Steven Paul Jobs Life - Essay Example

Steve Jobs How he became famous Steven Paul Jobs (1955 is a former CEO and co-founder of Apple Inc and Pixar Inc. During his entire work life, it is clear that Jobs is a transformational leader depicted in his style of leadership. Analysts characterize his leadership style as transformational to the extent Jobs becomes a paradigm case. The memory of his life and work will stand to shape how people think concerning transformational leadership. He was born on 24 February 1955 in San Francisco to Joanne Schieble and Abulfattah Jandali when they were students at University of Wisconsin. Joanne’s father did not approve the marriage and Steve as placed on adoption. Paul and Clara Jobs adopted young Steve and family lived in Silicon Valley, California. His elementary teachers recognized Steve as a bright and intelligent student and agreed he skip a class. During his high school years, the parents relocated to Cupertino. Steve could his father who was a machinist that tinkered used cars and later sold them. Steve together with his high school friend Wozniac liked to tinker electric circuits. After high school, his parents enrolled him in University of California, Berkeley while he insisted on joining Reed College. His experiences in that college led him to quit after being in that college for six months. As he comments while addressing grandaunts at Stanford University in 2005 he did not see the point of going through college and spending his entire money from his parents. At the Reeds College was a competent college in that it offered the best calligraphy in India. He took calligraphy classes where he learned different typefaces and combinations that enabled him years later to design the first Macintosh computer. After college, he briefly worked at Atari Computer Company. He left for India then back to California. His trip back to America made him experience culture shock. He quipped that Indian people depend on intuition while Americans use their intellect. According to Jobs intuition is powerful than intellect. Zen working relationship with Jobs influenced him faith in simplicity. Jobs collaborated with Wozniack and in 1976; the two classmates founded Apple Computer in Jobs parents’ garage. After the release of Apple II, the firm went public in 1980. Four years later the company launched Macintosh. As the firm grew Jobs vision of the future contradicted with the then CEO John Sculley. That led him to be eliminated from heading the Macintosh team. Jobs resigned from Apple Computer in September 1985. His elimination from Apple led him to experience devastation while he thought of starting all over. The heaviness of success was replaced by a lightness of being a beginner. That enabled him to enter one of the most creative periods of his life. Jobs founded NEXT Computer Company in 1986. Conversely, he purchased Pixar from the graphic-arts division of Lucasfilm. His famous life As Jobs struggled with NEXT computer, Apple nosedived and lost a considerable market share in personal computers. The introduction of Windows operating system threatened the success of Mac line for personal computers. The new operating system by Microsoft had good graphic user interface in comparison to Mac operating system. In addition to that, Apple lost the litigation that sought to prevent Microsoft from releasing Windows Operating System. The court held that authentic inventor of graphic user interface was Xerox and not Apple. Apple management was looking on a closure of the firm in 1996. They reflected on prior vision and drive of Jobs that would restore Apple in the market and they called on him to come back and lead the firm to success. Apple bought NEXT STEP for $400 million that had ultra modern design operating system. NEXT closed down as Jobs resumed working in Apple as an adviser in 1999; later he became the CEO of the firm. His first assignment was to identify talented engineers such as Avie Tevanian among others. Jobs worked with a feverish attitude as his strategic decision restricted the firm to four main products that included Power Mac, Power Book, iBook, and iMac. Jobs found iMac implementation in progress when he joined the firm for a second time. He designed modification to the product line to ensure it had a stand-alone desktop. The I prefix denote its internet enabled functionality. Jobs presented a finished product at an auditorium in Cupertino. Apple Consumers received the product with enthusiasm and restored the face of the firm in the industry of personal computers. The iBook product line consisted of a laptop version for iMac while the Power Book was a laptop version for professionals. In two years time with Jobs at the helm Apple returned as a profit making company. Prior to the end of 1999, consumer products such as camcorders and digital cameras became popular. Jobs perceived the need for improved software to process music, movies, and pictures. That led to the development of Apple as a hub of digital lifestyle. The first development consisted of a digital movie editing application for DVDs in iMac. That application of selecting music tracks and burning them on CDs became popular. Jobs vision consisted of making Apple user-friendly software to assist users in their creative work. His strategy entailed opening Apple retail stores to enable him implement that vision. His vision was successful as customers appreciated the products and once again, the firm’s sales skyrocketed. Later, Jobs designed iPod that consisted of a pocketsize music player that had an excellent user interface, attractive design, and 5GB disk capacity to store 1000 hours of music compressed in MP3 format. The iPod product line was an instant hit with its introduction in 200l.That heralded the entry of Apple in the consumer electronic industry. Apple established iTunes retail-music stores to market music. Most of the proceeds went to the producers while Apple interest was to sell more iPods. The latest iPod line in 2004 consisted of different applications other than playing music. The iPhone product line fulfilled Jobs vision of digital convergence. Apple negotiated with AT&T for the payment of royalties for every iPhone bundled sold. Some of the features of the product line included personal digital assistant, browsing the web, watching movies, taking photos, and downloading movies. The end of his Famous life After one-year lapse of iPhone project, Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and that left him devastated. The doctor attending him advised on surgery while he postponed it. He tried different medications and diets with the hope cancer would go away. Nine months later he went for operation and that saw the cancer go to recession. . After the surgery, he took leave while he maintained contact with the iPhone team. He later returned to guide the iPhone project to a successful end. Apple managed to sell eight different models of iPhone. Presently, the firm has sold more than 450 million units. In 2010, Jobs health deteriorated, that did not deter him from introducing the iPad line and the Apple Tablet Computer. The iPad and iPhone product line ran on the same operating system. Some of the unique features of the products included excellent user interface, high-resolution screen, and a virtual keyboard. Apple has currently sold more than 200 million iPads that enables a user to download Apps from Apple stores. Additionally, users can also develop Apps that need thorough testing before being sold to developers while they earn royalties. Apple had at least a million apps in its store as at 2012. Ipad was the last product that Jobs launched. His health slowly deteriorated as he passed on surrounded by his family that included his wife Laurene and his children Lisa, Reed, Evin, and Eve on October 5, 2011. During his life, he was not the best programmer or accomplished electronics engineer. He possessed a fine intuition that enabled him to visualize innovative products that captured the preference of the customers. Jobs was a firm believer of Leonardo maxim that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. His work lay in the intersection of art and engineering to inspire his followers to produce electronic gadgets that had unique looks and excellent functionality. Jobs was a marketing genius with panache for public speaking and legendary negotiating skills.. in summary, he was a great manager that defied the existing norms. At the time he was initially diagnosed with cancer, he knew death was imminent. In retro respect, his advice to the grandaunt from Stanford University was that no living person would embrace the idea of dying. The Christians that that believe in heaven after death cannot embrace of the idea of death to get there. Death is a common destination for humanity and no one can escape it. Death is the best invention of life since it is life’s change agent. Death clears out the old to make way for the new. The former CEO of Apple held that those graduating were new at that time and later on they would become old and cleared away. Consequently, we have limited time and it is essential to use it wisely. One should avoid the trappings of dogma of living with the results of other people’s thinking. One should not allow the noise of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice. Every individual should have the courage to follow their heart and intuition one their dream since that is ultimate. Works Cited "Steve Jobs 2005 Stanford Commencement Address." YouTube. YouTube, 12 June 2005. Web. 6 Dec. 2014. . Read More