Tim Cook Does the Unthinkable - Opens Apple to the World

Tim Cook appears to have made the first move that acts as a key differentiator between the way he and Steve Jobs think in terms of leadership.

Drawing a clear line between how Cook and Jobs do (or did) things at Apple, the newly-instated CEO reportedly sent an internal email to staffers announcing a new charitable matching program that eventually got leaked, then confirmed by the company’s PR department.

1. Steve Jobs would have never let the word out on the company’s philanthropy initiatives, as highlighted by U2 lead singer Bono last week; and...

2. Apple’s ex-CEO would have probably used his bare hands to murder the PR rep who confirmed their internal plans.

I kid about the murdering part, of course, but Apple fans will agree Steve Jobs would have never bragged about such initiatives, and it appears Tim Cook has done exactly that. Apple PR never acts on its own. No PR department does.

Tim Cook profile on Apple’s PR page
Credits: Apple
As noted above, not only did an Apple spokesperson confirm that the program was a go, Cook’s actual letter can be found reproduced below in its entirely (courtesy of MacRumors).


Team:

I am very happy to announce that we are kicking off a matching gift program for charitable donations. We are all really inspired by the generosity of our co-workers who give back to the community and this program is going to help that individual giving go even farther.

Starting September 15, when you give money to a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, Apple will match your gift dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000 annually. This program will be for full-time employees in the US at first, and we’ll expand it to other parts of the world over time.

Thank you all for working so hard to make a difference, both here at Apple and in the lives of others. I am incredibly proud to be part of this team.

If you’d like more information on the program, you can get it on HRWeb, which can be easily accessed through AppleWeb.

Tim


Then again, who’s to say Apple shouldn’t be a bit more open?

The company itself is brilliant, but it certainly isn’t perfect either. It wasn’t perfect when Jobs ran it, and it’s not perfect now. Nothing is.

Perhaps Cook’s openness will extend to other segments within the Apple organization where more transparency is required.

Perhaps such a loose attitude emanating from the new CEO will draw in more partners and, subsequently, more profits for Apple and investors.

One thing is for sure though: Apple was on a rapidly climbing pattern when Steve Jobs bossed everyone around. Competition aside, nobody wants that to change.

Oh and, by the way, did we mention this is the second leaked internal letter signed Tim Cook since he nabbed the CEO spot last month?

Do share your personal thoughts in the comments.