BUSINESS POLICY AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

PSDA

ABOUT TIM COOK

Tim Cook was born in Robertsdale, Alabama U.S on 1 November 1960. He is the CEO of
Apple, one of the largest companies in the world. Since taking the reins in 2011, Cook has
grown the company into a multi-trillion-dollar behemoth. Tim earned an MBA from Duke
University, where he was a Fuqua Scholar, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial
Engineering from Auburn University.
Cook joined Apple in 1998, having worked briefly at PC maker Compaq and for 12 years at
IBM. Cook is known for driving high-profit margins and crafting complex, global supply
chains. Before being named CEO in August 2011, Tim was Apple’s chief operating officer
and was responsible for all of the company’s worldwide sales and operations, including end-
to-end management of Apple’s supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all
markets and countries. He also headed Apple’s Macintosh division. Since 2005, he has also
served on the board of Nike. Cook is known for driving high-profit margins and crafting
complex, global supply chains. Cook owns more than 3 million shares of Apple, less than a
1% stake; he's sold hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of shares over the years.

ABOUT STEVE JOBS

Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco, California, U.S. Jobs was
adopted by an encouraging and loving family. He developed an interest in computers and
engineering at a young age, inspired by his father’s machinist job and love for electronics. He
was a cofounder of Apple Computer, Inc. (now Apple Inc.), and a charismatic pioneer of the
personal computer era. In 1975 Jobs joined a group known as the Homebrew Computer Club.
One member, a technical whiz named Steve Wozniak (1950–), was trying to build a small
computer. Jobs became fascinated with the marketing potential of such a computer. In 1976
he and Wozniak formed their own company. They called it Apple Computer Company, in
memory of a happy summer Jobs, had spent picking apples. They called their first computer
Apple 1.
Steve Jobs was a computer designer, executive, and innovator, as well as an all-around role
model for many people in their professional and personal lives. As the co-founder of Apple
Computers and the former chairman of Pixar Animation Studios, he revolutionized the
computer and animation industries, amassing a fortune worth $10.2 billion at the time of his
death.
He was a visionary genius and is best known for Mac computers, iPhones, and iPads, but his
innovative ideas also transformed the music, movie, and digital-publishing industries. As an
adult, he was both brilliant and difficult.

CAREER OF TIM COOK

Tim Cook is an American business executive who is currently the CEO of Apple Inc. Cook
earned his bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Auburn University in 1982. He
became the Fuqua Scholar in 1988 at Duke University while earning his
MBA there. After graduating from Auburn University, Cook began working at IBM, where
he stayed for twelve years. By the end of his career there, he was the director of North
American Fulfilment, involved in monitoring the manufacturing and distribution activities
within North America. He worked for 12 years in various management positions. He later
joined Compaq and served as the Vice President of Corporate Materials, In 1998, Cook
joined Apple as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations.
He was instrumental in streamlining Apple's supply chain and improving its manufacturing
processes. He became the executive vice president of worldwide sales and operations in 2002,
and In 2005, Cook was promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) and became responsible
for overseeing Apple's day-to-day operations. In 2004, Cook first served as Apple's interim
CEO after Jobs was on medical leave following an operation for pancreatic cancer. He did the
same in 2009, following Jobs’ leave for a liver transplant. In August 2011, Cook was named
CEO of Apple, succeeding Steve Jobs, who had resigned due to health issues. Since taking
over as CEO, Cook has continued to lead Apple's growth and expansion, overseeing the
development of new products and technologies.

CAREER OF STEVE JOBS

Steve Jobs was an American entrepreneur and inventor who co-founded Apple Inc. After
dropping out of college in his first semester, Jobs explored his spiritual side while traveling in
India. It was through this spiritual enlightenment that Jobs’ work ethic and simplistic view
toward life were developed. Jobs co-founded Apple Computer in 1976 with Steve Wozniak
and Ronald Wayne and was instrumental in the development of the Apple I and Apple II
computers. Apple sold consumer-friendly machines that were smaller and cheaper, at only
$666.66 each. The Apple II was more successful than the first model. Later on, He was
forced out of the company due to the failure of ‘Lisa’ but came back again as the CEO of the
company when Apple purchased NeXT from Jobs. He revitalized Apple, and under his
leadership and led the development and launch of several successful Apple products,
including the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. He was also involved in the development of
several other companies, including Pixar Animation Studios, which he co-founded in 1986.
He served as CEO of Pixar until it was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2006. He
was known for his vision, creativity, and passion for design and was a pioneer in the personal
computer and digital music industries.

LEADERSHIP STYLE OF TIM COOK

Tim Cook has a democratic leadership style that lets the talents of everyone at Apple
contribute to the company’s success. His approach has transformed the way that Apple
operates. Cook's ability to find smart and effective people for key executive roles has allowed
him to take Apple from where it was at the end of 2011 to the massive profit-producing
machine it is today.
He has a thoughtful demeanour that makes it relatively straightforward for him to convert
other executives to his ideas. Since he explores the potential benefits and disadvantages of
proposals before he chooses a path for the company, he already knows how to convince
naysayers to adopt his perspective. Tim Cook may not be the visionary that Steve Jobs was,
but he arguably has a more effective leadership style based on open communication,
transparency, and sharing. He has different behaviour and personality that helps in leading
Apple, it includes :
• He steps back when others do communicate, he listens to others and lets other people share
their thoughts.
• He shows great care for the company’s values and philanthropy.
• He takes the time to process the information he gets and then makes the decisions.
As a result of Cook’s leadership style, members of his team often report feeling:
• more involved in the decision-making practice.
• Encouraged to express their thoughts without fear.
• Rewarded for providing creative insights.

