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What Steve Jobs has in common with Spike Lee

When I heard how Apple CEO Steve Jobs called the father of a young man gunned down for his iPod, the first thing I thought of was a piece of dialogue from writer/actor/director Spike Lee’s 1989 hit movie “Do the Right Thing.”

 

 

 

Here’s how that interaction went:

Da Mayor: “Doctor, always do the right thing.”
Mookie: “That’s it?”
Da Mayor: “That’s it.”
Mookie: “I got it…I’m gone.”

There’s a lot you can criticize Jobs for, but he didn’t have to make that phone call. In fact, his lawyers probably would have counseled him not to make that phone call. But he set an example for his employees and for all companies that other leaders should strive to emulate. Very few problems are PR problems. Most are legal, ethical, or human problems. And most solutions start by just doing the right thing.

Nice job Jobs.