Steve Jobs was brilliant but don't copy this 'one habit' of him; warns Pixar's Pete Docter
Steve Jobs was brilliant but don't copy this 'one habit' of him; warns Pixar's Pete Docter
When
Steve Jobs
bought
Pixar
from George Lucas in 1986 for $10 million, few could have imagined the impact this would have - both on animation, but ultimately on the future of creative entrepreneurship. Pixar was then a struggling graphics division with limited numbers and grand aspirations. Jobs' decision was widely considered risky, especially since the company had yet to prove itself as a viable business in the entertainment space. But what unfolded over the next two decades transformed not only the fate of Pixar, but also Jobs' legacy beyond
Apple
.
Fast forward to 2025, and Pixar is one of the world's most legendary animation houses, with a catalog of Oscar winners and a reputation for storytelling greatness. A lot of that, Chief Creative Officer
Pete Docter
says, had to do with Jobs' none-too-hands-on approach to creative choices but rather with his skill at stepping back. Speaking at the Fast Company Most Innovative Companies Summit, Docter drew from Jobs' distinctive style of leadership, offering never-before-heard perspectives that highlight how restraint, emotional intelligence, and prioritisation guided Pixar's path.
Why Steve Jobs told Pixar, 'This Is Not My Business' - and meant it
Though he was the executive producer and economic lifeline of Pixar, Steve Jobs never attempted to influence the storytelling direction of the studio. Pete Docter, the company's third animator who is now the brains behind movies such as Up and Inside Out, noted that Jobs kept out of his way. "Steve was really good at saying, 'This is not my business,'" Docter recalled.
This amount of creative trust is not to be found, particularly from a person who's been stereotyped as a micromanager in his early days at Apple. Yet Jobs at Pixar seemed to know that good storytelling took room. He funded the humans, the technology, and the buildings but he never attempted to "direct the director." Rather, he listened. He provided counsel when required. He entered not as a general, but as a partner.
This methodology enabled Pixar's artists to experiment freely. It created the foundation for the studio's unprecedented success, beginning with Toy Story in 1995, the first computer-animated full-length feature film, and followed up with Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, Up, Inside Out, and Soul.
Decoding genius: Steve Jobs' ability to distill complexity
Jobs wasn't only hands-off, he was laser-sharp when it counted. Jobs, Docter said, had a talent for entering into a complicated conversation and, in a matter of minutes, being able to identify the root of the issue. "He could sit for about five minutes and review what the conversation was actually about," Docter said. "That's not something anyone's born with. It was the result of years of practice.
This ability, cutting through noise to locate the signal is what made Jobs such a good strategist, even beyond his comfort zone. Whether it was a meeting regarding server capacity, distribution logistics, or creative tone, Jobs was able to immediately grasp the crux of the problem and challenge his team to crack it.
This ability wasn't just intellectual, it was emotional. Jobs was able to read the currents in a room, detect underlying tensions, and gently move individuals toward understanding. In a time when numerous leaders are concerned with establishing dominance, Jobs' strength resided in his ability to see what truly counted and to pose the proper questions rather than provide all the solutions.
Steve Jobs called at 3 AM - Pete Docter says that's 'one habit' you shouldn't copy
But even visionaries are not perfect and Docter wasn't afraid to call them out. One of Jobs' most infamous tendencies was his lack of respect for boundaries. 'He would call — especially the producers — at any time, day or night, 3 in the morning, you're on vacation, doesn't matter,' Docter revealed. 'He wants to talk to you about it, you're on.'
This intensity, while sometimes idealized, also produced burnout and stress. Jobs' all-consuming urgency was galvanizing but draining. Docter conceded that he's tried not to inherit that specific habit, although he occasionally sends late-night emails himself too. 'That's what my wife is trying to get me to stop doing,' he joked.
This story is a cautionary tale: even the greatest leaders need to discover where to set limits. Passion is great but boundaries allow for long-term success.
Behind the scenes: Pixar's quiet rise to the top
While Pixar's meteoric ascendancy is invariably linked with technical ingenuity and storytelling brilliance, its organizational culture also played a pivotal role. Jobs permitted the studio to forge its own identity even when Disney acquired Pixar for $7.4 billion in 2006, rendering him the largest Disney shareholder at the time.
Former Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger once said he expected Jobs to be tough. But instead, he found him to be open-minded and reflective. 'Who wouldn't want Steve Jobs to have influence over how a company is run?' Iger told Vanity Fair in an interview.
Jobs' commitment to explaining things until they made sense, not mandating decisions by hierarchy, served to maintain Pixar's creative DNA even within the gigantic edifice of Disney. He did not care to win arguments. He craved alignment and that made him an unusual executive in Silicon Valley and Hollywood.
Leadership lessons for today's visionaries
In the modern world of high-pressure startups, midnight Slack messages, and always-on culture, Docter's reflections offer a timely reminder: the most effective leaders are those who listen more than they talk. Jobs' legacy at Pixar wasn't about control, it was about clarity.
His genius wasn't just in innovation, but in emotional strategy. He could read rooms, empower people, and know when to step back. Yet, his occasional lack of boundaries reminds current leaders that brilliance without empathy can cost relationships and morale.
Pete Docter takes Pixar's helm with a more measured hand these days, blending Jobs' wisdom with his own sense of how creative individuals work best. As Pixar keeps pushing the boundaries of great storytelling, its core continues to be based on the culture Jobs helped foster - not by dictating it, but by believing in it.
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