Posted 9 months ago
Like what you do
Cory Watilo remembers this memorable day at work.
Steve Jobs came out and the whole theater burst into applause, and the clapping went on for minutes, with people standing and cheering. The success of the iMac was just becoming evident – the first act of Steve’s big return, leading from there to what Apple is now.
Steve let the applause go on for a little bit, then, with much effort, settled down the crowd. When things got quiet, the first thing he said was: “That’s an awful lot of applause considering that you guys are the ones who do all the work.”
Everyone leapt to their feet and applauded again for several minutes more, this time with Steve egging them on, applauding each other as a team.
That moment has since defined what I think about as leadership.
Michael Grothaus commemorates another such day.
For Tim Cook there are no dumb questions. When he answered me he spoke to me as if I were the most important person at Apple.
His look, his tone, the long pause was evidence enough that he genuinely gave thought to the concern I brought up.
Cheering your boss, getting cheered back. Taking a chance to ask a question. Being listened to.
We can all get there.
