A good friend of mine just forwarded an Apple commercial that was never aired in 1997. I find it a propos for our times. In fact, I think it is an excellent way to channel Steve Jobs. Goodness knows we all miss him–and his borderline crazy ideas–dearly:
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t-do is to ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
1. U.S. companies are still hoarding over $1.5B in cash.
2. Esteemed market makers are exhibiting inertia as well. Last week, the Guardian reported that Andrew Langhoff, the top European executive at the Wall Street Journal, resigned over a breach of ethics relating to a commercial deal designed to boost the newspaper’s circulation. That isn’t the worst part of the story. The reporter claims that the parent company, News Corporation, knew of the ethical breach five months ago, and chose not to take action.
3. My recent survey of 103 small B2B companies revealed that 66 percent of the respondents were either “unclear” or “unwilling” to invest any funds to address their growth challenges.
My friends, you can have the best products and services on the planet. You can even be a genius among peers. But if you allow complacency to thwart innovation, you will become sane. And Steve would be very disappointed in you.
copyright 2011, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.
