Here are sensitive areas to watch with your own remote staff, or to guard against and prepare for if you’re a new remote worker yourself.

1. Training is tricky. Orientation for new remote workers, especially if they’re new to the job or company and not just making the shift from being an in-office employee, can be very difficult. We tend to forget how much training, even when it takes the shape of self-directed study, is helped by the presence of experienced staff to clear up misunderstandings and provide guidance. It’s much more difficult to quickly check if you understand something correctly when you’re working remotely and don’t have a mentor nearby.

To assist with training, make sure support staff with the knowledge new remote employees will need are on-hand via IM for quick contact during business hours. Also be aware that training may be slower with remote employees than with on-site ones.

2. Compatibility issues. It can be very frustrating to run into hardware and software compatibility issues early on in a remote work setup, especially without having easy access to in-house IT support staff to clear up any issues.

Luckily, the fix is easy. Check all essential software and prepare and publish hardware and software guidelines prior to hiring remote staff, or moving people to remote work positions. Make sure that not only do staff know what they need to work remotely, but also how to use those tools.

3. One is the loneliest number. Offices are nothing if not social spaces; one of the biggest shock to a new remote worker’s system can be having to deal with the loss of the social aspects of office work. It’s something that might not get noticed right away, but after the honeymoon period is over, loneliness can set in.

Coworking is one way to fight off the lack of social interaction for remote staff. Working together in a shared office space has a number of other benefits, too. Other good tactics to stave off loneliness include getting staff out to events and trade shows on a regular basis.

4. Rewards are less real. It can be hard for remote workers to feel like their work is valued. Positive feedback and informal praise are things that can easily get lost when you’re working with a distributed workforce, and the resulting impact on long-term morale can be quite considerable.

To combat this issue, make rewards for good performance a priority, and don’t forget to drop a note even for small achievements. Also, if you’re a remote worker, try to re-frame your sense of a job well done, by considering that a verbal “good job” just isn’t something you’ll likely receive as often as a remote worker, since an email actually to that effect requires more effort than an offhand comment.

5. Feeling forgotten. Remote workers can have a tendency to feel forgotten, especially when working together in a company which also employs on-site staff. The perception, whether real or imagined, is that they’re lower down the pecking order than people who work in the office. Even workers in entirely distributed teams can feel at least a little out-of-site, out-of-mind.

Employers have to make it very clear that all considerations for advancement is based purely on performance. Having remote staff in trusted positions higher up the totem pole can reinforce the idea that remote staff are just as visible and valuable as other members of the team.

Remote working has a lot of benefits, but it also poses many challenges. Being aware of and addressing those challenges, however, can help make a distributed workforce happier, more productive and more sustainable.

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#1 Be persistent.

Fortunately, in every one of the situations I’ve had to resolve recently, not finding a solution was not an option. Although I would have loved to give up and declare a stalemate, I knew that wasn’t possible without accepting consequences I wasn’t willing to take, so I had to stick with them until I figured out a way to move forward.

Whatever problem you’re facing, trust that there must be a way to work through it and get to the other side.

#2 Stop avoiding it.

Although I’m pretty good at not procrastinating most of the time, when it comes to solving tricky problems, I’m one of the worst procrastinators. I want to take breaks, surf the Web, and call anyone and everyone I think might be available to chat. I’ll delay and avoid until I’ve wasted the majority of the day.

With one particular issue I had to figure out recently (which I had already postponed for nearly two months), I finally decided that I simply would not allow myself off the hook until I worked it out. I paced a path through my house and thought I’d never get through it, but eventually, the strategy worked, and I was very satisfied with the outcome.

Allow yourself breaks when you absolutely need them, but if you’re anything like me, you probably know when you really need a rest and when you’re just procrastinating. It won’t work 100 percent of the time, but there are occasions when not allowing yourself off the hook can really pay off.

#3 Work in reverse.

