And to get to be CEO? Well, aspirants may want to try channeling Abraham Lincoln.
These are some pieces of advice offered by Apple CEO Tim Cook during a recent Q&A session in Utah, which can be viewed here.
Cook identified 5 traits that he looks for in prospective employees:
1. Intelligence: “Obviously, we look for wicked smart people. But put that aside for a second. There are a lot of wicked smart people.”
2. Persistence: “We look for grit and determination.”
3. Curiosity: “We look for people [who] are curious because many times you really don’t know what to do, but you’re curious enough to start pulling the string to see where it takes you.”
4. Collaboration: “Even someone with an ‘S’ on their chest and a cape on their back can’t do everything alone. So we’ll look for people who believe that by working with others they can amplify what they can do.”
5. Rebelliousness: “And we look for people [who] won’t accept the status quo. People [who] aren’t satisfied with the way things are. They really want to change the world and put all of themselves into doing it.”
Cook joined Apple in 1998 and was tasked with filling Steve Jobs’ big shoes as CEO in 2011.
When asked by a sixth-grader in the audience “how do you become the CEO of Apple?”, Cook said having faith in himself played a big part.
“I always believed in this old saying from President Lincoln. He used to say: I will prepare and some day my chance will come.”
“And I’ve always believed that. If you have faith that whatever you’re doing today—you’re not sure necessarily what it will become tomorrow—but eventually, if you have faith, something great will happen.”
Cook said he had never dreamed of becoming CEO and that accepting Jobs’ invite to join the company was the best decision he’d ever made.
“Study hard, that’s very important, do great work and have faith that those things add up and lead you on a journey that will be a most incredible journey,” he said.
Chief Executive Group exists to improve the performance of U.S. CEOs, senior executives and public-company directors, helping you grow your companies, build your communities and strengthen society. Learn more at chiefexecutivegroup.com.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
