Steve Jobs Said Hiring Seasoned Professionals At Apple Didn’t Work Because ‘Most Of Them Were Bozos’ Who Didn’t Know How To Do Anything
Steve Jobs wasn’t one to sugarcoat his opinions. The late Apple cofounder, whose visionary leadership forever changed our thinking about technology, had a knack for cutting through the noise. And when it came to hiring managers, he didn’t hold back. Jobs once famously said, “Most of them were bozos.”
That’s right – bozos. In a 1985 interview posted to YouTube, Jobs reflected on Apple’s early struggles with professional management. “We went out and hired a bunch of professional management and it didn’t work at all,” he admitted. “Most of them were bozos. They knew how to manage, but they didn’t know how to do anything. And so if you’re a great person, why do you want to work for somebody you can’t learn anything from?”
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The “No Bozos” Rule
Jobs wasn’t interested in people who simply looked good on paper. Instead, he demanded passion, expertise and originality. “We wanted people that were insanely great at what they did,” he explained. Seasoned professionals? Forget it. Jobs believed the best ideas came from people who were hands-on, not those just punching the management clock.
“The greatest people are self-managing,” he said. “They don’t need to be managed. Once they know what to do, they’ll figure it out. What they need is a common vision and that’s what leadership is.”
Why the Best Managers Are Reluctant Leaders
One of Jobs’ more surprising takes was that the best managers often don’t want to manage at all. “They’re the great individual contributors who never ever want to be a manager,” he said, “but decide they have to be a manager because no one else is going to be able to do as good a job as them.”
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In other words, Jobs didn’t buy into the idea that management was a steppingstone to success. For him, great leaders didn’t chase titles – they stepped up only because their skills and dedication made them the best people for the job.
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