Jobs is comfortable and confident in his own skin. He's the same presenter regardless of his weight.

On Sept. 9, 2009, when he returned to the world stage after having a liver transplant, he was noticeably thinner but he had more energy and enthusiasm than most presenters. He's also self-deprecating, which helps. He said he had to gain about 30 pounds so he's eating a lot of ice cream. That's funny and it makes him seem more human. I also think his illness has made him more introspective.

After his scare with pancreatic cancer, he gave an emotional commencement to the Stanford grads of 2005. People forget that it was a beautifully crafted speech. There are parts of that speech that still give me goose bumps. He said: "You're time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's' life&don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. Most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become."

That speech changed my life. It reminded me that what I had chosen to do--leave daily journalism to pursue my heart's desire--was indeed the best path for me. I'm not sure if Jobs would have given the same speech had he not had a near-death experience.