In the recent month or so, I decided to hire a couple of interns, in the hope of finding motivated and talented people I could add to my team permanently. I started the process of locating prospects through several university job posting boards, as well as a few privately-owned sites, but the pool of potential new hires was slim.

At first, I was a little discouraged, and in an effort to fine-tune my job postings, I started searching for terms like “what interns do” and “how to be a good intern” and began stumbling on blogs of actual interns who were exactly the type of candidates I wanted: aggressive, enthusiastic, eager, etc. Of course, these interns were already more than busy, but I started paying attention to the people who were commenting on their blogs, and it turns out, many of them were considering doing internships. As I followed the links back to their owners’ sites, I started finding unique, highly talented and motivated students who were perfect candidates for the job.

Instead of going more traditional routes for solving particular problems, try to think of other ways you might connect with the solutions you need.

#4 Pay attention to what’s right in front of you.

My latest dilemma was figuring out what to write for today’s post. I had been so busy with solving the other issues, I hadn’t backlogged ideas for this week’s article. After thinking on possibilities for nearly two hours, I finally said to myself, “I’m stuck,” and then it hit me: that’s it! I could have saved myself two hours, if I had only paid attention to what was right in front of me.

When you feel like you’ve searched high and low to find a solution, ask yourself if you’re missing the obvious. Turn to the resources immediately available to you, like pulling from past experiences or relying on your network of business contacts, family, and friends. Many times, the answer is not that far away.

What tricks do you use for getting unstuck and solving challenging problems in your business?

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ambition, n.: an earnest desire for some type of achievement and the willingness to strive for its attainment

Thinking about ambition reminds me of Steve Jobs’ 2005 commencement address at Stanford. The words “stay hungry” have followed me ever since reading his address in a magazine soon after it took place.

It also reminds me of my first years in business and of my first venture that was a real success: my web design business, which has since taken a back seat to other ventures, but still has the power to motivate me when I think of it.

In the first full twelve months of starting the business, I had earned what was for me at the time quite a bit of money, but I didn’t really pay attention to that fact in the beginning. I just did the work. Now, though, I can appreciate that accomplishment and how I achieved it by myself, and for me, that’s what ambition is all about.

Take away spouses and parents, mentors, physical possessions. Take away everything, and you’re left with yourself; knowing that, no matter what, you can create something from nothing, and you can survive. Knowing that makes you think anything is possible.

It’s not about being on your own or not having anyone to help you, quite the opposite. The greater that inner source of power, the more you have to offer those around you and the more you appreciate the true strength that can result from coming together around a shared passion.

However, it is important to know that we can build something with our own hands, that we have that ability within us. When challenges find us, and they will, we need to know that we are resourceful and that, as before, we will find a way through them or around them, whichever comes first.

That’s so very powerful, but wanting something and being willing to do whatever it takes to get it are two very different things, and lately, I’m coming to appreciate how you need both the wanting and the willingness in order to achieve.

I’m starting to apply that distinction to my own decision-making when it comes to where I spend my energy. I’m coming to accept that if I don’t want something bad enough, I’m never going to do the work it will take to reach it. My time and energy would be better spent on something I actually want to achieve and for which I’m willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish: those things that make me want to get up early and stay up late, where sleep becomes unnecessary and something I have to force myself to do, because I simply can’t wait to do whatever is next on the list to move the vision forward. It truly is a hunger.

Over the last year, I’ve found it especially difficult to build a team of people who take pride in their work and are ambitious when it comes to their own success or sense of accomplishment. I’m not sure what the ultimate solution to that problem will be, but when I think about adding someone to my team, I know that it’s important for that person to have dreams and goals of his or her own.

I’m OK with the fact that he or she might see my business as a stepping stone, a means to an end, because that means that while that person is with me, he or she will be striving, reaching for something. He or she will be ambitious, and I need, we all need, people like that around us in order to make each of our dreams a reality.

Do you let ambition drive your business and the decisions you make around it?

