A video of Apple CEO Tim Cook has gained traction again on social media and has been offering a much-needed dose of inspiration to people. For anyone feeling low on motivation, this one’s worth a watch. In the interview, Cook shares a powerful insight: while almost everyone can operate at 90%, it’s the final 10% that truly sets you apart, and that extra push only comes when you’re inspired by something greater. For Cook, that inspiration came after he joined Apple and worked with Steve Jobs.
“We can all perform at 90 per cent, but you want people to get to 100 per cent. And to get to 100 per cent, you have to be inspired by something. You’ve got to be working for some greater cause,” Cook told GQ.
In the video dated April 2023, Cook added, “There has to be some reason for doing it that’s beyond just being excellent at something. That’s about leaving the world better than we found it,” before referring to this purpose as the “North Star”.
5 things that inspire Tim Cook
He went on to share five things that inspire him. These include customer notes, national parks, the team at Apple, sports and young people.
“I get very excited about it, whether it’s the environment or human rights, or just treating people with dignity and respect,” he said.
The 64-year-old billionaire shared that he finds daily inspiration in customer notes, which he reads every day. He also recounted a powerful incident in which an iPhone detected a crash after a driver suffered a seizure and automatically called for help, potentially saving the person’s life.
Visit national parks to reflect on important things: Cook
He also shared that he loves going to national parks to disconnect with the world and to “reflect on really important things”.
He also praised all the employees working for Apple, whether it’s the tech giant’s retail team or the tech team. When the interviewer asked him about how he keeps his team inspired, he said, “I try to do the same thing with them that they do with me, which is push them to look at something differently, make sure that I’m recognising them for their contributions.”
Cook, who has a net worth of $2.4 billion, admitted to times when he felt “aimless” and in a “funk”.
“Before joining Apple, I was in a funk. Not really know what my purpose in life was. And it really took coming to Apple for all of that to change… And I talked to Steve and loved him and wanted to work for him and around him,” he said, before adding, “It was the single most important decision in my life.”
‘I look up to people like Malala’: Apple CEO
Cook revealed that Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai inspires him. He shared that he visited Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, with her and had an “incredible” discussion with a group of refugees.
“She wants to help 100 million girls get an education that is denied to them today because of their gender, and I think she will do it… I look at people like that who won’t accept things as they are,” he said.