14 DAY TRIAL // On October 14, 2013, a press release from Cupertino, California said that Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry, would soon be joining Apple Inc. as a senior vice president and member of the executive team, reporting directly to CEO Tim Cook.
Following the October 14 announcement, many big names in the IT industry (and not only), praised Apple for its decision to take aboard Ahrendts as head of retail.
Even Apple’s former retail chief, Ron Johnson, said Apple couldn’t have made a better choice.
Salesforce.com CEO Marc Russell Benioff actually said on Twitter, “I just saw Future Apple CEO @AngelaAhrendts on her farewell @Burberry tour! The most important hire Tim Cook has ever made!”
And chances are Ahrendts herself thinks the same. As she and her colleagues at Burberry are grooming a new CEO, Ahrendts has left a truly inspiring post on LinkedIn titled “Why a Successful Transition is a Great Legacy.”
From where I’m standing, every paragraph in there sounds like a Steve Jobs quote told with different words. I’ve gathered some excerpts for you below, with a comparison to a Steve Jobs quote for each extract in part.
Her TED talk on Human Energy is equally filled with passion, which makes me believe that Apple may have just hired its new visionary leader.
I strongly encourage readers (and Apple fans in particular) to leave their impressions in the comments section below. Also, don’t forget to go through Ahrendts’ whole piece on LinkedIn. It's a great read!
Ahrendts
“...I firmly believe in following your intuition, especially in relation to the most important decisions in your life.”
Jobs
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” [...] Keep looking. Don’t settle!
Ahrendts
“Because for me Burberry’s true success is measured not by financial growth or brand momentum, but by something much more human: one of the most connected, creative and compassionate cultures in the world today, steeped in common values and beliefs, and united around a shared vision. [...] So the experience of the past eight years has served to reinforce my firm belief that ‘it’s all about people.’”
Jobs
“If you keep your eye on the profit, you’re going to skimp on the product. But if you focus on making really great products, then the profits will follow.”
“Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.”
Ahrendts
“[...] And this has never been in sharper focus than in recent weeks, as we have begun the process of transitioning to new leadership at Burberry. Too often management transitions are viewed with fear or suspicion, when they should be the ultimate example of a natural and healthy organizational evolution.”
Jobs
“...Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new...”
(and another version of the same quote)
“I think death is the most wonderful invention of life. It purges the system of these old models that are obsolete.”
Ahrendts
“Shouldn’t our ambition as leaders be to make a transition something to be celebrated rather than merely managed? And isn’t the reality that a successful transition could in fact be your greatest legacy?”
Jobs
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me. ... Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful -- that's what matters to me.”
"So if Apple just becomes a place where computers are a commodity item and where the romance is gone, and where people forget that computers are the most incredible invention that man has ever invented, then I’ll feel I have lost Apple. But if I’m a million miles away and all those people still feel those things and they’re still working to make the next great personal computer, then I will feel that my genes are still in there."
Disclaimer
This is a Personal Thoughts piece reflecting the author’s personal opinion on matters relating to Apple and / or the products associated with the Apple brand. This article should not be taken as the official stance of Softpedia on Apple-related matters.