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Misunderstood: Steve Jobs and Apple

david_statue_narrowweb__200x2842.jpgApple is on a roll. And so is its co-founder Steve Jobs. Why?


In a world of muted, bland corporate identities and product designs, Apple dares to take a stand. Its corporate visual identity, store design and product designs are inspiring. They move people on an emotional level when most products utterly fail to inspire. Who can forget the Think Different ads featuring iconic individuals such as Gandhi, Einstein and Picasso, the animated ads featuring U2 performing their hit song “Vertigo,” or the stunning design of the iPhone? When critics of the iPhone complained that Apple sacrificed battery functionality for design, I thought to myself, “what did they expect?” Steve Jobs has an off the charts passion for aesthetic beauty and excellence. Understanding this is key to decoding what Jobs and Apple are all about. It also helps explain why they’ve been extraordinarily successful.

Let’s begin by making it clear what Steve Jobs is not.

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David Zinger: Connecting for the Cause

david-zinger.jpgPeriodically, I have the good fortune to meet someone whose selfless acts of goodness inspire me to write about him. David Zinger is one such person. He is the visionary who started the Employee Engagement Network that has become the online marketplace of ideas about employee engagement. David also maintains his own site entitled: Employee Engagement: Results That Matter. He is a tireless writer about all things regarding employee engagement. A few months back David reviewed my book. He liked it and decided to help raise awareness of my work. Some writers would view me as a competitor. Not David. Where others see a competitor, David sees a colleague who shares his passion to improve the lives of people in the workplace. He sent me and my co-authors pieces of rope as a symbol of the “Brotherhood of the Rope” that he has written about. His example inspired me and made me curious to know more about him and why he is so passionate about employee engagement. David was kind enough to oblige my request for an interview. Following is the result.

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The Connected Class

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Last week it was my honor to speak about Connection Cultures to the first graduating class of students in the MBA Program for Executives at the University of Virginia’s Darden Business School. It was thrilling to see how they picked up on the importance of connection at work and in life. As I spent more time with them, I began to see why connection resonated with the class of 2008.

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Share your thoughts with journalist William J. Holstein on his BNet Blog

William J. Holstein, the well-respected business journalist who writes for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week and other publications, described my new ebook on connection this way: “For those of us who write about business, every once in a while, a book or an article comes along that seems so simple on some levels yet communicates great wisdom. “The Connection Culture: A New Source of Competitive Advantage” is one such work.”  

On his blog, Holstein invites readers of The Connection Culture to share their thoughts. Would you consider sharing your reaction by posting a comment on Holstein’s BNet blog entitled “The Corner Office?”

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WCBS-AM New York City interview on the “Lonely Leader”

Earlier this week I spoke with Pat Farnack, WCBS New York City news radio’s daytime host, about how Eliot Spitzer appears to fit the profile of the lonely leader. Since the interview, several other political leaders around the world have confessed to extramarital sexual encounters including Spitzer’s successor.  Listen to this interview to find out what is often the root cause of this behavior and how it affects employee engagement when it comes to leaders.  Here is a link to the lonely leader interview.

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Make every employee a part of your team

 

GUEST: Michael Stallard

TOPIC: What are you doing to make sure your employees are engaged? Michael Stallard joins Jim to talk about how to make our team members feel that they actually have an important stake in the direction of the business.

Brought to you by The Small Business Advocate®

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Spitzer’s Self-Sabotage…Why?

When I first heard about New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s alleged involvement with prostitutes, I wasn’t surprised. I’m not condoning Spitzer’s behavior but there is more to the story that you’ll rarely see in the press. Let me explain why certain leaders resort to this brand of reckless and self-defeating behavior.

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Free EBook at Changethis.com

4406connectionculture_cover.jpgChangethis.com has posted my new downloadable, free EBook entitled The Connection Culture: A New Source of Competitive Advantage.  For all of those individuals you know who don’t have time to read Fired Up or Burned Out or who want to investigate further before purchasing a copy, this is a perfect introduction to the ideas of E Pluribus Partners including why we need to create Connection Cultures. Help us spread the word by forwarding a copy to everyone you know who needs to read it.

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CausePlanet.org features Fired Up or Burned Out in March

image001-12.gif CausePlanet.org selected Fired Up or Burned Out as its featured book summary for March.  CausePlanet.org is an organization that provides nonprofit executives and their board members from the business sector a one-stop source for news, articles, and recommended published works.  The book summary includes nonprofit applications and interpretations.  Nonprofit executives will get fast information about how the book is applicable to the nonprofit world and why they should buy it, as well as an author interview.   After readers have screened the summary for its relevance in their respective professional stations, they can click on a link to purchase it.

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Connector in Chief

Recently I read comments in The Economist about presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama that caught my eye. The British magazine wrote about Obama that he had the ability to deliver the “dose of unity” that America needs. Regarding McCain the same article pointed out that he had a long record of “reaching out to his political opponents.”

What I hear in these statements is that The Economist is recognizing that McCain and Obama are connectors. They build relational bridges to their political opponents rather than burn the bridges across the table.

Given the nasty partisan atmosphere in Washington these days and America’s declining reputation in the world, it may be that voters yearn for a president who reaches out and connects with others, both at home and abroad. Our research at E Pluribus Partners clearly establishes that great leaders have the ability to connect with people and increase connection among a group of people. In fact, a high degree of connection (or social capital as it is also referred to) is necessary for nations to thrive. The ability to bring people together is an essential skill to possess in order to be an effective president.

What do you think about McCain and Obama as connectors? Are you aware of any examples that would help us judge how these two candidates stack up when it comes to their history of increasing connection, community and unity among the people they were responsible for leading.