Impute: (verb) To credit or ascribe something to a person or a cause.

When reading Steve Jobs’ biography by Walter Isaacson I have been fascinated, entertained, and learned a lot from his depiction of the Silicon Valley legend. One of the many practical learnings I have had is in regards to the concept one of his early mentors, Mike Markkula, had taught him on imputing:

“Early on Mike Markkula had taught Jobs to “impute” – to understand that people do judge a book by its cover – and therefore to make sure all the trappings and packaging of Apple signaled that there was a beautiful gem inside. Whether it is an iPod Mini or a MacBook Pro, Apple customers know the feeling of opening up the well-crafted box and finding the product nestled in an inviting fashion.”

As I read this passage last night it reminded me of one of the books I am re-listening to for the 3rd time, The Magic of Thinking Big. I absolutely love this book and how the simple, timeless principles encourage the reader to expand their thinking. One of the many things Dr. David J Schwartz covers in his book is imputing. David covers seemingly simple topics in fine detail that heavily impacts what you “impute” on others such as how you dress, posture, thoughts, language, and much more. Of course, as more science has been applied throughout the 21st century, we have been able to uncover why exactly standing tall makes you more confident. 

The important point is that we are always imputing something whether it is in relation to our personal brand or an Apple product; thus we should be aware and it should be intentional.

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Book Cover by Alfredo @ IconsAlfredo.com from the Noun Project