2. Pause

Steve Jobs, the iconic leader of Apple, was quite famous for his compelling presentations in front of large audiences. Typically, he was the master showman in those settings, seemingly in complete control and able to evoke exactly the audience response he sought. However, in an atypical moment before a large group in 1997, Jobs displayed an uncommon approach to leadership, utilizing the first component of our uncommon leadership practice—he paused. Jobs was in front of Apple’s Worldwide Developers’ Conference when an audience member asked a question embedded in a scathing insult, attacking Jobs’ knowledge and competence. For about 10 seconds, he said nothing, a highly unusual moment in such an event, after which he was able to respond to the substantive issues raised by the questioner without getting hooked by the personal attack [1].