Quote of the day by Steve Jobs on hiring smart people: 'It doesn't make sense to ….'

Steve Jobs emphasized the importance of hiring smart individuals and allowing them to guide the organization, rather than micromanaging. Good management entails guiding talented individuals by providing strategic direction.

Written By Fareha Naaz
Updated24 Feb 2026, 12:00 PM IST
Steve Jobs, former chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple, believed that hiring intelligent people means trusting them in their decisions.
Steve Jobs, former chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple, believed that hiring intelligent people means trusting them in their decisions.(Bloomberg)

Apple cofounder Steve Jobs' quote on talent management and employing smart individuals is in the spotlight on his birth anniversary. A pioneer of the personal computer revolution, Steve Jobs was born on 24 February 1955 and passed away at the age of 56 on 5 October 2011. The former CEO of Apple emphasized the importance of hiring smart individuals and allowing them to guide the organization.

Quote of the day by Steve Jobs: “It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”

To address the issue of talent management and micromanagement, Steve Jobs shared an easy recipe to make an organisation realise their goals by unleashing the talent of the smart people. Widely considered a visionary and a genius, Steve Jobs highlighted the importance of letting creative people find their own solutions.

The legendary figure who brought a revolution through transformative products like the iPod and the iPhone, believed that hiring intelligent people means trusting them to lead and allowing teams to use their creativity. One of the best-known entrepreneurs of the 20th and 21st century, his words continue to inspire people because of his focus on creativity and building products that solve real-world problems. His words remain relevant even today as his quotes focussed on long-term vision and resilience over quick wins.

10 more Steve Jobs' inspiration and motivational quotes

  • “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
  • “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
  • “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”
  • “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
  • “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
  • “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”
  • “I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.”
  • “You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new.”
  • “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.”
  • “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why else even be here?”

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