Why Steve Jobs Lost

In yesterday's post I discussed that in order for Jobs to reach the iconic light in which he is now seen, he had to maintain a singular focus in his life. He won big because he erased all except his target of building Apple into a revolutionary company. Why then, do I title a new post about him losing? Because Jobs lost as big as he won. And why did he lose? The culprit was that same singular focus that got him everything he wanted.

I say that Jobs lost because he lost a ton of relationships. His intense tunnel vision made him ignore employees, friends, his wife, and his children. Based on the contents of the book, filled heavily with interviews from the family itself, those relationships can not be termed victories. He was liked by many, respected by some, and loved by a few; but he left nearly everyone wishing he had done more.

Isaacson writes, "His primary focus was on his work. He was frequently aloof from his two younger daughters, estranged from Lisa (his first daughter whom he abandoned), and often prickly as a husband." His wife, regarding his behavior after one of his battles with cancer, had this to say: "I think it was hard on the family, especially the girls. After two years of him being ill, he finally got a little better, and they expected he would focus a bit on them, but he didn't. . .Like many great men whose gifts are extraordinary, he's not extraordinary in every realm."

A individual who worked closely with him said, "In ways, I still like the man, but I don't believe him."

One individual whom Jobs trusted professionally once challenged him, telling him that humiliating his workers was counterproductive. Jobs' only reply: "This is who I am, and you can't expect me to be someone I'm not."

The striking contrast to me is that at every product launch, Jobs had thousands of people begging for him, shouting and cheering and hanging on every word that he said. They came, practically throwing palm branches into the street, worshiping Jobs and whatever he had to sell. Sitting at home was a family wondering when it was their turn. That turn never came.

Perhaps it's not really a loss if the defeat comes in a game that one wasn't really playing wholeheartedly to begin with. That certainly characterizes Jobs (he admits as much in the text). However, it is a wistful, sorrowful tone that he uses in regret-filled reflections at the end of his life. His products will soon be obsolete, his company run in someone else's vision. What endures will be the memories of those who knew him best but never got to see him at his best.