Let us all unite, Charlie Chaplin

Icon Ambulance, Steve Jobs. [by Vic Gundotra, SVP Social, Google]

Icon Ambulance

One Sunday morning, January 6th, 2008 I was attending religious services when my cell phone vibrated. As discreetly as possible, I checked the phone and noticed that my phone said “Caller ID unknown”. I choose to ignore.

After services, as I was walking to my car with my family, I checked my cell phone messages. The message left was from Steve Jobs. “Vic, can you call me at home? I have something urgent to discuss” it said.

Before I even reached my car, I called Steve Jobs back. I was responsible for all mobile applications at Google, and in that role, had regular dealings with Steve. It was one of the perks of the job.

“Hey Steve – this is Vic”, I said. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer your call earlier. I was in religious services, and the caller ID said unknown, so I didn’t pick up”.

Steve laughed. He said, “Vic, unless the Caller ID said ‘GOD’, you should never pick up during services”.

I laughed nervously. After all, while it was customary for Steve to call during the week upset about something, it was unusual for him to call me on Sunday and ask me to call his home. I wondered what was so important?

“So Vic, we have an urgent issue, one that I need addressed right away. I’ve already assigned someone from my team to help you, and I hope you can fix this tomorrow” said Steve.

“I’ve been looking at the Google logo on the iPhone and I’m not happy with the icon. The second O in Google doesn’t have the right yellow gradient. It’s just wrong and I’m going to have Greg fix it tomorrow. Is that okay with you?”

Of course this was okay with me. A few minutes later on that Sunday I received an email from Steve with the subject “Icon Ambulance”. The email directed me to work with Greg Christie to fix the icon.

Since I was 11 years old and fell in love with an Apple II, I have dozens of stories to tell about Apple products. They have been a part of my life for decades. Even when I worked for 15 years for Bill Gates at Microsoft, I had a huge admiration for Steve and what Apple had produced.

But in the end, when I think about leadership, passion and attention to detail, I think back to the call I received from Steve Jobs on a Sunday morning in January. It was a lesson I’ll never forget. CEOs should care about details. Even shades of yellow. On a Sunday.

To one of the greatest leaders I’ve ever met, my prayers and hopes are with you Steve.

“Only the life lived for others is worth living”, Albert Einstein

“Only the life lived for others is worth living.” Albert Einstein

The customer-driven game-plan, Steve Jobs

Rudyard Kipling’s “If”, read by Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it

Henry Ford

Never ever give up! Imran Khan

Raining on Sunday, Keith Urban

You’ll Think of Me, Keith Urban

Live, Charlie Chaplin

“I have forgiven mistakes that were indeed almost unforgivable. I’ve tried to replace people who were irreplaceable and tried to forget those who were unforgettable. I’ve acted on impulse, have been disappointed by people when I thought that this could never be possible… But I have also disappointed those who I love. I have laughed at inappropriate occasions. I’ve made friends that are now friends for life. I’ve screamed and jumped for joy. I’ve loved and I’ve been loved. But I have also been rejected and I have been loved without loving the person back. I’ve lived for love alone and made vows of eternal love. I’ve had my heart broken many, many times! I’ve cried while listening to music and looking at old pictures. I’ve called someone just to hear their voice on the other side. I have fallen in love with a smile. At times, I thought I would die because I missed someone so much. At other times, I felt very afraid that I might lose someone very special (which ended up happening anyway). But I have lived! And I still continue living everyday. I’m not just passing through life and you shouldn’t either… Live! The best thing in life is to go ahead with all your plans and your dreams, to embrace life and to live everyday with passion, to lose and still keep the faith and to win while being grateful. All of this because the world belongs to those who dare to go after what they want. And because life is really too short to be insignificant.” Charlie Chaplin

“No matter how far out your dreams are. it’s possible”, Marketa Irglova

“No matter how far out your dreams are. it’s possible”, Marketa Irglova on winning an Oscar with Glen Hansard for Best Original Song ’08 – “Falling Slowly”.

Innovation is not about money. Steve Jobs.

‎”Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It’s not about money. It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it.”

Steve Jobs — Fortune Magazine, Nov. 9, 1998

The iPad.

Technology. Changing our lives.

What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.

Albert Pine.

A small team trying to do something big! Mind-blowing!

khanacademy.org

Inception, Filming the Zero-G Sequences

sheer. awesomeness.

Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own (Brooklyn Bridge), U2

I have failed over, and over, and over again in my life.. and that is why, I succeed [Micheal Jordan]

See you soon, Coldplay

beautiful. and i love the guitar lead!! :)

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