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Kim Klaver

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  • Good-o. They’re five simple points which any of us ought to be able to do and thereby enliven and enhance our offering.

    Without wishing to be unfair… ‘ought’.

    I genuinely worry (and smile a little) at the prospect of the average NM-er adopting Jobs’ line. As an innovator, Jobs is well able to conceive and deliver his schtick with natural ease. And, being extremely intelligent with attendant arrogance, there’s a flair to his stuff that just cannot be copied.

    Most in NM aren’t innovators – hell, to be so would be alien to the philosophy whereby ‘replication’ is the grail. And, re-opening the worm can on the recent ‘low-level types’ (my paraphrase of the Calcanis remarks)… the majority of the distributors simply ‘ain’t that bright’ and often don’t even really think about what they’re doing – and just regurgitate what they’ve swallowed.

    I welcome ‘higher quality, more exciting and authentic pitches’… and, for avoidance of doubt, support your post in encouraging them. Just let’s not lose sight of relevant issues:

    Much of the talk in NM is of ‘leadership’… yet many don’t get it – thinking that ‘getting better’ is the route to leadership, whereas the true path is quite different: In Jobs-speak ‘Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower’. [‘Better’ just qualifies us for ‘management’.]

    There are a couple other important remarks fron SJ which offer much to the genuine thinker:

    ‘Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.’

    ‘Microsoft have no taste.’

    These (recognise genuine benchmarks and your own level), along with an obsession for quality and an unfailing ability to self-deprecate are vital.

    My point here is simple: rather than simply adapt and adopt the ‘Jobs technique’… we should understand where it’s coming from and bring that essence into our own stuff.

    Sermon over.

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