Steve Jobs. Great clients. And great agencies.

The big news today, at least among the sleek digital cognoscenti, is that Steve Jobs is stepping down from his day-to-day role at Apple, though he remains as Chairman of the Board.

Thinking about this made me think of a quotation, I think by Carl Ally, progenitor of perhaps the greatest agency ever. "There are no great agencies," he asserted, with perhaps a touch of glibness, "only great clients."

This is probably true to a degree. However, I believe agencies that do great work have a talent for creating great clients.

I believe they do so by following some tenets. And then getting lucky.

1. They work hard to build trust.
2. They find a venning of their goals as an agency with their clients' goals.
3. They learn the ins and outs of their clients' business, their issues, their competition.
4. They listen.
5. They fight, politely.
6. They challenge complacency and the expected.
7. They are resolute and steadfast in their honesty.
8. When something is killed they come back with something better.
9. They understand the distinction between "doing the assignment and doing the job."
10. They say please and thank you.