harvard business review

posts about #harvardbusinessreview more →
Harvard Business Review Says Steve Jobs Is a Horrible Manager

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

nutbastard
07/06/09

In reply to Harvard Business Review Says Steve Jobs Is a Horrible Manager
on the whole parking thing - he OWNS that parking lot. the whole thing. it's HIS.
Reply

nutbastard was starred nutbastard was unstarred

Hello Mister Walrus
07/06/09

@nutbastard: Technically, don't the shareholders own the parking lot?
Reply

Hello Mister Walrus
07/06/09

@Hello Mister Walrus: It also occurs to me that if it was up to Steve Jobs, there probably would be no handicap parking spots.
Reply

golferal - Now with no Segway!
07/06/09

@nutbastard: Bullshit, unless Jobs owns 100% of the stock, which he does not. Either, he is not above the law.
Reply

superhappyfuntime
07/06/09

@nutbastard: except not. The property belongs to the company, which is owned by the shareholders. Also, handicapped parking is a federal requirement, as are the laws you break when you park in one.

You're logic would be like saying that a headmaster of a boarding school could sleep with the dorming children, after all ,they own all the beds right?
Reply

superhappyfuntime was starred

Pope John Peeps II
07/06/09

@superhappyfuntime: I'm sorry, is that NOT CORRECT

*tears up application to be headmaster of all girl's cheerleading catholic school*
Reply

Pope John Peeps II was starred

nutbastard
07/07/09

@golferal - has no need for a snarky screen name:

im not making a rational argument here - nor a legal one - just an observational one.

Jobs == Apple, and what kind of overly litigious society do we live in when the CEO of a huge corporation has to obey some law that tells him how to park on his company property?
Reply

nutbastard was starred nutbastard was unstarred

D0rk
07/06/09

In reply to Harvard Business Review Says Steve Jobs Is a Horrible Manager
This pretty much solidifies my belief that Apple is not going to be a long standing company. It will either die in the hands of Jobs(though, not due to stupid stuff like the parking spot issue), or shortly after his departure.
Reply

D0rk was starred D0rk was unstarred

lostarchitect
07/06/09

@D0rk: yes, you should believe everything you read online.
Reply

lostarchitect was starred lostarchitect was unstarred

D0rk
07/06/09

@lostarchitect: Yep, because my comment totally proved that I have believed in every single thing I have ever read online. You sir are a terrible troll.
Reply

D0rk was starred D0rk was unstarred

Hello Mister Walrus
07/06/09

@D0rk: Why do you think Apple will go out of business any time soon? I'm just curious. I believe they will be around for a very long time. 2008 was a once-in-a-lifetime deal. Huge juggernauts of companies don't typically go belly up for no reason.
Reply

justinpe
07/06/09

In reply to Harvard Business Review Says Steve Jobs Is a Horrible Manager
Horrible managers don't build great companies. His management style may be abrasive or whatever word you want to use to describe it, but it must be effective on some level.
Reply

justinpe was starred justinpe was unstarred

Hello Mister Walrus
07/06/09

@justinpe: The article is saying that Steve Jobs has good management traits, hence his success. However, he is a jerk. So, we should emulate the parts of his management style that contribute to success, while trying to avoid being a jerk.
Reply

jdale
07/06/09

In reply to Harvard Business Review Says Steve Jobs Is a Horrible Manager
And yet people believe Apple will tank if he leaves.

It could also improve....
Reply

jdale was starred jdale was unstarred

Hello Mister Walrus
07/06/09

@jdale: That used to be the case. However, it's different now. AAPL stock doesn't move when they announce something about Steve Jobs' health any more. Apple has a lot of smart people besides Steve Jobs, and people realize that.
Reply

Nintenboy01
07/06/09

@Hello Mister Walrus: Jobs has always been more of a showman and brutal negotiator than an inspired genius.
Reply

Nintenboy01 was starred Nintenboy01 was unstarred

Hello Mister Walrus
07/06/09

@Nintenboy01: I would call him a genius. Maybe not a math/physics Einstein sort of genius, but at least a marketing and presentation genius. The market is just saying "so what?". None of his skills cannot be replicated through some combination of other people, and Apple can afford to hire the best people in the business.
Reply

TheShredder
07/06/09

In reply to Harvard Business Review Says Steve Jobs Is a Horrible Manager
Harvard business school is no longer a legitimate standard to judge business administration by. They are a joke.

