When Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007, it was a historic moment that changed the world of tech forever.
But amid the ground-breaking demo of what would become the most important consumer product created in the modern day, there was one small, often-overlooked moment that perfectly summed up why Jobs was such a legendary leader.
The late co-founder of Apple had qualities expected of any inventor or businessman of his legacy. As well as intense, Jobs was also regarded as a perfectionist and even sometimes ruthless in terms of management style.
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However, another key quality that Steve Jobs demonstrated in full force during the original iPhone’s presentation was that of levity — or simply put: humor.
During the demo, Jobs decided to prank-call Starbucks using the iPhone’s feature of utilizing Google Maps to search the location of one of the coffee shop chain’s local branches, find its phone number, and call the store directly.
When the Starbucks branch answered, Jobs said: “Yes, I’d like to order 4,000 lattes to go, please.” There was a brief pause before he speedily added, “Just kidding, wrong number,” and hung up.
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All in front of thousands of people there to watch the demo of the first iPhone, Steve Jobs had just stood on stage and executed a prank call on a nearby Starbucks.
On the surface, this might seem like a throwaway joke, just a bit of fun in an otherwise serious tech presentation. In reality, this moment was a masterclass in leadership. It showed a side of Jobs that people don’t talk about enough—his ability to use humor and spontaneity to connect with people.
Another example of this has been brought up by Ken Kocienda, the inventor of the iPhone’s original keyboard. In his book, Creative Selection, Kocienda recounted what Jobs did during the iPhone launch’s rehearsals, specifically after talking about Apple’s retail stores during the opening.
He explains: “Instead, Steve said, ‘Actually, here’s what I have to say to those people who said our stores would most certainly fail,’ and he clicked to a newly inserted slide. He played it perfectly straight, and his punch line killed.”
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“After a moment of stunned silence, the room rocked with laughter. Steve had to take five while everyone caught hold of themselves. It’s well known that Steve could be feisty, but he could also be genuinely funny.”, he said further.
That newly inserted slide in question was simply of someone with a cup of coffee alongside a caption saying “How about a nice big cup of shut the f**k up?”
When the stakes are high and there’s undoubted tension in the air, humor breaks down walls, keeps you grounded and reminds those involved that these creators, leaders, or proclaimed geniuses are human beings just like everyone else.
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This doesn’t mean that the leaders of today should be implementing a new joke every 30 seconds, but Jobs’ use of small-yet-effective hints of levity was an example of the fact that humor can remove some of the weight of the burden that leadership carries.
Steve Jobs knew that sometimes knowing when to lighten up can make you a true heavyweight in the world of leadership.