Steve Jobs' Leadership Lesson 4 - When Behind, Leapfrog

Isaacson* believes that an innovative company isn't only one that comes up with new ideas, but one that "leapfrogs when it is behind".  He cites the iTunes-iTunes Store-iPod combination that changed the industry - making CDs obsolescent for swapping music -  when Jobs discovered his error in not providing the Mac with a CD burner.

The broader lesson is that continuous improvement must be coupled with "breakthrough" innovation for a company to progress and dominate its markets.  The lesson for those who are passed by is that competitors don't always respond to competitive disadvantage by emulating the successful player(s).  They may also change the game and send everyone else "back to zero"**.

Next: Lesson 5 - Put Products Before Profits

*Adapted from "The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson, in hbr.org. 

**Barker, J. A. 1993, Paradigms: The Business of Discovering the Future, HarperBusiness