avoid getting in the elevator with steve jobs.

what pastors can learn from steve jobs without becoming steve jobs. (part one.)

There’s a reason the “Steve Jobs elevator” stories won’t die: they’re the perfect cocktail of power + unpredictability + a clock that’s literally counting down floors. It’s the perfect recipe for a Silicon Valley urban legend.

In a 2011 phone interview from Cupertino, former engineer Michael Dhuey described how people would “dread getting into an elevator with Jobs,” because if you got on a the 4th floor “you’d better have captivated him by the time you got off on the 1st.” Dhuey says Jobs would ask, “what you were working on,” and “people started to dread that question,” to the point that “everyone started preparing questions to ask Steve in case they accidentally got in the elevator with him.”

Of course, I heard these apocryphal tales during my time at Apple. I worked at the Company Store at One Infinite Loop in Cupertino. Every day, Steve Jobs parked his Mercedes in the loading zone in front of the store, and walked to the front doors of Apple’s headquarters. Every day I witnessed one of the greatest tech titans walk in to the company he founded.

On one occasion, shortly after the release of multicolored iMac DV, Steve parked out front as usual and walked toward the front doors. As he walked by, he peered through the store windows at the iMacs on display. I had just arrived to turn on the computers and prepare to open the store. By the time I got the computers on and loaded the DVD of “A Bug’s Life” into each of them, my manager got a phone call from Steve’s admin. She said,

“Steve would like to know why ‘a bug’s life’ is not playing on the imacs in the store.”

My manager assured her it would be taken care of immediately and came on to the store floor to find out what was going on. Seeing the iMacs playing “A Bug’s Life,” he relaxed and reiterated that the computers needed to be turned on first thing, and “A Bug’s Life” needed to always be on a loop. The computers shipped with the Pixar film on DVD, and since Steve was CEO of Apple and Pixar, it was important that the movie demonstrated the iMac’s ability to play movies, specifically, THAT movie.

This was my first run in with the legendary ire of Steve Jobs.

So one morning, I was walking in the front doors of Apple HQ, and about 25 feet from the doors, I noticed Steve Jobs was on the same path to the same doors. I panicked. On one hand, this was one of my idols. I graduated from the same high school as Steve Jobs and watched Apple grow, and shrink, and grow again, right in my backyard. I heard the elevator stories, and I’d never forget the “Bug’s Life” phone call, and now here I was with a choice: do I risk getting close enough to do something that would place a target on my back, or do I awkwardly change my trajectory and walk away?

Steve was carrying a small box with carpet and flooring samples, so I quickly decided I’d get to the doors first and hold it open for him and risk a career-ending encounter. I was SO nervous.

I got to the door, opened it quickly and held it as he walked in. He looked me in the eye and said, “Thanks,” with the hint of a smile. I was so relieved. And also, one of my heroes said “thanks!” to me! What is life?

OK, so here’s the uncomfortable truth: every church leader gets “Jobs’d” by:

• a volunteer who asks, “So… what are we actually doing with students this year?”
• an elder who says, “What’s the win? Like, define it.”
• a donor who asks, “Why should I fund this and not that?”
• a first-time guest who silently votes with with their feet.

And you usually get about four floors to answer.

So what does “being ready for the elevator” look like in ministry – without turning your staff culture into trauma response?

1. Have a TODAY answer, not a SOMEDAY answer

Jobs’ apocryphal elevator question wasn’t “What’s your job title?” It was “What are you working on?” So, pastor, leader, what are you building right now that actually moves the mission of your church forward? Are you able to articulate it in 3 minutes or less in a way that inspires and motivates people?

A “someday” answer in church leadership is something like:

• I want to see people follow Jesus.
• We’re creating a place for people to discover God’s love.
• I’m serving the people God has entrusted to my care.

None of these answers are wrong. In fact, they’re all good, and I hope anyone in church leadership has these thoughts. But a “today” answer identifies a problem, states a hopeful solution, and puts measurable goals in place to gauge success. If it doesn’t have a date attached to it, it’s just a wish. If it isn’t measurable it’s just a hope or dream.

2. Lead with value, not “speeds and feeds”

In a 1997 speech to Apple employees introducing the famous “Think Different” campaign, Steve Jobs said “don’t sell specs; sell what you believe – your values.”

People aren’t typically motivated by statistics alone. You may have the fastest processor, or the brightest screen on your device, and sure, some people will buy it for that reason. But Apple created a premium brand and a loyal following by leading with their values of making hardware and software work well together, making it simple, and giving their products great design. They’re “changing the world” and they are speaking to others who want to change the world also.

So, what are your church’s values? What are you doing today that is putting those values into practice? Don’t lead with calendar logistics or budget issues. Start with why this matters to people and the gospel.

3. Make it repeatable in an elevator ride

1 Peter 3:15 certainly isn’t referring to elevator rides, but I think it is a great verse that apply here.

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” – 1 Peter 3:15

Are you prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have? What about for the plans the Lord has placed in your heart? What about the tasks that are on your to do list today? Can you give an an answer for why you’re doing the things you’re doing?

Here’s a simple 3-sentence ministry pitch, you might try the next time you’re in an “elevator pitch” situation:

1. The burden: “We’re seeing _____ break people/families/faith.”
2. The vision: “I believe God is calling us to _____.”
3. The next step: “So this month I’m doing _____ and we need _____.”

If you can’t boil it down to these three simple statements, you don’t have a vision problem – you have a clarity problem.

And maybe that’s the best takeaway: don’t copy Jobs’ fear-based intensity. Copy the part where you respect people enough to be ready when they ask what you’re doing with the opportunities you’ve been given.

dc.