Leading Apple With Steve Jobs: Management Lessons From a Controversial Genius

Companies with Values that Steve Admired

Though I came to Apple already admiring IBM’s values, I learned to admire one other company as well. Steve was always very impressed with Sony. In our visits to Japan and meetings with the company’s CEO and cofounder, Akio Morita, we were always struck by the remarkable attitude of all of Sony’s employees. We talked a lot about how Sony kept its entrepreneurial and product-orientation spirit alive. How did they communicate their values?

It was interesting to Steve and me that they did not have a values statement. Rather, it was part of the Japanese culture to be completely committed to one’s company and job. It was not specified in a document; they just lived it. But Sony did underpin the culture by providing its employees with certain perks that supported who they were.

Samsung on the other hand did have a written values statement. A few of the items were these:

People—A company is its people. At Samsung, we’re dedicated to giving our people a wealth of opportunities to reach their full potential.

Excellence—Everything we do at Samsung is driven by an unyielding passion for excellence.

Change—Change is constant and innovation is critical to a company’s survival.

Integrity—Operating in an ethical way is the foundation of Samsung.

Co-prosperity—A business cannot be successful unless it creates prosperity and opportunity for others.