They're responsible for the quantity over quality era we are in.

They think running a soda company is the same as running a major car company.

Being a successful CEO requires passion for products. No one can say Jobs isn't passionate about apple.
Reply

TheShredder was starred TheShredder was unstarred

Hello Mister Walrus
07/06/09

@TheShredder: You don't really know what you are talking about, do you? Way to make sweeping generalizations.
Reply

zeroprime
07/06/09

In reply to Harvard Business Review Says Steve Jobs Is a Horrible Manager
This just in: rain is wet, more at 11.
Reply

zeroprime was starred zeroprime was unstarred

Lite: hates Illinois Nazis
07/06/09

@zeroprime: Last I knew it required surgery to install a new liver. Just like the battery on everyone's damn iPhone...
Reply

Geisrud
07/07/09

@Act Now and get a 4th Celebrity Death Free!: Lite: Indeed. Neither are "user-serviceable" parts. They need to be replaced by qualified individuals.
Reply

Geisrud was starred Geisrud was unstarred

LessthanZach
07/06/09

In reply to Harvard Business Review Says Steve Jobs Is a Horrible Manager
I wish he'd stop wearing the typical black turtleneck and blue jeans combo. How about a nice chic suit jacket and some designer slacks or something cool like that. I dunno, for how much money he makes, he should just dress like a business man.
Reply

LessthanZach was starred LessthanZach was unstarred

Hello Mister Walrus
07/06/09

@LessthanZach: I think the fourth strip in this comic illustrates the answer: [gizmodo.com]
Reply

MegaZone
07/06/09

@LessthanZach: Why should he 'dress like a business man'? What does a dress code handed down from over a century ago have to do with anything? Wearing a suit doesn't make anyone better at their job, it is just a silly social construct and prejudice. For that matter, having lived and worked on both coasts, Jobs *is* dressing like many business men from California. Things are a lot more laid back there and it is not uncommon to see CEOs not wearing the traditional suit - and I think that's great. New England/New York is still a lot more uptight about such things.

Fuck what other people think is 'cool', wear what you want. Especially if you, like Jobs, really don't have to care. That's one of the perks of being successful.
Reply

MegaZone was starred MegaZone was unstarred

NurseDave
07/06/09

In reply to Harvard Business Review Says Steve Jobs Is a Horrible Manager
Ya, well.....ipods rock. Frigging take up three spaces for all I care.
Reply

NurseDave was starred NurseDave was unstarred

Bustout
07/06/09

@NurseDave: No they don't! They're piece of crap devices that happen to be the best available. Don't confuse that with a truly good device.
Reply

Bustout was starred Bustout was unstarred

Hello Mister Walrus
07/06/09

@Bustout: "best available"

That's actually sort of a stretch. Most popular, yes.
Reply

carterdea
07/06/09

@Hello Mister Walrus: What is better in your opinion? [can't say Zune HD yet]
Reply

carterdea was starred carterdea was unstarred

Hello Mister Walrus
07/06/09

@carterdea: "Best" implies that there is a quantifiable measure that people agree on, while generally there is not. For instance, I own a Sony mp3 Walkman as it has features that I value - noise canceling, good sound quality (better than iPods), and FM radio. Other things that the iPod is better at, like video playback, are not as valuable to me. Since this is a subjective valuation, I don't find it reasonable to say that any mp3 player is the best without qualification.
Reply

opazhman
07/06/09

In reply to Harvard Business Review Says Steve Jobs Is a Horrible Manager
How lazy do you have to be to take up two parking spaces?
Reply

opazhman was starred opazhman was unstarred

darway
07/06/09

@opazhman: For me, anyone who is not handicap and uses those spaces should have their car impounded, crushed and set on fire. Seriously, those people are pricks.
Reply

darway was starred darway was unstarred

BlueToast
07/06/09

@darway: I Couldn't agree more. Or the people who park their motorcycle BETWEEN the handicapped spots. You know, were you unload the wheelchair to. Those people suck.

