The Power of Dialogue in Decision Making -A Leadership Lesson
Lucasfilm wanted to sell its animation graphics division as it was bleeding cash, though the unit was at the forefront of technological innovations. Ed Catmull, the division’s head, went and met several investors along with Lucas. They faced rejections and near misses. Finally, one investor showed a deep interest. He was Steve Jobs.
Steve bought the animation graphics unit. Later, the division was called Pixar.
The Startling Discovery -In the beginning, Ed Catmull and his team were little apprehensive of working under Steve Jobs. They felt that Steve had a forceful personality. At times, he was impatient and blunt to people in the meetings. He wouldn’t hesitate to call people out if he sensed mediocrity or lack of preparation. His assertive character was a little intimidating for others.
Ed Catmull writes, “Sometimes, Steve would be inspirational but he could also be impossible: dismissive, condescending, threatening, even bullying.” It was a challenging time for Pixar’s team.
On the brighter side, the team found out that even though Steve Jobs dismisses an idea, if the person was brave enough to come back to him, he often respected it. He appreciated grittier and passionate people.