--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a special person - and personality…" description: "\"It's a special person - and personality - who can lead a start-up to soaring success and sustain that success for the long term. Apple co-founder Steve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/marcus-buckingham-3878_apples_it-s-a-special-person-and-personality-wh_1318981.png" --- # It's a special person - and personality - who can lead a… ![“It's a special person - and personality - who can lead a start-up to soaring success and sustain that success for the long term. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg are star examples.” quote by Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/marcus-buckingham-3878_apples_it-s-a-special-person-and-personality-wh_1318981.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/marcus-buckingham-3878_apples_it-s-a-special-person-and-personality-wh_1318981.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c38/marcus-buckingham-3878_apples_it-s-a-special-person-and-personality-wh_1318981.png) > “It's a special person - and personality - who can lead a start-up to soaring success and sustain that success for the long term. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg are star examples.” [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A unique blend of personality and leadership can drive a startup to initial success and maintain it long‑term, exemplified by notable tech founders. **In simple terms:** Special personality and leadership sustain long‑term success. Key Takeaway Cultivate distinctive leadership traits. Themes leadership entrepreneurship sustainability Mood inspired determined Type motivational business When to use this quote - startup founding - scaling businesses - team building - long‑term planning Key Concepts vision resilience strategic thinking Questions to Reflect On - What leadership qualities do you lack? - How can you develop them? A Different Perspective Such traits may be rare and hard to develop without mentorship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apples/) [Founders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founders/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Long term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-term/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Special person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-person/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [I admire Mark Zuckerberg... for not selling out, for wanting to make a company. I admire that a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-admire-mark-zuckerberg-for-not-selling-out-for-wanting-to-make-a/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [If you live in a ghetto and really want not to just change your life and your family's life but change your ghetto's life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/if-you-live-in-a-ghetto-and-really-want-not-to-just-change-your-life/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [Bloody Facebook- and to think I'd enjoyed The Social Network. Clearly Mark Zuckerberg was the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-kelk/bloody-facebook-and-to-think-i-d-enjoyed-the-social-network-clearly/) [Lindsey Kelk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-kelk/) > [America is an enormous country with enormous resources. The basic American spirit creates the Wright Brothers and Henry Ford and Bill Gates and Mark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/america-is-an-enormous-country-with-enormous-resources-the-basic/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [Facebook, when it began, like Google, was very resistant to advertising. They knew, like all - Mark Zuckerberg, like all good engineers, knew that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/facebook-when-it-began-like-google-was-very-resistant-to-advertising/) [Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/) > [The mistake isn't releasing something bad. The mistake is to launch it and get PR people involved. You don't want people to start amping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-ries/the-mistake-isn-t-releasing-something-bad-the-mistake-is-to-launch-it/) [Eric Ries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-ries/) > [Apple made tools that helped people express their creativity and Steve Jobs knew that so he told that story well. But Facebook makes tools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-schiff/apple-made-tools-that-helped-people-express-their-creativity-and/) [Lewis Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-schiff/) > [Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg apparently called President Obama directly to complain about NSA and how it spies on ordinary Americans. That's right, the guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/facebook-founder-mark-zuckerberg-apparently-called-president-obama/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [Today, you have achieved something special, something only 92 percent of Americans your age will ever know: a college diploma. That’s right, with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/today-you-have-achieved-something-special-something-only-92-percent/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [The biggest start-up successes - from Henry Ford to Bill Gates to Mark Zuckerberg - were pioneered by people from solidly middle-class backgrounds. 