Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook says the difference between strong employees and truly brilliant ones comes down to purpose, arguing that excellence alone can take workers far, but not all the way.
Cook Says Purpose Pushes Workers Past Excellence
Cook told GQ in a video published in April 2023, "We can all perform at 90%," adding, "to get to 100%, you have to be inspired by something. You have to be working for some greater cause. There has to be some reason for doing it that’s beyond just being excellent at something."
Cook essentially reveals that "pretty good" workers may master their jobs, while "brilliant" workers connect that work to a larger mission that affects other people.
For some workers, that meaning comes from choosing careers built around service, including education, health care or social causes. At Apple, Cook has said he tries to remind employees that their work can improve everyday life for users, whether through communication, health, accessibility or creativity.
Jobs Helped Cook Find Apple’s Larger Mission
Cook said he learned that leadership map from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who persuaded him to join Apple in 1998. The Apple CEO had struggled to find his own motivation before working with Jobs, but watching him work changed his view of what a company could mean.
Cook said most CEOs he had met kept themselves "so divorced from and isolated from real people who are working and from the products of the company," while Jobs stood out because he was "so animated about the product."
"This guy really wanted to change the world."
Research And Other CEOs Back Purpose-Driven Work
Research backs the broader point. The 2023 book "Tomorrowmind: Thriving at Work with Resilience, Creativity, and Connection — Now and in an Uncertain Future" says employees who believe their work matters report higher job satisfaction, and employers promote them more often. Co-author Gabriella Rosen Kellerman told CNBC in January 2024 that feeling useful to others can deepen motivation and shape a career.
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella offers a similar case study. Nadella joined Microsoft in 1992, became CEO in 2014 and helped move the company from a Windows-centered software giant toward cloud and artificial intelligence. Microsoft says Azure now competes across the cloud market, including against Amazon.com Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) AWS and Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Cloud.
Other leaders echo Cook’s view. Nadella centers Microsoft around empowering people and organizations. Jensen Huang has said CEOs should help employees do their "life’s work."
AAPL ranks in the 98th percentile for Quality on Benzinga Edge Rankings, highlighting its strong performance across short, medium and long-term trends.
Photo Courtesy: FotoField on Shutterstock.com
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