Tim Cook, who trusted his instincts to work with Steve Jobs, proved his intuition right. In an interview with WSJ, Cook’s pivotal moment came during a conversation with Jobs, during which he described him as “a very different kind of CEO.” He sees Steve Jobs as someone who always thinks about his Apple products again and again. That is, however, not a bad thing, of course. Due to that, Apple has become more renowned and provides better service for its consumers.
What Steve Jobs Prioritized: Customer-Centric Approach and Mindset for Innovation
And one of those is refocusing Apple on consumers. This approach includes emphasizing user experience, simplicity, and innovation. Also, he was indeed really obsessed with enhancing the customer experience. That’s one of Steve Jobs’s top priorities out of all things.
Tim Cook admired his courageous action because no businesses are fully focusing on consumers like he did. The move was indeed risky because, at the time, other companies were focusing on products for businesses, while Steve Jobs chose not to follow that. Tim Cook thought that it was a brilliant thing to do, and he was right.
Tim Cook is not like the others. He knew that following the herds was not the right thing to do. Rather, he follows Steve Jobs’s lead. He was feeling ‘enamored’ to have worked with what he described as “a creative genius that started the entire (tech) industry.” He was so fully embracing that experience that he would not rather pass it on to anyone else.
While he prioritized customer needs and preferences, there were still boundaries around them. He has conveyed this idea throughout many interviews and discussions, like conversations with BusinessWeek and events like Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). He said:
“Some people say, ‘Give the customers what they want.’ But that’s not my approach. Our job is to figure out what they’re going to want before they do. I think Henry Ford once said, ‘If I’d asked customers what they wanted, they would have told me, ‘A faster horse!’ People don’t know what they want until you show it to them. That’s why I never rely on market research. Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page.”
His way to innovation
Steve Jobs’s approach to innovating is like that of a true leader who was fully comfortable with changes. One of the most important lessons that Tim Cook has learned from this is to “not marry with past views.” Tim Cook thinks that one should not feel so proud that one cannot even change their mind. This emphasizes how true leaders should have humility and remain flexible to be open to new changes and risks.
Additionally, combining highly skilled team members he feels confident in and those who complement skills with each other is important for driving innovation.
“You could change his mind if you have the best idea.”
Steve Jobs was also a leader who was open to new ideas, which is an important skill for tech leaders. Tim Cook admitted in the interview that he was taken aback at first by Steve Jobs’s mindset of not being married to past views. Later, he became enamored by it. He also said that most people are often married with past views, and it is a skill that not every person has.
He also agreed that Steve Jobs indeed changed his views on many things based on the best ideas from others. Tim Cook mentioned that he is one of the people who influenced Jobs’s mind, and Jobs has also changed his mind. Since Jobs loved to debate, he appreciated people who challenged him, which sparked many new ideas and thought-provoking discussions between people he encountered.
Conclusions
Tim Cook’s respect for Steve Jobs comes from Jobs’s strong focus on innovation and putting customers first. Cook learned that it’s important to meet customer needs while also predicting what they might want in the future. By being open to change and new ideas, Cook has kept Apple’s creative spirit alive, just like Jobs did. He understands that good leadership means being humble and flexible. As Cook leads Apple forward, he honors Jobs’s legacy while also making his own mark, ensuring that Apple stays a leader in technology and continues to improve people’s lives.
