Steve Jobs passed away yesterday after his long battle with pancreatic cancer at age 56. And today, a lot of words are being tossed around to find the right words to describe him and the impact he made on the world.

Lots will be said over the coming weeks and months as people share their memories, thoughts, and impressions of the man behind Apple.

His impact reaches far beyond computers, iPhones, and iPads. He’s changed the way people access information, consume entertainment, and communicate with one other. He’s set the bar for product launches, product design, leadership, and more.

I’ve learned a lot just observing and pay attention to Apple and, more specifically, Steve Jobs over the past few years.

Vision – If I had to use one word to describe Steve Jobs, it would be “visionary”. He had a unique ability to see the future, so to speak. He could dial into what people were doing and what they were saying. He wasn’t interested in creating a better widget. He wanted to revolutionize industries. It’s not enough to look at your competition and say, “I want to be just a little better.” You’ve got to think big and take massive action. Apple didn’t create digital music nor was it the first company to come out with a “Smart phone” but through Steve’s vision, they set the standard to which everything else is compared.

Steve Jobs didn’t just have vision. He had MASSIVE vision which created massive movements globally. We all need to think bigger…

Culture – The Apple culture is one of the most successful achievements. The culture extends through the entire company to their customers. It’s no accident that when Apple stores are “destinations”. People go to the Apple store to “hang out”. Others have tried, like Microsoft and now Google, but it’s not the same. It’s not the storefront that makes it successful. It’s the underlying culture, service, and experience (more on that in a minute).

Another note on culture, which certainly extends beyond Steve’s reach… While most companies would have issued a statement about the loss of their CEO, leader, boss, and friend and then moved on to promote the brand new product launch that happened just 24 hours earlier. Yet, Apple has pushed sales to the backburner and made the home page a tribute in memory of Steve Jobs.

Passion – Steve Jobs never gave up. He retired from Apple less than a month before he passed away. Apple wasn’t a job to him. It was his passion. It was an extension of himself. Every product… every presentation… every product launch was personal. The pride he took in every aspect of the company is refreshing and all too uncommon in today’s high-paced world of

Experience – The “experience” that you have when you purchase an Apple product, visit an Apple store, or engage with a device is not by mistake. The customer experience is at the forefront of everything that Apple is and does. It’s not simply about getting a box in the mail with a big user manual that tells you what to do with it. Are you paying careful attention to the experience customers have when it comes to your business?

Leadership – There’s not much to say about this other than the fact that Steve led by example and was a part of the company. He was loved, respected and admired by his employees and managers. A strong leader can inspire an entire company as we’ve seen with Steve Jobs and Apple. He was more than a CEO or a boss to those that worked with him.

Here’s the email Tim Cook sent to Apple employees when it was announced that Steve Jobs had passed away.

Tim Cook’s email to Apple employees:

Team,

I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.

No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

Tim

Attention to Detail – This is one of the things that has stuck with me since I read the book “Inside Steve’s Brain” years ago. It brought to my attention the details in design, packaging, and experience. It was shortly thereafter that I bought my first Apple computer and monitor. When the package arrived, I went through it with fresh eyes and was impressed by every detail, knowing that it was all by design! Nothing was accidental. Not even how the piece of paper the instructions were printed on was placed in the box.

As the months and years pass, only time will tell what’s in store for Apple. Surely nobody can fill Steve’s shoes, but hopefully there is someone that can walk in his footsteps to keep the vision alive and moving forward, always keeping the core values in place…