Steve Jobs passed away this week. A lot will be said about how his passing turned out the light of creative imagination for the technology industry. While he was one of the brightest lights and nothing here should detract from that, he was still just one “hungry, foolish” person trying to live up to what he was designed to do. Now many are asking, “Who will be the next Steve Jobs?” In my opinion, this is the wrong question to ask.
My question is why don’t we have a thousand Steve Jobs emerging every day of the week. Why aren’t there lots of Steve Jobs in every company, in every government office, and in every community. Why have we stifled creativity and how can we recapture the entrepreneurial spirit vital to regaining a strong economy?
In 1984, Steve Jobs announced the birth of the Macintosh with a stunning advertisement during the Super Bowl and changed the way individuals approached technology. In the ad, a young woman runs full-bore into a conference room of drab, gray, dusty men. As she approaches the platform, she twirls and throws a large hammer into the screen that explodes into a world of color. With that one ad, Apple threw down the gauntlet to other technology companies who were bent on harnessing work forces like galley slaves. Jobs and his team announced freedom for the individual to work creatively and release their imaginations. But, what’s this got to do with golf?
Some might suggest that the difficulties that the golf industry has experienced over the last couple of years are related to the economy and others point to the absence of Tiger, but I’m becoming more and more convinced that it has to do their increased focus on making a living and less on showing people how to have fun PLAYING the game.
Countless rules-officials aren’t helping. The rules that golfers must follow are legion and thousands of “couch potato” rules-officials are watching their TV preparing to pounce on the next missed infraction. The result? With very few exceptions, golf professionals are taking less risk in order to make making the cut and getting into the top 125 that will guarantee them a chance to do it all over again next year – well fed and looking smart. Where’s the fun in watching that?
Professional golf is boring and takes too long (another rant for another time). Indeed, what the golf tour (and the US economy) needs right now are a 125 Steve Jobs. Risk takers willing to step out of their drab, gray, risk-averse lives and bring an explosion of creativity and excitement back to the game. In the words of Steve Jobs, “Stay hungry, Stay foolish.”
Teach your children to play, have fun, be creative, use their imaginations, and take risks. Perhaps they’ll grow up to be like Steve Jobs.
