After a 15-year run as Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook has handed the reins to longtime insider John Ternus. It marks the end of an era for the world’s most valuable company, as Cook moves into the role of executive chairman. And reflecting back on his time at the helm of the $4.75 trillion tech giant, Cook shares one daily leadership habit that pushed him to strive for success.
“For the past 15 years I’ve started just about every morning the same way,” Cook shared in a community letter speaking on his tenure as CEO. “I open my email and I read notes I received the day before from Apple’s users all over the world.”
Since 2011, Cook has led Apple through a global pandemic, supply-chain upheaval, and the rise of AI—and has read thousands of messages about the products all along the way. Apple’s new executive chairman said customers would “share little pieces” of their world—from close calls caught by Apple watches, to capturing memories on their iPhones, to how their work has been changed since the dawn of the Mac computer.
Whether it be heartfelt stories or complaints about the products, Cook says he combed through the messages daily, and said it’s been an “honor and a privilege” to lead the company building transformative tech.
