Competitors have begun emulating Apple’s success and former inspiration – and are using it against the tech giant. Can Apple recover its mojo? Or is it slowly lumbering towards an inevitable downfall?
Steve Jobs was a huge loss for the company for a number of reasons, not least of which was his vision and ability to motivate and inspire those around him to achieve great things. Equally important, to support them on their quest, he molded the organization…everything it did and the way things were done…to help them succeed.
Jobs cannot be replaced but there is nothing stopping Apple’s leaders from following in his footsteps and intentionally creating the culture the company needs to succeed today and in the future. This begins with a vision and core values that are inspiring and authentic…something leaders genuinely believe in and are passionately committed to. A rallying cry for everyone at Apple.
This new culture may actually be old and refocus on what made Apple the company that changed the world. If this is the case, the first step may well be for Apple to re-engage with their devoted customer base deeply connecting with users to understand how to make their lives better. The second is to re-engage with employees inspiring and motivating them to create something special. The third is to take a good look at all of the different organizational ‘stuff’ affecting the way people work…policies, procedures, rules, structures and so on….and clean house. In other words, get rid of the stuff that is getting in the way of fulfilling the company’s vision and purpose. Make it easy to be great again!
Ensuring your company’s culture survives the upheaval of leadership changes and key personnel departures is critical. Apple has struggled since the death of Steve Jobs. Maintaining a culture through growth and change is never easy, but it’s something every company should plan rigorously for. In fact, it’s something we like to cover regularly on our blog.
