The world lost a role model in Steve Jobs last week. But with all the chatter about the Apple co-founder’s success, I found myself asking: What is it about Jobs and Apple that set them apart?

A true visionary, Jobs knew exactly what he lived for. Even after he was fired from Apple in 1985, he started a software company called NeXT, which created a computer system that would later be the heart of today’s Macintosh computer. Jobs was a driven perfectionist, defining his products by their simplistic designs yet precise engineering. Most impressive was Jobs’ ability to dominate several distinct markets simultaneously — Apple is the only company successfully selling computers, MP3 players and cell phones.

Why is Apple able to do what other perfectly capable companies fail to do? It’s because Apple’s marketing isn’t selling you a product; it’s selling you an idea and a mindset. First, the company encourages consumers to challenge the status quo of existing products. Then, it introduces the notion of perfection and, finally, it presents a manifestation of those ideals in Apple products.

Simon Sinek, an innovation consultant, describes how great leaders think, act and communicate by identifying three tiers of ideas — what, how and why. In particular, everyone knows what they are doing, fewer know how they are doing it and only the best know why they are doing it.

Successful individuals and organizations understand their why — they have a grasp on their purpose and beliefs and know why others should care about it, too. This deeper understanding of purpose allows leaders to appeal to those factors that actually affect people’s behavior. People aren’t inspired by what you do; rather, they’re inspired by why you do it. Great leaders connect with their audience by telling people why they exist and why others should care, beyond simply what they do or how they do it. Jobs and Apple, together, are an excellent example of such inspirational leadership.

This organizational model works best because it responds directly to how people make decisions. So student leaders on this campus, take note: If you’re interested in mirroring the type of influence Apple has on the world, you must implement proper thinking and communication. Here’s how: First, define and understand why your organization exists and why people should care about it. Then, develop a decision-making model. Third, create and execute a plan that translates your passion into action. Finally, to empower your members and to reach the general student body, present your ideas in this specific sequence. That’s inspirational leadership.

You must publicly believe in your cause; you are your strongest supporter. Unfortunately, many student group leaders doubt their potential impact, usually due to some externally imposed preconceptions. But as Jobs taught us, your impact is defined not by what others think, but by your own conviction.

This idea is acutely illustrated by the story of an author walking along a beach covered with thousands of starfish that had washed ashore. A young boy was throwing the starfish, one by one, back into the water.

“What are you doing?” the author asked the boy, who replied: “I’m throwing the fish back into the water.” When the author asked him why, the boy said if he didn’t, they would die.

“There are so many of them, there is no way you’ll be able to throw all of them back into the water,” the author said. “What’s the point? What difference will it make?”

The boy looked at the author, then at the ground and picked up one of the fish. He threw it into the water and said: “It made a difference to that one.”

Osama Eshera is a junior bioengineering major. He can be reached at eshera@umdbk.com.