Tim Cook – Genius CEO who took Apple to next level

Part 65

Timothy Donald Cook was born in Alabama, United States, on November 1, 1960. He earned a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from Auburn University, in 1982. His Master of Business Administration was from Duke University. 

After graduating, Cook spent 12 years in IBM’s personal computer division. Later, he served as Chief Operating Officer of the computer reseller division of Intelligent Electronics and Vice President for Corporate Materials at Compaq for six months.

In 1998, Steve Jobs invited Cook to join Apple. His first position was Senior Vice President for worldwide operations. In relation to the role, Cook was quoted as saying: “Working with Apple is just like you’re in the dairy business. If it gets past its freshness date, you have a problem.”

Cook closed factories and warehouses and replaced them with contract manufacturers; this resulted in a reduction of the company’s inventory from months to days. Predicting its importance, his group invested in long-term deals such as advance investment in flash memory from 2005 onward, guaranteeing stable supply of what became a key iPod Nano, then iPhone and iPad component. Cook’s actions were credited with keeping costs under control, which generated huge profits.

In 2009, while Jobs was away on a leave of absence for health-related issues, Cooks looked after his work. In January 2011, Apple’s board of directors approved a third medical leave of absence requested by Jobs. During that time, Cook was responsible for most of Apple’s day-to-day operations, while Jobs made most major decisions.

After Jobs resigned as CEO on August 24, 2011 and became Chairman of the board, Cook was named the new Chief Executive Officer. On October 5, 2011, Jobs died due to complications from pancreatic cancer. 

Cook inherited one of the toughest jobs ever: taking on the impossible task of following Jobs. Cook has not only made the impossible possible but has led Apple into one of its most successful eras ever, becoming the first American company to hit a trillion-dollar valuation. Under his tenure, Apple has continued to release successful products, from new iPhones to the AirPods.

While Jobs was a celebrity, Cook shuns the spotlight – but still gets it done. Cook has also taken on several new agendas at Apple when it comes to social causes such as the environment and diversity, something Jobs didn’t show much of an interest for.

Research published at the University of Oxford characterised Cook’s leadership style as paradigmatic of founder centrism: explained as a founder’s mindset, an ethical disposition towards the shareholder collective and an intense focus on exponential value creation.

What lessons can we learn from Tim Cook?
Take risks
Cook understands he must take risks in order to succeed. 

He believes, “We take risks knowing that risks will sometimes result in failure but without the possibility of failure, there is no possibility of success.” 

Without the confidence to take calculated risks, it will be almost impossible to have the full support of those around you.

Focus and listen attentively to those you speak to 
Cook is a quiet and reserved person because he is focused and listening attentively to what those around him are saying. 

He says, “The moment you notice your mind starting to drift away from the conversation, you should focus and take down the key points.” 

This is a lesson from Cook that should be implemented by anyone with the goal of becoming a great leader.

Trust others around you
Cook is known as a leader who will trust the opinions of his team. He is always surrounded by top executives that can help share the workload of the business. He will often allow these executives to take the lead. 

Part of being a leader is understanding that you don’t know everything and handing some of the workload to others on your team will go a long way in helping you become a successful leader.

Diversity is important
Apple is a company at the forefront of innovation and that requires different minded and unique individuals to help create the future.

Cook once said, “We want diversity of thought. We want diversity of style. We want people to be themselves.” 

Bringing the best out of people is not a quality many leaders possess and working on refining this skill will give people the confidence to follow your lead.

Be humble
Never forget where you came from. Cook manages to find the time to visit his Apple stores and engage with his customers, either face-to-face or by reading their emails.

It’s easy to get swept away when you are CEO of the biggest company in the world and it’s important to keep yourself grounded. 

Cook said to Businessweek, “Not allowing yourself to become insular is very important–maybe the most important thing.” 

Admit when you’re wrong
Cook strongly believes in admitting when you are wrong. He spoke about Jobs and his ability to admit wrongs. 

He said, “Maybe the most under-appreciated thing about Steve was that he had the courage to change his mind. And you know–it’s a talent. Great talent.”

Do what you do and do it well
Apple is a company that is built around doing what they do and doing it well. It may be shocking to believe but Apple really only creates a few products. Cook stresses that this focus is a key to Apple’s continued success. 

“I mean, if you really look at it, we have four iPods. We have two main iPhones. We have two iPads and we have a few Macs. That’s it.” 

Cook is patient and understands that new and unique ideas will come. In the meantime, Apple focuses on improving its foundation and the products people love.

Believe in what you’re doing
To truly be a great leader you must believe in yourself and trust that you are making the right decisions. Your actions also must reflect the belief you have in yourself and this is a key attribute of Cook. Many people are unaware just how much Cook believes in himself to make the right decision.  When Apple’s stock was tanking, Cook chose to forfeit up to one-third of his stock-based compensation (nearly US $ 130 million over eight years) if the stock underperformed the S&P 500. There was no fine print; he chose to lead by example.

Be you and don’t pretend to be anyone else
Succeeding as a leader does not mean you have to give up being who you are in the process. Many believed Cook didn’t have the right personality to complete the role as Apple CEO successfully, because of his calm and passive demeanour. But he has more than proved he is the right man for the job. 

While Jobs was a far more aggressive individual, Cook has not changed to fit the mould of CEO before him; he has stayed true to himself and is completing the job with his own strengths.

Write your own rules
During a Q&A at a university, Cook mentioned you must “write your own rules”. If you do everything in a formulated manner, then the best you can do is reach the same position as everybody else. It is a strong lesson in leadership, knowing when to follow the rules and when to throw them away.

Be transparent
Cook knows that transparency is crucial to sustained success. Upon receiving harsh criticism about the standards of Apple’s global employees, he decided to open up the doors to the public and allow them to see how Apple’s operation really works. By doing this he instilled confidence for those in the company and set new industry standards for manufacturers everywhere.

“We want to be as innovative with supply responsibility as we are with our products. That’s a high bar. The more transparent we are, the more it’s in the public space,” Cook once said. 

(Lionel Wijesiri is a retired company director with over 30 years’ experience in senior business management.  Presently he is a freelance journalist and could be contacted on [email protected])