According to Walter Isaacson, author of five biographies of famous leaders and innovators, the reason for their brilliant achievements was not an outstanding mind at all. There are millions of smart people in our world, and most of them are mediocre. According to the author, the main factor that led to the success of people like Einstein, Franklin and Jobs is a combination of an unconventional approach and the ability to think creatively with discipline and a real passion for their work.

At the last Connection 2013 Digital Marketing conference, Isaacson's report touched on the principles that helped three geniuses — Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin and Steve Jobs — make history. Four key principles can help anyone to get on the same level with great leaders.

1. Realize the real meaning of beauty

One incident from childhood helped Steve Jobs to understand the great importance of beauty, which was fully reflected in Apple products. Steve's father once gave him the task to build a fence in the yard of the house. At the same time, he demanded that the inner part of the fence, which no one saw, be as neat and beautiful as its outer side.

Steve Jobs has always remembered this rule, and at one time began to demand from Apple engineers that the parts that are not visible in Apple gadgets should be as attractive as the appearance of the devices.

2. Have a real passion

As a child, Albert Einstein received a compass as a gift from his father, and this device simply captured him. The ability of the arrow to always point to the north absorbed all the attention of the future great scientist, and he spent the whole day trying to penetrate the mystery of magnetic fields.

At the age of 17, Einstein became acquainted with Maxwell's equations describing magnetic waves, and an obsession that began with his father's gift eventually led him to the theory of relativity.

3. Simplify to focus on the main thing

Steve Jobs was a real expert at simplifying projects and taught others to do the same. When Jobs returned to fight for Apple in 1996, he looked at the dozens of products the company was producing at the time and whittled that list down to four.

If Jobs attended a brainstorming session with other employees and ten ideas were considered, he crossed out seven of them. The passion for simplifications was also manifested in the development of product design, which made it more convenient.

4 . Learn to listen to other people's ideas

Benjamin Franklin believed that anyone could have a good idea. In 1728, he founded a discussion circle of artisans and merchants called the Leather Apron Club, and 15 years later this circle turned into the American Philosophical Society.

The ability to be humble and tolerant is very useful because it teaches you to listen to someone other than yourself and try to understand their point of view.

The ability to agree will not make a hero out of a person, but it helps to establish democracy and then become a real leader.