In the spring of 1992, Steve Jobs delivered a speech to students at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. According to MIT, the speech was a bit of a surprise as it was the result of one student’s efforts whose sister had recently married Jobs.
In a lecture lasting just over an hour, Jobs shares stories from Apple and NeXT, the startup he founded after leaving Apple, and talks about the lessons he learned the easy and hard way.
One of those lessons can be heard at the 51st minute of the video. At that point, a student asks him the following question: What is the most important thing you personally learned at Apple, and which serves you now at NeXT?
Before he answers, Jobs pauses for a moment. After about twenty seconds of thought, he offers the following response:
– Now I look at people more long-term. In other words, when I see something not being done right, my first reaction is not to fix it – my first reaction is to say: we are building a team here. And we will do great things, not just next year, but over the next ten years. What I need to do is help the person who is not doing it right to learn, instead of fixing the mistake.
This is one of the bigger lessons that everyone leading a team or group project should learn, notes Inc.
Teach, Don’t Fix
When someone on the team struggles with a problem or makes a mistake, it can be hard not to jump in and solve that problem. But as Jobs emphasizes, that won’t help either the person or the company in the long run.
It is much better to use those mistakes as learning opportunities.
For example, you can tell a story where you made a similar mistake and what you learned from it. By sharing those lessons, you allow the other person to benefit from your experience, but ultimately learn for themselves. This way, you become more approachable, and people will see you more as a teacher or mentor, not just as a boss or manager.
You can also use mistakes to build loyalty and trust. How, you ask?
Your employees need to know that you have their backs. This is important because mistakes will happen regardless. Those who work make mistakes. If you encourage instead of belittle, people will be motivated to give their best.
Remember, mistakes are not bad: they are inevitable. When they happen, think long-term and be positive: encourage, provide support, and share something from your experience.
