Stephen Ilagan's Blog

Few men have been as influential in shaping the way the world operates as Steve Jobs. Many credit Jobs with single-handedly lifting Apple one of the world’s most valuable and successful companies. With his passing, Apple now looks to Tim Cook to lead the way into the post – Jobs era.

This brings to question one thing: How much impact can individuals have on a business? Undoubtedly, there have been prime examples of individuals shaping not only their business, but the world around them. The Gates’, Fords, Edisons, and so on. Traditionally, as we are taught here in Sauder, running a business is as much a team effort than anything else. Would these men be in the same place without their “teams”? Or were they so driven that they influenced the people around them and pushed themselves to success? It’s a question that deserves some recognition, especially considering that many of us Sauderites are leaders in our ways.

Interestingly enough, I am currently reading Driven, written by Dragon’s Den host Robert Herjavec, a person who carved out individual success in his own right. He emphasizes the power of determination and “being driven”, and ultimately loving what you do in business and life. Funnily enough, these same points are emphasized in Steve Job’s 2005 Stanford Commencement Address.