Tim Cook Got His Share Of Advice From Steve Jobs On How To Be Successful At Apple, Now He's Asking John Ternus Never To Forget His 'North Star'
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Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook says the advice Steve Jobs gave him in 2011 helped guide his 15-year run at the company, and he is now offering incoming CEO John Ternus his own version of that leadership playbook.
Cook Tells Ternus To Guard Apple's North Star
During Apple's fiscal second-quarter 2026 earnings call last Thursday, Cook said he told Ternus that one of his most important decisions will be how he spends his time.
"For John, I think my advice is that, or what I’ve told him, is that one of the most important decisions he’ll make is where to spend his time. I would spend it where the greatest benefit to the company and the users are. Never forget the North Star for the company," Cook said.
Cook said that North Star remains Apple's focus on making "the best products in the world" that enrich people's lives. He made a similar point in an interview with The Wall Street Journal earlier this year, saying that if a leader gets the company's values right and keeps its North Star in view, the company can return to the right path even after being blown off course.
Jobs Advice Still Shapes Cook's Playbook
The advice echoes what Jobs told Cook before handing over the CEO role in 2011. Cook has said Jobs told him not to ask what Jobs would do and to "just do the right thing." Cook said on the earnings call that "Steve's advice to me lifted a huge burden" and served him well for over 15 years.
Cook leaves Ternus a much larger company. Apple's market value rose from about $350 billion when Cook became CEO to roughly $4 trillion, while annual revenue grew from about $100 billion to a record $416 billion in the 2025 financial year. Apple said iPhone revenue alone topped $200 billion for the year.
Jobs Advice Still Shapes Cook's Playbook
Cook's message also fits a broader tech-leadership pattern. Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos built Amazon around customer obsession and long-term thinking, while Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella has emphasized a growth mindset and purpose-driven culture.
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