Of course they all justify it the same way. "oh i'm only gonna be a second, and you're not handicapped, so what's it to you?"
Reply

BlueToast was starred BlueToast was unstarred

Project_J187
07/06/09

@BlueToast likes parenthises.: That's when I pull out the trusty plaster leg brace I keep in the trunk. The one I keep only for this reason.
Reply

Project_J187 was starred Project_J187 was unstarred

kylenalepa
07/06/09

@opazhman: I know. It takes great self-restraint to not key every car I see that's parked across two (or, depressingly, even four) spaces.

Parking in handicapped spots never really bothers me. I don't do it, but I've never seen a parking lot that didn't have an abundance of empty handicapped spaces. It's especially annoying to have to park in the middle of nowhere because whoever designed the parking lot decided (or was forced) to designate a full third of it as handicapped.

What does annoy me are the people who use the motorized carts in grocery stores just because they're too fucking fat and lazy to walk to get their groceries and instead feel that it's fair to take up the entire aisle with their scooter and their enormous ass.
Reply

kylenalepa was starred kylenalepa was unstarred

BlueToast
07/06/09

@kylenalepa: What annoys me is when people assume that because someone is fat, they can't have anything wrong with them that would make it painful to walk around.

"Hey...that person is in a motorized cart, and they have legs, but, but,..Oh wait they're fat. They just need to stop being lazy!"
Reply

BlueToast was starred BlueToast was unstarred

BlueToast
07/06/09

@BlueToast: I'd heart-click you if I could.
Reply

BlueToast was starred BlueToast was unstarred

okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)
07/07/09

@BlueToast likes parenthises.: @BlueToast likes parenthises.: You ok `lil buddy? :/
Reply

kylenalepa
07/07/09

@BlueToast likes parenthises.: I should have been more clear. I'm talking about people who I see walking without apparent impairment while also using the cart. For example, I've seen people walk just fine from the parking lot into the store, only to grab one of the motorized carts. It's possible that they may legitimately need them, but if the evidence suggests that they can walk just fine, I tend to assume that they're just lazy.

Obviously, I have no problem with people who use the carts because of a real handicap that prevents them from walking.

Sorry if I came off as a jerk!
Reply

kylenalepa was starred kylenalepa was unstarred

Jake712
07/07/09

@kylenalepa: My wife uses handicapped parking and "walks without apparent impairment". She doesn't use a motorized cart in the store because of the stigma although especially on her bad days I wish she would. I understand how she feels though, people with your beliefs are common and few of them polite.

She is not at all overweight and visually appears to be in good physical condition. She also wears high heels, even her casual shoes have high heels, see if you can figure that one out.

All this to say you really need to stop thinking that you can somehow tell from looking if someone has a "real" handicap. Hers is real and she'd trade that handicapped sticker in a heartbeat if someone could take the pain away.

And the reason for the high heels is to help keep weight off the back of her feet.
Reply

Jake712 was starred Jake712 was unstarred

kylenalepa
07/07/09

@Jake712: I understand and hope that she is able to walk more easily without pain in the future. I'll try and be more understanding of people using the carts in the future. Even though I'm sure that at least some of the people using them could do without, I'll make sure to remember that despite what visual evidence I have, I'll never have the full story and should give them the benefit of the doubt.

I apologize for any offense I caused.
Reply

kylenalepa was starred kylenalepa was unstarred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

#harvardbusinessreview

Gizmodo

Gizmodo Team

Harvard Business Review Says Steve Jobs Is a Horrible Manager

#harvardbusinessreview

Gizmodo

Gizmodo Team

SUBSCRIBE TO Gizmodo

Harvard Business Review Says Steve Jobs Is a Horrible Manager

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment