The thing that ties us all is we’re brought together by values. We want to do the right thing. We want to be honest and straight forward. We admit when we’re wrong and have the courage to change. And there can’t be politics. I despise politics. There is no room for it in a company. My life is going to be way too short to deal with that. No bureaucracy. We want this fast-moving, agile company where there are no politics, no agendas.”
Notes :
💭As the new CEO of Apple, Tim Cook faced a lot of doubt and backlash from the public and consumers during his early months in the role. The media scrutinized every decision he made, making it especially challenging for him to lead the company. Cook had the difficult task of taking over for the late Steve Jobs, which added to the pressure he faced
💭Despite the challenges he faced, Tim Cook has demonstrated exceptional ability in maintaining a clear boundary between his personal and professional lives. This is a skill that many people struggle to develop or are unable to master. As a result, he has been able to lead Apple effectively and with integrity, even when faced with tough decisions
💭One example of a tough decision Tim Cook had to make was his response to the government’s request to build a backdoor into Apple devices. To protect their consumers’ privacy, Cook decided to deny the request and maintain Apple’s strict security measures. This decision sparked a debate about the moral gray area between security and privacy, particularly when it comes to law enforcement.
💭The question of whether to build a backdoor for law enforcement is a contentious one. While some believe it would make it easier for them to do their work, others point out that the argument “if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about” is flawed. Even if you have nothing to hide, there’s no guarantee that only law enforcement would be able to access the backdoor if it were built.
💭Protecting the privacy of Apple’s consumers was a difficult but crucial decision made by Tim Cook. By upholding their principles and maintaining strict security measures, Apple showed its commitment to its customers and their privacy. This has earned them the trust and loyalty of their consumers and has solidified their position as a leader in the tech industry.
insight’s:
Supplier responsibility: Apple educates and empowers the people in its supply chain, and helps preserve the environment’s most precious resources.
💡As of today, Apple is taking action to alter the locations where some of its products are manufactured. This demonstrates that, even after years under Tim Cook’s guidance, the company is still open to change and evolution.
Cook hated excess inventory with the same zeal that Jobs hated shoddy design. He even cast it in moral terms, describing piled up inventory as “fundamentally evil” because of its drag on company finances. He gave an analogy that seemed to have been inspired by his upbringing in rural farm country. “You want to manage it like you’re in the dairy business,” he said. “If it gets past its freshness date, you have a problem.”
💡It appears that Tim Cook was meant to lead a technology company like Apple. In this rapidly changing industry, it’s essential to be open to learning and adapting. Otherwise, you risk falling behind the rapid advancements in technology. As we’ve seen, having too much inventory can be a major problem for a company like Apple. If they don’t sell their products quickly, they will end up with a surplus of unsold hardware, which is not good for any business that relies on inventory management.
a lot of senior operations managers were detail-oriented, with an uncanny knack for numbers.
💡In the book “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson, it’s mentioned that Steve Jobs was extremely thorough in ensuring that his designs were of the highest quality, even in areas that weren’t visible to the naked eye. I find it interesting that this focus on detail is something that both Tim Cook and Steve Jobs have in common. It’s up to you to decide whether this attention to detail is a contributing factor to their success or just a coincidence.
Memorable Quotes:
President Barack Obama hailed Jobs as “among the greatest of American innovators—brave enough to think different, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.”
“When Steve Jobs departed, he took three things with him: 1) singular charismatic leadership that bound the company together and elicited extraordinary performance from its people; 2) the ability to take big risks; and 3) an unparalleled ability to envision and design products.”
“In business, as in sports, the vast majority of victories are determined before the beginning of the game. We rarely control the timing of opportunities, but we can control our preparation.” Cook’s obsession with preparation was key to his success at Apple.
Book Review 4 Stars
Erika Funny 
Leave a comment