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A Story About Change

My friend Betsy Talbot and her husband Warren are forging their own path and making their own way. Two years ago, they decided that they wanted to travel the world. Life was too short, they decided, to wait for that dream life to magically create itself. They had to figure out a way to make things happen — their own way, right now. They created a plan for saving money and paring down to make room for an around-the-world trip of one to two years, and one month from now on October 1, just over two years from originally setting out their intentions, they will be embarking on an adventure of a lifetime.

What’s Their Secret?

Betsy and Warren’s story is very inspiring, but unfortunately, the most probable initial reaction as an outsider is to think, “I could never do something like that. I have [x, y, z] obligations, and anyway, even if I wanted to do it, I wouldn’t know where to start.” The thing is, I have known Betsy for many years now, and she’s just like a lot of other people I know, myself included, and yet, somehow she and Warren have made this happen, so what’s their secret?

One thing that struck me that Betsy said recently was, “I’m becoming more comfortable with the unknown.” I don’t think it occurred to her that she and Warren had become comfortable with the unknown quite some time ago.

I’ve watched them carry out their plan over the past couple of years, and at almost every step of that journey, they were not exactly sure what to do or how things would go, and yet, they kept going and remained confident that they would figure things out along the way, and that’s exactly what they did.

When You Don’t Have the Answers

As business owners, we have to get used to not having all the answers, knowing that if the answers were easily found, anyone and everyone could attempt to start a business, and they would all succeed at it.

I think our first instinct, anytime we don’t have the answers or when things don’t seem to be moving along as smoothly as we might have expected, is to think, “I must be doing something wrong,” when in all likelihood, it’s just that what we’re doing has never been done before in quite the same way, and maybe that’s a good thing.

Instead of immediately thinking we should change course and do things the way someone else has done them, perhaps we might step back and ask ourselves, “Is there really one answer, one right way to do this? Has this even been done before, or do I simply need to become comfortable with creating my own way?”

Working in Spite of Not Knowing

Perhaps the biggest part of it is learning to stay the course, even when the course doesn’t yet exist. There’s no path laid out ahead of you, and you’re learning to navigate as you go. Learn to keep going, in spite of not having clear directions. Create a plan you believe is most likely to succeed by studying the cues of those who have succeeded before you, but accept that you are forging a new path in many ways, so the answers may not always be immediately available.

How have you learned to become comfortable with the unknown?

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Here are a few things that I know for sure:

• We’re more afraid of success than failure. Why? We generally know failure. We must know it to be in business for ourselves. Success, on the other hand, is uncharted territory. It changes things, and although we have the internal butterflies of hope and excitement about what’s to come, we also can’t help but feel a little uncertain and afraid of the unknown.
• We know what we need to do to succeed. We simply avoid it. Sometimes we avoid it out of fear of success or failure. Sometimes we avoid it because it seems too simple (solutions, in our minds, should be more complex). Other times, even if we hate to admit it, we avoid it out of laziness or because we’d rather be doing other things, like hanging out on social networks or surfing the web. No, we know what we need to be doing, but success comes by having the discipline and courage to actually do it.
• It’s not about the office supplies. I used to visit Office Depot probably once a week in search of that end-all, be-all solution for getting my business off the ground. It had to be there (right?) in all those reams of colorful paper and all those organizational systems. If I could just bring more order to my office, I thought, I would surely succeed. I visit the office supply store about twice a year now, after finally realizing that the solution isn’t there, and if there needs to be order, it’s probably internal and is more mental than physical.
• It is possible to bootstrap it. Just as we want that complex solution (so we avoid the simple and obvious route in search of it), we also want it to cost a fortune (more avoidance). In the past six months, I’ve conducted probably 100 interviews with entrepreneurs and small business owners, and while there were a few (very few) occasions where they suggested having enough initial financing to get a business off the ground, most entrepreneurs shared stories of starting on a shoestring and using cost-effective promotion techniques (like the media, word-of-mouth and content marketing) to build their companies.
• We must take care of ourselves. As business owners, this is usually the one we struggle with most, but taking care of ourselves is vital to the success of our companies. Balancing the demands of a business and a life can be challenging, and some would say that it’s an impossible feat, but somewhere around those demands, we have to make room for our own needs. It’s not the easiest thing to do, especially when there are deadlines and clients to please and promotional efforts to be done. At the end of the day, there are not enough hours, but kind of like an athlete maintains his or her health in order to perform at the highest level, we must do the same.
• Entrepreneurs and small business owners are a helpful bunch. I can’t imagine that a more helpful group exists out there than entrepreneurs and small business owners. Nowhere else will you see one business owner help another before he helps himself. When you first go into business for yourself, competition is the word that sticks out in your mind, but eventually, you begin to love seeing other businesses succeed, and instead of feeling envious, you feel inspired.
• Our businesses can’t be a state secret. It’s funny now to think about how little promotion I wanted to do for my business in the beginning; it was so intimidating and nerve-racking. Now, I’ll tell anyone who’ll listen. In the beginning, marketing and promotion have that ick-factor associated with them, but over time, you come to appreciate the value of your own products and services, but even when you come to appreciate it, that doesn’t mean everyone knows about it. We have to be willing to put ourselves out there and tell the world about our businesses.

