Tim Cook is the man behind not only Steve Jobs’ shadow, but also Apple itself.
For more than a decade Tim Cook has been the Chief Operating Officer at Apple in which disagreements with Steve on vital strategies have been noted among many. Tim Cook is anything but apart of the plan or another piece; Tim is the one placing the pieces to generate the image and structure of Apple.
BBC states, “his expertise in logistics and operations has been credited as one of the crucial elements that has allowed the company to soar on the back of the iPhone and iPod”. BBC further adds “notorious for being a hard worker who sleeps little, Mr. Cook oversees day-to-day operations with a focus and dedication that insiders say is almost unparalleled”.
Unparalleled
When Apple was completely decomposing, Steve Jobs turned to the 10 year industry veteran for desperately needed help.
Help, HELP? The man took charge and changed the fundamentals; you could say the cook took charge of the kitchen.
Cook Changes
- Apple closed down most of its manufacturing operations and recast itself as a lean and flexible operation.
- He forged close links with Asian companies who build the hardware, cutting costs and pushing technical boundaries.
- Supported the move to concentrate sales efforts on a string of high-end retail outlets (which Steve Jobs initially opposed).
The third time that Mr. Cook has taken over from Mr. Jobs.
Pay Break down SBS (last year)
- salary of $800,000
- bonus of $5m
- stock options worth more than $50m
Background (BBC)
Born to a working class family in Alabama. His father was employed around the local shipyards and after graduating high school, Mr. Cook headed for an industrial engineering degree at Alabama’s Auburn University. Mr. Cook continued his studies with an MBA at Duke in North Carolina.
After graduating he spent more than a decade working his way up the ladder at IBM before changing and eventually being lured by Mr. Jobs to join Apple in 1998.
BBC concludes best by declaring – “But as the man credited with turning Steve Jobs’s vision into hit products, he is certainly more than just a safe pair of hands”.
So what does is all mean, where is the gap to mind?
The whole notion of the charismatic born to lead jargon actually may be false. Sometimes the loudest in the room are the most empty. Their value is derived from the fact that people must feel a human connection; a important but empty figurehead that deep down understands their weakness.
Find the Balance
Do not strive to be the arrogant type A douche that everyone loves in exchange for a brain; nor follow in Cook’s steps of doing everything in the company but no one has ever heard of you. When moving up the ladder of business success, you must understand that it is both a combination of who you know and what you know. MBA graduates have a choice: conform and settle for that 500 000 pay check, or risk everything to gain multi-billion fortune.
WRONG.
MBA or not.
Loud or not.
Your true self must be strong, confident, compassionate…
You see it is a knowledge based economy where your degree does indeed matter, sure there are bound to be outliers like Bill Gates who dropped out of Harvard, but the importance of education and the rare trait of being an actually thoughtful and kind person from within will help your cause.
Not some bullshit about being a closer; drinking cold coffee; yelling at everything you see and cutting peoples throats. From my experiences of traveling to over a dozen countries, living in Oxford and a real analysis of the people who actually run the show, you will find that those rough tough tycoons have more reasons than just money; they actually have a heart.
That is the joke. They put on this huge show because the big bosses understand the little guys will eat this up but the little guys fail to understand that this is all a show.
So get real and get with the program backstabbing ways do not result in actual success. A heart of coal will get you coal.
Steve Jobs passed away on October 5th 2011, we give our condolences to his friends and Family.
