Steve Jobs Death Sad, Not A Tragedy

The world received the sad news on Wednesday that Apple founder Steve Jobs died at the age of 56.

News sites from every corner have eulogized his passing, some even hinting that it was a tragedy.

To be sure, it's surprising and unfortunate.  When someone with his wealth, access, resources, and mental strength succumbs to pancreatic cancer, you know it is truly an incurable disease.  Also, it always gives pause when someone still in his prime is struck down.

But does it rise to the level of "tragedy?" 

No.

Jobs lived a remarkable life.  He reached the heights in his profession, positively influenced history, and was a household name.

True tragedy is dying with your song still in you.

The amount of media coverage raises another question that no longer gets asked very often.

Was he a good man?  And does it matter anymore?

Without question, Jobs was iconic.  His story was an inspiring one, involving a young man and his business partner Steve Wozniak working in obscurity to pioneer new computer innovations.  Starting from nothing, they created Apple, and the Mac line of computers.

Then, in a sign of just how crazy, insensitive, and wrong the corporate world can be, Jobs was ousted from his position as the head of the company he founded.

That's an important story, because it emphasizes one of the many things that is flawed about today's business world.  Corporations no longer reward and applaud innovation or visionary thinking.  They only want profits.  Big profits.  If the profits aren't big enough, even a company's founder can be shown the door.

The bean counters and professional corporate handlers subsequently ran Apple into the ground.  That's not a surprise.  No hired gun can bring the same level of intensity, commitment, and vision as the guy who originally built the company.  To the job-jumping CEO's, it's a board game.  To men like Steve Jobs, it is a part of who they are.

During his time away from Apple, Jobs co-created the animated movie giant Pixar, which eventually got eaten by mega-corporation Disney. 

He also created a couple of failed computer competitors, including NeXT.

Then, after watching his beloved Apple turned into a third-rate computer company, Jobs returned as CEO.

He stunned the world by making, instead of the next whiz-bang lineup of computers, a music player called an iPod.  It was an enormous success.

Then, to top off that win, he again sidestepped the call of rolling out a new and better Apple computer.  He bucked all the odds and ignored the catcalls of Wall Street watchers who believed he was destined to run Apple back into the ground by jumping into the crowded, cut-throat telecommunications world.  The result was the iPhone, which is the undisputed king of smart cell phones.

His next trick was super-sizing the iPhone into the iPad, a gimmick which a lot of people thought was just a retread of the laptop computer fad.  As usual, they were wrong and he was right.  Now, an entire new industry of "tablets" has been created.  Moreover, tablets have been anointed as the PC killer that experts have been predicting since about two months after the PC was invented.  Even Hewlett Packard has run up the white flag, admitting that tablets are the future of computing by announcing that they are going to stop building PC's.

Steven Jobs is a business hero.

But the core question remains - is greatness defined today simply as the height and breadth of your accomplishments, or who you are as a person?

Once upon a time, such lofty accolades were reserved for those who not only had success, but also displayed a touch of humanity.  Mother Teresa immediately jumps to mind.  She didn't die a millionaire, but she was beloved and known the world over.  John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. were both recognized as protectors and promoters of their fellow man.  John Wayne was known for his soft spot in helping people and spending time with the common folk.

There are plenty of stories about Jobs' business and technology prowess, but not many warm and fuzzy tales of helping a sick child or donating millions to causes.  In fact, there are numerous reports of his sometimes ruthless nature in business.  He also had a wide streak of stinginess in not sharing Apple codes with programmers, or allowing other software writers to develop applications that would work on an Apple computer.  Other computer companies facilitated and encouraged such synchronicity, sharing the wealth created by their innovations with other software developers. 

As a child, your mother would have chided you for being selfish.  Today, it's considered "just business."

To be fair, Jobs never appeared on the police blotter or was photographed stoned, drunk, or stumbling into a car without underwear, which are common and accepted practices for today's celebrities.  No sex scandals, no Madoff-like corporate sleight of hand, no wife beating.

All of this is not to diminish the memory of a historic figure, or to speak ill of the dead.  It is to make the point that our interpretation of "greatness" has become skewed. 

Today, you can be considered great even if you've crushed some people under your wheels.  Nobody's handing out trophies for second place.  In fact, you'll even receive scorn if you finished second because you insisted on being ethical, humane, and compassionate.

The loss of Steve Jobs this week is sad and worthy of our attention and consideration.  It doesn't rise to the level of tragedy, although it will probably be seen that way by holders of Apple stock.

The loss of our standards as to what constitutes greatness, and the way we reward behaviors that would have made our mothers ashamed...that is a true tragedy.