I think the biggest lessons I’ve learned are not the most obvious ones; they’re not the ones I thought I needed to know, nor are they the ones that can be learned from a book. Those lessons (the ones where someone says, “Here’s how you promote your business through the media,” or “Here’s how you do social or in-person networking.”), those are the easy ones. The hardest lessons for me have been the ones I’ve had to learn on my own the hard way, through trial-and-error and candid looks in the mirror.

What business lessons do you know for sure?

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I just finished one of several big projects I’ve been working on lately. It was probably one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, and several times throughout the project, I could easily see why most of us:

• Don’t take on big challenges at all,
• Procrastinate when needing to deal with big challenges, or
• Quit halfway through them.

There are tons of obstacles that get in the way and make starting and completing big projects or challenges very hard to do.

Obstacle #1: Fear

Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, fear (of success and failure, of ticking people off, of looking stupid, etc.) is debilitating. A lot of times, it’s easier to just keep our heads down, avoid eye contact, and not raise our hands (even when we know the answer). We ask ourselves:

• “What if it doesn’t work?”
• “What if it gets me fired?”
• “What if I do this, spend a lot of time/money/energy, and it gets me nowhere?”

Fear is always going to be present, but nine times out of ten, the thing we fear doesn’t even eventuate. Yet we still let it hold us back, even though we know it’s not likely to occur.

Obstacle #2: Avoidance

More often than not, we know what we need to do, yet we make excuses about why we can’t or haven’t made progress. Maybe we need to get that new marketing strategy off the ground, maybe we need to start that new business, or maybe we need to write that e-book. Whatever the case, we don’t get it done or don’t even get it started and instead say things, like:

• “I would have started it, but I’ve just been so busy at home.”
• “I’ve been meaning to finish that, but I’ve been swamped lately.”
• “I got sick, then the kids were off a week, then my in-laws came to visit, and I just haven’t had the time.”

We convince ourselves that our complete avoidance of getting things done is caused by legitimate delays and distractions, because they are legitimate. The question is, how badly do we want to complete that big project/challenge? For example, how much do we really want to get our businesses off the ground, or how much do we really want to see them succeed?

Obstacle #3: Motivation (Or Lack of It)

I think a lot of times, we say we want something because maybe we should want it (or think we should want it).  Maybe we say, “I want my business to make more money,” but in reality, we’re pretty comfortable where we are, and even if we’re not completely comfortable, the discomfort is not so overwhelming to make us want to put out the extra effort to effect change in our situation.

