Four Defining Steve Jobs Personality Traits

When it comes to influential leaders in our world today, no individuals can shine quite as bright as the late Steve Jobs. While Jobs was many things to many people around the world, there is no denying that he was a true innovator as the creative genius behind one of the world’s biggest brands. Although Jobs is no longer here, there is still a great deal that can be learned from his life and his legacy, particularly from his unique personality. Here are four of the most defining personality traits that made Steve Jobs such a poignant figure in our world.

He was Passionate

Above all things, Steve Jobs was a passionate man. He believed that his passion drove his perseverance and his ability to keep working no matter what challenges were in his way. He was quoted as saying that passion is the key to fueling a person’s journey and was clearly passionate with everything he did, particularly his now world famous product presentations. With his signature black sweater and over-the-top delivery, his presentations were more similar to a rock concert than a product launch, but it was his passion that truly made people believe that he was not just selling a new phone or tablet, but the world’s best phone or tablet.

He was Confident

To say Steve Jobs was confident may be an understatement, in fact, many people would define him as narcissistic, meaning that he was self-confident, self-centered and had the tendency to execute bold and disruptive strategies. This is how the Journal of Applied Psychology defines narcissism and how many people defined Steve Jobs.

While this may sound as though it has a negative connotation, in Steve Jobs’ world this was actually a very valuable quality to have. While his confidence often bordered on arrogance, it was Jobs’ confidence that helped him launch some of his most successful ventures in history. In fact, he was known for believing in his products so much that he never blamed his creations when they didn’t work, he simply found something to be done to improve them.

He was Rebellious

One of the many things that set Steve Jobs apart from others was his rebellious nature. Jobs was known for always doing things his way, no matter what the status quo was or how it made him look. At times his rebellious nature rubbed people the wrong way, while other times it was the key to his innovations. Jobs was known for doing everything different, including walking around barefoot in public. Rebelliousness can cause trouble, but it can also help you command respect and show others you are not afraid of thinking or acting outside the box.

He was Ambitious

There are so many people that claim to be ambitious or state that they have the ambition needed to succeed, but when it comes to true ambition, very few people can compare to Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs did not just want to find success for himself; his ambitions were to change the world with his work. When he was first starting out, Steve Jobs was quoted multiple times saying he wanted to change the world, influence the world and to leave a mark behind when he left. These were the types of goals that motivated Steve Jobs, and it was this ambitious nature that led him to be one of the greatest leaders and visionaries of our time.

If you are looking to boost your leadership skills and want to look to one of the most influential leaders of all time, then keep these unique personality traits of Steve Jobs in mind. While some of these traits are things we are all simply born with or without, there are ways you can work on your passion, confidence, ambition and rebellious nature. These traits will carry you far, provide you use them at the right times.