Tim Cook built Apple into a $4 trillion company. Then his greatest strength became his biggest liability.

The article focuses on the challenges CEOs face when their leadership style, which initially drove success, becomes misaligned with changing business contexts, using Tim Cook’s tenure at Apple as a case study. Cook succeeded Steve Jobs by leading authentically as an operator focused on operational excellence, privacy, and services, which propelled Apple’s growth from $350 billion to $4 trillion in market capitalization. However, as artificial intelligence reshaped industry demands, Cook’s deliberative decision-making style slowed innovation, illustrating how a CEO’s operating mode can expire even if their values remain constant. The article highlights the importance for leaders to evolve their approach to meet new challenges, exemplified by Cook’s planned transition to hardware engineer John Ternus amid Apple’s shift toward AI and software. [Extracted from the article]