for its software. They go backwards and forwards until everyone is convinced the idea (or design, or interface) is a good one. After they “buy in,” to the idea, they’ll defend it to death.
Would you work for Steve and why?
Leander Kahney: I would definitely work for Steve. It won’t be easy, but he’ll demand I do the best work I’m capable of. And who wouldn’t want to find out what those limits are?
If we looked inside Steve’s head, would there be any thoughts of blogging or social networking in Apple’s future? Why is he so secretive?
Leander Kahney: No. Steve is not a ‘wisdom of crowds’ kind of guy. Plus he already has a huge network of bloggers and pundits working in his favor — the so-called Mac web, which even tracks container boxes for clues about new product plans. And this is why Steve is so secretive. He generates far more press by keeping secrets than revealing them. It’s integral to Apple’s marketing plan. He says he has a new product — but he won’t reveal what it is. The secrecy gets tongues wagging. The speculation teases the press, and then the actual product introduction is covered as a news event. News stories about new products are far cheaper — and much more effective — than paid ads.
