Why Steve Jobs is Still #1
In case you missed it, Steve Jobs was named CNBC’s #1 most influential leader of the last 25 years. He beat out Federal Reserve heads, political leaders, and media moguls. Why?
A commenter on the announcement pegged it on technical accomplishments. Jobs was responsible for technical wonders such as the improved Mac, the iPod, iPad, and iPhone.
He was, in this commenter’s language, “basically a genius in technology.”
A good point, though CNBC’s list is filled with tech geniuses. Six of the top 10 slots were given to techies. We’re talking heavyweights here: Ellison, Bezos, Zuckerberg, the Google guys, and Bill Gates (who sits at number two). Was Jobs more of a technical genius than any of these guys? Unlikely.
More than a Techie
Jobs didn’t hit the top of this list (just) because of his technical intelligence. His profile isn’t filled with discussion of his technical abilities. Instead his profile talks about his contributions towards “embedding technology in daily life,” and the way he revolutionized “everything from music and movies to smartphones,” and how “his vision spurred changes far beyond his industry and put an indelible stamp on the wider culture.”
Net, net: he reached out. His ideas extended out of the server farms and touched every corner of our lives. That’s why—even though we’ve all encountered the Windows logo more often in our jobs than that iconic apple—Jobs is number one and Gates is number two. Gates spoke to us as employees, but Jobs spoke to us as people.