If there is no real motivation to do something, we have to admit it, own it, and say, “I don’t even want that,” and so, it’s not necessary to put out all that effort to complete some arbitrary project or challenge. If we can’t at least get to the place where we can accept our lack of motivation, then there’s this feeling of obligation or guilt that constantly nags at us.

Obstacle #4: No Map

Sometimes we’d do what we needed to do, if only we knew where to start or how to get it done. Especially in business, there are times when we walk around clueless and have to figure things out as we go, and that leads back to the first obstacle. If we don’t know what we’re doing, how can we get people to believe in us, and how do we avoid looking stupid when people figure out that we don’t know what we’re doing?

Seth Godin talks about working without a map in his book “Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?“, and discusses about how we have to be OK with working without a map and just get used to not knowing our way around. If there was a map, everyone else would be following it, and then the journey and destination would probably not be as worthwhile.

It can be hard to take on big projects and challenges and even harder to actually complete them, but by identifying the root cause of our hesitation or procrastination, we’ll be much more likely to tackle those big challenges and get things done.

What are some of the biggest obstacles that hold you back when it comes to big projects and challenges?

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1. Be careful who you pick. Have you ever tried to be walking or exercise partners with someone, only to have him or her rarely show up, be perpetually late, and have a never ending line of excuses? To create a valuable partnership, you have to find someone who is as committed to his or her own success as you are to yours.
2. Pick a time that works. Figure out a good time that works for both of you and stick with it. My accountability partner and I began by having weekly calls, which turned out to be a little much for us, so we’ve since backed it up to every other week. We meet at exactly the same time with every call so that we’re less likely to forget or miss the appointment.
3. Set a good length for the calls. In the beginning, we worried about our calls being too long, so we tried shortening them, but ended up feeling like we weren’t getting the same value from them as a result, so we’ve finally settled on calls that run between an hour and a half to two hours, which gives us plenty of time to talk about two weeks of accomplishments and challenges for both of us. By knowing how long to expect, we’re careful not to book things too close to our call time.
4. Be consistent. My accountability partner and I are very careful to honor our appointment with each other. We know how much it helps us, so we rarely reschedule or cancel our calls.
5. Plan your agenda. We’ve gone back and forth on this one, but my accountability partner and I agree that when we plan our calls, we’re much more productive and get way more out of the conversation. Usually no later than the Friday before our calls (we meet every other Monday), we email each other our respective lists, which include updates (what we’ve done the past two weeks), big rocks to move (what we intend to do in the coming two weeks), and things to discuss (if we’re having any particular challenges that we need help with).
6. Rely on the agenda. It’s easy to go off on tangents, but try to stay close to your agenda so that you get the most out of the call. Generally, my accountability partner and I run through the lists, making suggestions and providing feedback to each other.
7. Split the call. We generally try to split the call so that we cover what’s been going on and what’s to come for both of us. We don’t stick to set time frames, but you might find it to be helpful to dedicate the first half the call to one person and the second to the other.
8. Be ready to learn. There’s rarely a call when we don’t have “homework:” a solution or idea to look into on the recommendation of the other person. Have pen and paper ready to take notes so that you don’t forget things by the end of the call.
9. Be ready to help. It’s likely that your partner will want you to review something here and there, so be available to him or her and try to follow up quickly. Remember that the purpose of this relationship is to help each other move your visions forward, and by being willing and ready to step up for your accountability partner, you’ll both reach your goals more quickly.
10. Don’t wimp out. Be frank and direct with your partner. Don’t sugar-coat your opinions and say what you think the other person wants to hear. The only way you will get real value out of this relationship is if you can count on each other to be upfront and honest. If you think the person is doing the wrong thing, making a bad choice, or even lagging behind, say so.

The New Year is right around the corner. Take the initiative, find an accountability partner and set your first meeting for the beginning of January. Make a list of what you hope to accomplish in the coming year and let that be the topic of your first call. With the right person and a little bit of planning, you can have the perfect ally to help you have an amazing year!

