Steve Jobs Pointed Out 1 Clear Sign to Spot Someone With Good Leadership Skills
When you have a talented group of individuals, a micromanager is the last person you want in charge.
This post is part of my Thought Leadership series: long-form articles aimed at teaching you how to build great work cultures where people and businesses flourish.
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Steve Jobs left behind a lasting impact with many vital lessons on success. One of the key lessons he taught was the importance of having faith in the people who work for you. More succinctly, spotting someone with good leadership comes down to one word: trust.
Jobs believed that if you give smart, talented people the right tools and resources, they’ll exceed your expectations. In Walter Isaacson’s biography Steve Jobs, he shared that his goal was to build a company that focused on people first. While products and profits were still important, they came second to valuing the team.
Trust people to do good work
Jobs said in the book:
I’ve learned over the years that when you have really good people, you don’t have to baby them. By expecting them to do great things, you can get them to do great things.
Jobs had this amazing ability to be incredibly inspiring, so his closest network of designers and engineers would have done anything for him. He knew how to “infuse Apple employees with an abiding passion … and a belief that they could accomplish what seemed impossible,” according to Isaacson’s biography.
It all comes down to trusting your team’s abilities to get the job done. When you have a talented group of individuals, micromanaging is counterproductive. Instead, focus on trusting their skills and judgment. Provide clear expectations, set goals, and then step back to let your team shine. This trust empowers your team and fosters a sense of ownership and accountability.
The prerequisites
There are prerequisites involved. Leaders can’t rely on positional authority alone to get things done. And yet, more than ever, they face business challenges that call for higher levels of innovation, knowledge, and human skills. So, what actually matters to gain people’s trust? Three things:
1. Character
Working in integrity means that you don’t question your character. As the famous saying goes, it’s doing the right thing even when no one is looking, especially when the choice isn’t easy.
Character means staying true to yourself and your values, even when you’re faced with serious consequences for the right choices that you’re making–like, perhaps, losing a job or walking away from a shady partnership or business deal. Is your character willing to take that hit?
When you listen to your heart and make choices aligned with character, you simplify your life and live in peace. Your actions are now open for everyone to see, and you don’t have to worry about hiding anything. As Tony Dungy once said, “Integrity — the choice between what’s convenient and what’s right.”
2. Influence
Trust is the foundation of influence. When people trust you, they’re more likely to listen to your ideas, follow your lead, and support your decisions. That’s influence. It also increases your credibility. When team members or colleagues believe you are reliable and honest, they are more inclined to value your input and direction. They trust that your intentions are aligned with their best interests and the team’s goals.
If you want to gauge your influence, observe the respect and admiration you receive when your actions align with your words. If you have influence, you might lose a friend or business partner, but those who truly matter will stand by you. This is the power of influence–it strengthens your relationships with those who share your mission and values.
3. Competence
That thing we call trust isn’t worth a hill of beans if a leader can’t demonstrate knowledge and expertise in his or her particular line of work. Competence builds confidence in people. And their confidence in an influential leader with competence will ultimately deliver excellence and results.
Steve Jobs’s classic quote highlights the powerful truth that people often live up to the expectations placed upon them. By trusting people’s abilities and expecting great things from them, you create a culture of excellence that motivates everyone to deliver their best work. The key is to empower, support, and challenge your team in equal measure, fostering an environment where greatness can truly thrive.
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You’ve arrived at a place dedicated to helping you grow as a leader. To get started, click the red button below, and I’ll do everything I can to provide you with insights, tools, and pathways to help you lead with greater clarity, impact, and care.
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🎙️Listen to the Love in Action Podcast: Join deep, engaging conversations with top business experts and explore how practical love and care are great for people and profits. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.
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