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The magazine stories make it sound like Mark Zuckerberg woke up one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/no-one-is-born-a-ceo-but-no-one-tells-you-that-the-magazine-stories/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [EVERY MOMENT IN business happens only once. The next Bill Gates will not build an operating system. The next Larry Page or Sergey Brin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-thiel/every-moment-in-business-happens-only-once-the-next-bill-gates-will/) [Peter Thiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-thiel/) > [What are the differences between Mark Zuckerberg and me? I give private information on corporations to you for free, and I'm a villain. Zuckerberg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/what-are-the-differences-between-mark-zuckerberg-and-me-i-give/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) ## More by Marcus Buckingham > [Too many of the organizations I have observed resemble a farm in Kansas. They have lots of fences and silos as well as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/too-many-of-the-organizations-i-have-observed-resemble-a-farm-in/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Most of my work has been in corporations, studying how you build an organization that helps people to identify and work to their strengths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/most-of-my-work-has-been-in-corporations-studying-how-you-build-an/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [You can find energizing moments in each aspect of your life, but to do so you must learn how to catch them, hold on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/you-can-find-energizing-moments-in-each-aspect-of-your-life-but-to-do/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [“The power of skills and knowledge is that they are transferable from one person to another. 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It may sound obvious, but you'd be surprised how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/emphasize-your-strengths-on-your-resume-in-your-cover-letters-and-in/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [In most cases, no matter what it is, if you measure it and reward it, people will try to excel at it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/in-most-cases-no-matter-what-it-is-if-you-measure-it-and-reward-it/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Life's tricky for women because they have to make more choices than men. And yes, choice is good, but boy, you better be an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/life-s-tricky-for-women-because-they-have-to-make-more-choices-than/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Companies don't have one culture. They have as many as they have supervisors or managers. You want to build a strong culture? Hold every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/companies-don-t-have-one-culture-they-have-as-many-as-they-have/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Every time you make a rule you take away a choice, and choice, with all of its illuminating repercussions, is the fuel for learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/every-time-you-make-a-rule-you-take-away-a-choice-and-choice-with-all/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [“to encourage people to take responsibility for who they really are. And it is the only way to show respect for each person. Focusing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/to-encourage-people-to-take-responsibility-for-who-they-really-are/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [There is no shortage of mechanisms by which to measure almost anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/there-is-no-shortage-of-mechanisms-by-which-to-measure-almost-anything/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) [Explore all 119 Marcus Buckingham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) ## More Apples quotes > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I named my son Noah for the same reason Chris Martin named his apple: we're asses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/i-named-my-son-noah-for-the-same-reason-chris-martin-named-his-apple/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [I think, however, that Astaire's coordination is better than Kelly's... his sense of rhythm is uncanny. Kelly, on the other hand, is the stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyd-charisse/i-think-however-that-astaire-s-coordination-is-better-than-kelly-s/) [Cyd Charisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyd-charisse/) > [“In the back of the fridge I checked out some stewed apples destined to fester. I examined them closely and reckoned they had only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-brown/in-the-back-of-the-fridge-i-checked-out-some-stewed-apples-destined/) [Helen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-brown/) > [Fortunately, like most children, I had learned what is most valuable, most indispensable for life before school years began, taught by apple trees, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/fortunately-like-most-children-i-had-learned-what-is-most-valuable/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [I'm not only a fan of Apple products, I have stock in the company. I think Steve Jobs has started one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-m-not-only-a-fan-of-apple-products-i-have-stock-in-the-company-i/) [Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/) > [I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth - they always look polished afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/i-love-to-eat-an-apple-after-a-meal-just-to-cleanse-my-teeth-they/) [Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/) > [I have a friend who is a juggler. If I'm at his house, I don't like to take food from him, if it's in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-have-a-friend-who-is-a-juggler-if-i-m-at-his-house-i-don-t-like-to/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [A comely sight indeed it is to see, a world of blossoms on an apple tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/a-comely-sight-indeed-it-is-to-see-a-world-of-blossoms-on-an-apple/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [Like a satellite in orbit, Apple is perpetually falling. It just happens to miss Earth every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-dediu/like-a-satellite-in-orbit-apple-is-perpetually-falling-it-just/) Horace Dediu > [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Positive thinking is so firmly enshrined in our culture that knocking it is a little like attacking motherhood or apple pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srikumar-rao/positive-thinking-is-so-firmly-enshrined-in-our-culture-that-knocking/) [Srikumar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srikumar-rao/) > [Therein lies the rub of a place like Berkeley Bowl. 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