# Steve Jobs Believed Exceptional Leaders Do 1 Thing Most Bosses Struggle With

> Steve Jobs' leadership secret: letting smart people lead instead of controlling them.
- Title: Steve Jobs Believed Exceptional Leaders Do 1 Thing Most…
- Summary: Steve Jobs' leadership secret: letting smart people lead instead of controlling them. Steve Jobs believed exceptional leaders should step aside to let others…
- Keywords: steve jobs, leadership, apple, hiring, decision making, servant leadership, executive coaching, Steve, Jobs, Believed, Exceptional, Leaders
- Source: Inc — https://inc.com/marcel-schwantes/steve-jobs-believed-exceptional-leaders-do-1-thing-most-bosses-struggle-with/91423703
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: steve jobs, leadership, apple, hiring, decision making, servant leadership, executive coaching
## Steve Jobs' leadership philosophy
Steve Jobs understood that hiring brilliant people meant little if you weren't willing to listen to them, especially when they disagreed with you.

> it doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do
## Why freedom matters for innovation
Jobs knew that apple's success depended on talented people working together, sharing expertise, and having the freedom to solve difficult problems.
## Customer insights from frontline staff
Employees closest to customers often have insights executives sitting several levels above them simply don't understand.
## Servant leadership approach
In an ideal world where c-suite leaders demonstrate servant leadership, the better approach is to give capable people authority to make decisions.
## Jobs' 1994 insight
During a difficult chapter of his career, jobs shared an important insight in a 1994 interview with rolling stone.
## The leadership lesson
The smartest thing a leader can do is step aside and let others take the lead when they challenge conventional thinking.
## What this means for modern leaders
Modern leaders should give capable people the authority to make decisions and remove unnecessary approval layers that slow everyone down.
## The consequence
Exceptional leaders who step aside to let others challenge their thinking create more innovative solutions and better products.
## Key takeaway

Steve Jobs believed exceptional leaders should step aside to let others challenge their thinking, not dictate decisions.