Steve Jobs Called Him Nightly: Former Apple Retail Chief Ron Johnson on What People Get Wrong About Jobs
Ron Johnson, the former Apple executive who oversaw the creation of 350 Apple retail stores over 12 years, challenges the common perception that Steve Jobs was a micromanager. In an interview with Business Insider, Johnson describes Jobs as a great delegator who empowered his team by investing time upfront to build trust and communicate his vision. Johnson recalls that after about a year of nightly phone calls covering topics from Apple to family and faith, Jobs told him he had 'complete trust' in him. Jobs set a clear 'North Star' and high standards, then allowed his team to make operational decisions independently. Johnson's upcoming book 'Alternative Sales: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius' aims to highlight this aspect of Jobs' leadership legacy. Johnson also notes that while Jobs was deeply involved in the first Apple stores and flagship locations like Fifth Avenue, he gradually stepped back as priorities shifted to products like the iPhone.
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