LEADERSHIP STYLE OF STEVE JOBS

Steve Jobs’ leadership style was autocratic. He had a meticulous eye for detail and an
insistence on perfection. His leadership style often resulted in him exercising a “my way or
the highway”-style approach — He was even known to surround himself with like-minded,
agreeable individuals who would allow him to continue to execute his visions his way, no
matter if they ended up being successful or not. Some of the main elements of his leadership
style included effective communication, involvement, innovation, risk-taking, passion, and
focus. He knew that he was the one in charge, and he didn’t need to rely on collaboration and
input from his team to keep things moving forward. He believed that work was more efficient
and effective when he made all of the choices. Leadership for Steve Jobs was based on
vision, passion, people, and doing something that you love. By building a successful business
like Apple, he proved his business abilities and leadership skills that were put into action to
manage a huge workforce that worked relentlessly to achieve the company's success.
The thing that made Steve Jobs' leadership style stand out was the innovative quotient and
uniqueness. As a leader and CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs believed in things that may seem
small to the rest but withhold the power to create something huge.
He was also an unconventional leader. He never managed the company based on theoretical
ideas published in books. He took a different and unique direction in his style of management
and leadership. Jobs’ winning charisma and infectious passion for his products led to an
almost inescapable feeling that Apple and its products could do the impossible.

KEY DIFFERENCES
Here are some key differences between the leadership styles of Steve Jobs and Tim Cook:

 Innovation vs. optimization: Steve Jobs was a visionary leader who was known for his
ability to create new products and markets. He was a master at identifying new
opportunities and pushing boundaries. In contrast, Tim Cook is a more operational
leader who is focused on optimizing existing processes and maximizing efficiency.

 Hands-on vs. delegative: Steve Jobs was known for being a hands-on leader who was
deeply involved in every aspect of Apple's products and operations. He was known
for his attention to detail and micromanagement. Tim Cook, on the other hand, is a
delegative leader who trusts his team to execute the company's vision and strategy.

 Risk-taking vs. risk-averse: Steve Jobs was a risk-taker who was not afraid to make
bold bets on new products and markets. He was willing to take big risks and fail fast.
Tim Cook, on the other hand, is more risk-averse and focused on minimizing risks
and maximizing returns.

 Charismatic vs. humble: Steve Jobs was a charismatic leader who was known for his
showmanship and ability to captivate an audience. He was a master at storytelling and
had a magnetic personality. In contrast, Tim Cook is more humble and understated,
preferring to let his actions speak for themselves.

 Centralized vs. collaborative: Steve Jobs was known for his centralized leadership
style, where he made all the key decisions and had final say on everything. Tim Cook,
on the other hand, is more collaborative and inclusive, seeking input and feedback
from his team before making important decisions.

In summary, while both Steve Jobs and Tim Cook are highly successful leaders, their styles
differ significantly. Steve Jobs was a visionary, hands-on leader who was focused on
innovation and taking risks, while Tim Cook is an operational, delegative leader who
prioritizes optimization and collaboration.

STRATEGIC INTENT
Steve Jobs and Tim Cook are two prominent figures in the tech industry, and both played a
critical role in the success of Apple Inc. Jobs was the co-founder of Apple and is widely
credited for revolutionizing the personal computing industry with products like the
Macintosh, iPod, and iPhone. Cook, on the other hand, took over as CEO after Jobs’ death in
2011 and has led the company to continued success.

Under Jobs' leadership, strategic intent at Apple was centered around creating revolutionary
products that would change the way people live their lives. Jobs had a strong vision for
Apple, and he was known for his attention to detail and his ability to anticipate what
consumers wanted before they even knew it. This approach resulted in products like the iPod,
iPhone, and iPad, which completely disrupted the music, mobile phone, and tablet markets.

Jobs' approach to strategic intent was based on three main pillars: simplicity, focus, and
empathy. He believed that Apple's products should be simple and easy to use, with a focus on
the user experience. Jobs also emphasized the importance of focus, and he was known for his
mantra of "saying no to a thousand things" in order to focus on a few key products. Finally,
Jobs believed in empathy, or the ability to understand and anticipate the needs of consumers.

Jobs also believed in a closed ecosystem approach, where Apple controlled both the hardware
and software of its products. This allowed Apple to deliver a seamless user experience and
ensured that its products were of the highest quality. This approach was evident in the success
of the iPod, which combined a simple, easy-to-use interface with high-quality hardware and
software.

Under Tim Cook's leadership, strategic intent at Apple shifted slightly, with a focus on
expanding the company's services business. Cook recognized the importance of services like
Apple Music, iCloud, and the App Store, which provide a recurring revenue stream and help
lock customers into the Apple ecosystem.

Cook's approach to strategic intent is based on three main pillars as well: innovation,
operational excellence, and social responsibility. Cook believes that innovation is critical to
Apple's success, and he has overseen the release of new products like the Apple Watch and
the AirPods, as well as the continued development of the iPhone and iPad. Cook has also
emphasized the importance of operational excellence, streamlining Apple's supply chain and
manufacturing processes to make the company more efficient and profitable.

Finally, Cook has emphasized social responsibility, with a focus on issues like diversity,
privacy, and environmental sustainability. Cook has made it clear that Apple takes these
issues seriously and is committed to making a positive impact on the world. This approach
has helped Apple improve its reputation and appeal to consumers who care about these
issues.

Overall, both Jobs and Cook were masters at creating strategic intent that aligned with the
company's strengths and opportunities. Jobs was focused on creating ground-breaking
products that would change the world, while Cook has been focused on expanding Apple's
services business and emphasizing social responsibility. Both approaches have been critical
to the success of Apple, and it will be interesting to see how the company continues to evolve
under Cook's leadership in the years to come.