Steve Jobs

Mistake: Giving away the control

Apple was completely under the control of Jobs and Wozniak until Jobs lured Mike Markkula out of retirement to join the company in 1977. Since then Jobs started losing control over Apple, though the company got its much required capital and business experience. One thing led to another and Jobs was kicked out of the company after Mike took the side of the board against the co founder.

Lesson: Since his return Jobs understood the importance of his presence and control over the company and never let it slip out until his last breath. If you want your company to end up being what you had always dreamt of, always be cautious about how much delegation and control you can afford to give away.