If you have an accountability partner, how do you make sure that you both get the most from the relationship?

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1. I’m more focused. I’ve become a lot more targeted with my efforts. I concentrate more and more on moving the big rocks, rather than counting the hours I’ve clocked or getting bogged down in busywork. For each call, I want to have something to report. I don’t want to have to say, “I didn’t really get that much done over the past two weeks,” which really helps keep my feet to the fire.
2. I stay the course. I used to be much more likely to change course. I had a serious case of entrepreneurial attention deficit disorder (EADD), and I jumped around way too much to see any kind of success. While I still start new things on a regular basis, I’ve become much more dedicated to seeing current projects to completion (or at least to a steady pace toward success) before venturing into new territory.
3. I’m more honest and real. My accountability partner has come to know quite a bit about my life and vision for it, which helps to keep me grounded in reality. I can talk myself in or out of anything, so if I’m trying to make decisions, there are times when it’s easy for me to talk myself into doing something that might not the best choice. My accountability partner calls me on it and forces me to be real with myself about my intentions.
4. I make greater progress in less time. Since we have regular meetings, it’s easy to keep things moving forward. There’s natural momentum built in, so we actually get things done.
5. I concentrate more on results. I no longer work for work’s sake. We’ve come to realize that the meat is in the results. We’ve both slowly moved away from set hours and arbitrary notions of how our days should look and have instead learned to focus on making progress. We set our intentions, and once we finish what’s on the list, we’re done.
6. I’m less likely to get stuck in ruts. As an entrepreneur or business owner, it’s easy to get stuck in my own thinking or get stopped by difficult times, but by having someone there whose job it is to keep me moving forward and striving to reach my vision, I’m so much less likely to stay stuck. My accountability partner and I have both had times where we’ve found ourselves stuck as a result of mental blocks or obstacles within our lives or businesses, but by working together, we’re able to get through them much faster.
7. I’m more balanced. Because we stay in tune with the overall vision we both want for our lives, we don’t allow each other to get very far out of balance. We know when we each have big projects going on, and when those wrap, we make sure to tell the other person to take care of the other areas of our lives. If we’re struggling, we consider that it might be something outside the business, say our health, that might be holding us back.

There are many untold benefits of having an accountability partner. If you value the relationship and honor your commitment to it, it can be the single greatest asset for your business.

Do you have an accountability partner? How has it helped you?

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I spend a lot of time on this site talking directly or indirectly about why I love freelancing, or what makes it so great, but in the interest of being fair and balanced, I want to take a break from my regularly scheduled gushing to point out some very serious pitfalls about working on your own. Many may seem like common sense, but it’s amazing how often it happens that people forget to consider these downsides when choosing to pursue this lifestyle.

Every Day Off Costs You Money

I remember paid vacation. I remember being irate at the fact that I’d only get two weeks out of the year, at best. And yet now, I’d love for someone to actually pay me money to take two weeks and not do any work. It seems like some kind of fantastical dream.

Now, when I want to take time off, I either have to do a lot of extra work before and after to make up for lost revenue, work while I’m away, or just write the time off as a loss. It’s not only a burden on finances, but it weighs on your mind, too, if you’re the conscientious type. As a result, letting go and truly relaxing can be harder when you’re responsible for every dime you take in.

Convincing People and Banks to Trust Your Money is Harder

Try getting a mortgage when you have to tell the bank that your income is wholly derived from contracts you have with various employers that range from temporary to semi-permanent, but all of which could potentially end without much warning. It’s not easy. Some institutions offer special considerations for freelancers, but for the most part, these deals come with strings attached.

Even negotiating with landlords in high-demand markets is a bit of a challenge. When the landlord or property management company holds all the cards, they choose tenants carefully, and getting an employment letter isn’t always possible for freelancers. Basically, be prepared for every one to second-guess your ability to generate income on a steady basis.

