The Better Business Bureau highlighted an article recently on Steve Jobs demonstrating the value of trust in leadership. Leaders like Apple’s famously difficult-to-work-for Steve Jobs demonstrate that leaders don’t need to be perfect people — but they do need to have the trust and respect of those who follow them.
The article, “It comes down to building trust and respect,” by Dave Obee (August 27, 2011 issue of Times Colonist (Victoria, British Columbia) states:
A true leader has trust and respect. A true leader will set out a vision or a goal, and encourage everyone else to work toward the same end. A true leader will get things done by showing that the result will justify a bit of pain.
Jobs has vision and values. He is not an easy person to work for – he is said to be a demanding boss who labours over petty details and expects his people to be 50 times better than average. Yet most Apple employees are absolutely devoted to him.
Again, his failings are forgiven, because the positives so outweigh the negatives. He delivered results, and since the best and brightest are happy to follow a proven winner, success leads to more success.