Harvard Business Review - 2012.04.pdf

Be Like Steve JobsSeveral weeks ago,Walter Isaacson,the author of last years remarkable biography of Steve Jobs,asked if he could write about Jobs one more timefor Harvard Business Review.Jobss death,last October,unleashed a great wave of columns and articles about the meaning of the Apple CEOs life and work.But in Walters view,a lot of that analysis was off the mark.In a grace-ful,compelling essay in this issue,he outlines what he considers to be the true leadership lessons of Steve Jobss career.Heres the main takeaway,which too many commentators failed to grasp:You dont have to be a freak to be like Jobs.You dont have to be a genius or,for that matter,a jerk.Jobss success wasnt magical;indeed,anyone can benefit from the lessons behind it.In a telling passage,Walter says that he once asked Jobs what he considered to be his most important creation.The answer wasnt the iPad or the Mac;rather,it was building Apple into an enduring company.“How did he do it?”Walter writes.“Business schools will be studying that question a century from now.”My guess is theyll draw their insights primarily from Walter Isaacson,who had unique access to Jobs and his world.Speaking of Apple,this is an ideal opportunity to announce the launch of HBRs new iPad edition.For months we have produced a facsimile version of the magazine,available through the Zinio newsstand.Now were offering a truly enhanced version,produced in cooperation with ScrollMotion,that integrates into one platform everything we do at HBR.After sampling other iPad magazines and speaking with our fans,we became convinced that what users most want isnt multimedia bells and whistles but utility(the very idea that led Jobs to embrace simplicity).With the new HBR iPad app,youll get a great reading experience,intuitive navigation,easy sharing via e-mail or social media,and the ability to comment on articles.Were already planning enhancements,including ways to bundle print and iPad subscriptions.Check it out at the App Store.Adi Ignatius,Editor in Chiefhbr.org12 harvard business reviewApril 2012From the E the Way You Want To,”by Ellen Goodman:“Taking charge of your last days eases everyones burden.”While the desire to die at home may be reasonable,the cost to the caregiver can be far greater than most people would ever realize.Few caregivers(often elderly spouses)are trained to handle the demands of the dyingparticularly when the dying process lasts for an extended period of time.Judith P.Hunt,retired business administratorHaving the conversation before the decline makes sense.We as a society can help relieve the caregivers burden by enhancing awareness of the options that are available,including hospice,which can allow the family to share last moments with far less stress and physical eff ort.But talking about this option requires deep acceptance of the issuethats what“having the conversation”means.Nora Miller,freelance writer and editor“Give People Shares of GDP,”by Robert J.Shiller:“We can solve the debt crisis by replacing T-bills with Trills.”In the fi nancial world,equity(usually)means ownership.I assume that buying Trills(each a trillionth of a countrys GDP)would not imply ownership.You couldnt mount a hostile takeover of Greece by buying all its Trills,I presume.David Kaiser,CEO,Dark Matter ConsultingWhat is the diff erence between a Trill and existing,national currencies?It seems as though your new share system is essentially a diff erent way of transitioning away from fi at currencies.Chris Pawlik,founder and CEO,Energy-Producing Retail Realty“Double Down on Start-Ups,”by Bruce Gibney and Ken Howery:“The most sen-sible VC investments are the boldest.”There are certain problems that are too complex for any one investment fi rm.One strategy is for diff erent companies to team up to address such problems and further explore the opportunities they present.If VCs want to play a role in fostering disrup-tive change,they need to connect the play-ers beyond their typical networks.Sonal Chokshi,manager of content and community,and Lawrence Lee,director of strategy,PARCHBR article,JanuaryFebruary 2012The global economy teeters on the edge of recovery,governments are paralyzed,and companies remain highly averse to risk.Amid austerity,this years list of breakthrough ideas featured audacitybold(but pragmatic)ideas for solving the problems the world faces today.Experts and leaders across many disciplinesincluding business,economics,science,and policypropose big ideas for big problems.The HBR List of Audacious IdeasWhen to Give Up on Your GoalsHBR blog post by Dorie Clark,February 2012Clark describes abandoning a goal to“play squash with my friend Ben three times a week”and how powerful the act of quitting can be.The authors analysis of her life experi-ence wasnt rigorous enough.Nobody has just one goal.Everybody has a whole set of them.As she observes,context and priorities are in a state of perpetual motion and change.So the big point here isnt to know when to give up on y