Taxation, Expenses and Insurance Are Completely DIY

If you’re not used to keeping track of your own finances and preparing for tax time completely on your own, it can be a huge surprise when the time does come. Most employers automatically deduct taxation from your wages, but with freelance work, you’re often paid the full amount with the expectation that you will pay taxes when they come due. That means it’s very rare to get a return on your taxes. Instead, you’ll usually end up owing a hefty sum.

Preparing for that is a simple matter of putting aside an amount in excess of what you estimate your taxes owed will be, but that’s easier said then done. Money on hand seems like it’s there to be spent, especially when unexpected costs arise. If you’re not careful, tax time could find you seriously lacking.

Add to that the fact that health insurance is pretty much up to you, and you can see how what seems like a sizable income can quickly become a subsistence wage. Factor in insurance, retirement savings, and tax when you’re calculating your overhead for freelancing before you embark upon a career as an independent.

Weigh the Good and the Bad

If you’re dissatisfied with your day job and thinking about leaving the rat race for freelancing, you may not want to hear about the downsides to making such a choice, but knowing just what you’re in for is key to making a sound decision you can live with. And if you have very good reasons for wanting to go it alone, chances are the cons won’t outweigh the pros anyway. They certainly don’t for me.

Have you considered the cons (as well as the pros) of taking on a freelance career?

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The magazine describes the ousting of Steve in the 1980′s, his return in the 90′s, and the decade-long story that follows, which includes harrowing health problems, a securities-law scandal, and a product line badly in need of innovation and originality.

Despite having taken over the company when it was worth only $5 billion, and seemingly on the verge of failure and bankruptcy, Steve Jobs ushered in devices like the iPod which helped change the company’s fortunes dramatically (they now control 73 percent of the U.S. MP3 player market), eventually leading to the $170 billion net company worth that exists today. In August of this year, Apple reported that it had $31.1 billion in cash on hand, an amount that would allow it to buy its pre-Jobs self six times over.

Of course, Steve Jobs was also behind the introduction of the iPhone, a device which has arguably changed the landscape of cellular communication and mobile computing more than any other (subscription required). Originally introduced in 2007, in the two years since, the iPhone has become the force to reckon with in the smartphone industry. It led to fundamental changes in the way cellular service providers do business, and wrested much of the control of media and bundled software away from them.

Still, it hasn’t all been roses. Not one, but two major health issues arose for Jobs during the past decade. First, in 2004, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He underwent surgery to treat the disease, and the outcome was apparently a good one, since no follow-up chemo or radiology treatment was required. Then, last year, Jobs took a six-month leave of absence during which he underwent a liver transplant. He returned to work in June 2009.

There was also the securities scandal, in which Jobs was apparently granted stock options at a backdated price, resulting in $20 million of undeclared taxable income. An internal Apple investigation later cleared Steve Jobs of any knowledge of the backdating, but the issue remains subject to active criminal and civil legal investigation.

But the highlights far outweigh the few dark spots on this Apple. Mac market share continues to grow, and the brand remains incredibly popular among students and young people, a promising sign for the future. Jobs is also the largest shareholder at Disney, thanks to his influence and guidance in Pixar’s celebrated history. And, just as no one has yet to replicate the iPod’s success in the MP3 player market, no true iPhone-killer has yet to surface, despite countless efforts by other phone manufacturers.

Perhaps what makes Steve Jobs such a successful CEO is that people know his name. Not just avid Fortune readers and business-types, but most people. So much so that The Simpsons can parody him without fear of the joke being lost on the masses. Make no mistake, Jobs himself is a willing and active part of Apple’s promotional arsenal, as evidenced by his legendary theatricality when introducing new products and software at various special events.

It’s hard to predict what the future holds for such a personality, but recent evidence suggests that Jobs will next try to do for TV what he’s already done for music and cell phones. That is, to quickly and without much warning become the dominant force in an industry.

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