??Last week saw the Greek crisis take yet more twists and turns as European leaders continued to work on protecting the Euro from Greece defaulting and creating a 2008 style banking crisis in Europe and beyond.
Here in the UK, unemployment will this week hit a 17 year high as the economy continues to struggle whilst US banks such as Goldman Sachs began getting ready to announce a new wave of job cuts.
Meanwhile, Apple, the second largest company in the world (as measured by market capitalisation) announced it’s latest product – the new iPhone 4S. And, as usual, there has been a stampede of pre-orders as their business goes from strength to strength.
So what’s going on?
How can one firm be doing so well at a time when the rest of the western world is struggling? How can the producer of luxury mass market products have a waiting list when most consumers are cutting back?
For me, the following quote from the late Steve Jobs sums up why Apple are streets ahead of the rest:
“It’s not the consumer’s job to know what they want”
Whilst this sounds a little arrogant, Apple have built it’s business by anticipating the needs of consumers and creating some of the most powerful technologies in the world to help meet those needs and make our lives easier. To help us save time, become more organised, more productive, less stressed and more connected.
What’s more, they’ve done it by putting high quality design and great service at the centre of everything they do.
Like any business, they’ve had tough times over the years – but they got through those troughs by investing and innovating rather than simply cost cutting.
And that’s what you to be doing right now – INNOVATING.
Regardless of what happens to Greece, the banks, the economy or the job market – your success in these turbulent times will be based on your ability to innovate, your ability to create solutions for clients, employers and stakeholder – even if they don’t quite yet know they need them. When you do, they’ll think you’re a genius. And quite possibly protect you from whatever results from the economic woes we’re about to endure.
Talking of geniuses, much has been said and written since Steve Job’s death last week. He has been compared to many of the great industrialists of the past including Henry Ford – who famously once said: “If i asked my customers what they wanted, they would have asked for a faster horse”
This coming week, stop asking people about what they want. Instead – start anticipating. Start trusting your instincts. Be intuitive. Think out of the box and take some risks. Who knows, you may be able to avert a tragedy and become a genius in your own right.
Steve Jobs, 1955-2011. Rest in peace..
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