Even Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar experiences Monday blues sometimes, just like the rest of us. To combat these blues, he turned to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share some Monday motivation. Chandrasekhar posted an excerpt from Tim Cook’s 2019 Stanford commencement speech, where the Apple CEO candidly acknowledged the normalcy of feeling unprepared while embarking on a leadership journey.
Despite his extensive tenure at Apple, including six years as COO, Cook confessed feeling unprepared when he succeeded the iconic Steve Jobs, just weeks before Jobs’ passing, he told the class of 2019 at Stanford University. Tim Cook has been the CEO of Apple for more than a decade now.
“Your mentors may leave you prepared, but they can’t leave you ready,” he told graduates.
This vulnerability underscores a universal truth: transitions, especially into high-stakes roles, are almost always challenging. By sharing his vulnerabilities and insights, he humanised the executive journey, offering guidance to those navigating their own paths and careers.
“When Steve got sick, I had hardwired my thinking to the belief that he would get better. I not only thought he would hold on, I was convinced down to my core that he’d still be guiding Apple long after I myself was gone,” Cook said. “When he was gone, truly gone, I learned the real visceral difference between preparation and readiness. It was the loneliest I’ve ever felt in my life by an order of magnitude.”
“When the dust settled, all I knew was that I was going to have to be the best version of myself that I could be,” he said. But having said that, “if you got out of bed every morning and set your watch by what other people expect or demand it’ll drive you crazy.”
Drawing inspiration from Jobs’ iconic 2005 Stanford address, where he famously told students that “your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life,” Cook emphasised his own time as CEO at Apple was about forging his own path rather than emulating others who had come before him.
“Graduates, the fact is when your time comes—and it will—you’ll never be ready. But you’re not supposed to be,” Cook said. “Find the hope in the unexpected. Find the courage in the challenge. Find your vision on the solitary road.”
Cook also touched upon contemporary challenges such as data breaches and privacy infringements during his address. Referencing scandals like Theranos, he highlighted the pitfalls of unethical practices in Silicon Valley and underscored the importance of ethical leadership.
“Too many seem to think that good intentions excuse away harmful outcomes, but whether you like it or not, what you build and what you create define who you are,” he said. “If you want to take credit, first learn to take responsibility.”
Interestingly, talks of who will replace Tim Cook as the new Apple CEO have started to pick up steam as he approaches retirement age. Cook in fact has been fairly vocal that he can’t run the company forever. He also plans to donate all of his money to philanthropic causes, he had told Fortune magazine in 2015. Apple has a rich culture of internal grooming and training for leadership roles. Grooming Cook to be his heir apparent was probably one of Steve Jobs’ biggest accomplishments. Under Cook, Apple has grown leaps and bounds especially on the manufacturing side. It goes without saying that whoever replaces him will have some really big shoes to fill.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar sharing the video snippet seems like a trip down memory lane and a reminder that it’s okay to be scared and vulnerable because that is what makes us human. If you’re true to yourself and put in the work, surely, no Monday blues can stop you from winning.
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