How Apple’s CEO gets things done (5 Productivity Rules)

“Let your joy be in your journey, not in some distant goal.” ― Tim Cook

Why it works

Tim Cook (pictured above) is an American business executive. In 2011, he took over from the late Steve Jobs and became the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Before joining Apple in 1998, he spent most of his career in operational roles at IBM. And as Apple’s former COO, he emphasizes operational efficiency and attention to detail. In a nutshell, he knows how organizations get things done.

Cook’s operational excellence starts at the personal level. He doesn't follow the notorious "work until you drop" mindset. Instead, he takes a holistic approach. He starts early, before distractions hit. He keeps his focus tight, sticking to a few key goals. He leads by example, building powerful teams. He keeps his teams agile, making quick decisions. And last but not least, he doesn’t compromise on health.

Cook’s methods aren’t complicated but simple and powerful. He builds his days around structure, balance, and working with purpose. Here are 5 productivity rules Cook follows to get things done (without burning out).

How to do it

1) Start early
Cook starts his day at 4:00 AM. He uses the early hours for quiet, uninterrupted focus. By tackling important tasks before the world wakes up, he sets a calm and productive tone for the day. While Cook is an extreme morning “lark” chronotype, focusing (somewhat) early works best for 75% of us. A good method for timing focus right is the 30-3-11 Rule. It holds that our alertness and motivation peak 30 minutes, 3 hours and 11 hours after waking up. If you want to learn more about the 30-3-11 Rule, check out this article.

2) Stay focused
Cook concentrates on his core strengths. He often reminds his team that Apple’s ability to focus on just a few key products each year helps them maintain such high standards of excellence. At the personal level, a great tool for maintaining focus throughout the day is Timeboxing. Popularized by productivity expert Nir Eyal, it’s simple: instead of managing based on your to-do lists and inbox, you turn everything you do in a day into an appointment with yourself. Learn more about timeboxing here.

3) Lead by example
Cook has often stressed the importance of trust and open communication within his team. He believes that when decisions are transparent and everyone can voice their ideas, it minimizes distractions and helps the team stay focused. His democratic leadership style has paid off handsomely for Apple: Since Cook took over from Jobs in 2011, its market value went from $153 billion to $3.4 trillion in 2024 — a whopping 22-fold improvement.

4) Be decisive
In a fast-moving industry, Cook leads his team to make rapid, well-informed decisions. He acts decisively, ensuring Apple remains agile and responsive to new opportunities. Cook’s decision to launch the Apple Watch, despite market doubts, proved to be a success. Over the last decade, it evolved into a powerful product, incorporating features like heart monitoring, ECG, and blood oxygen tracking, helping Apple solidify its position in the wearable tech industry.

5) Prioritize your health
Despite his demanding role, Cook believes that physical and mental well-being are essential. His daily fitness routine — he works out for an hour at 5:00 AM each day — is non-negotiable. It helps him maintain the energy and focus needed to lead. His commitment to health is so strong that he encourages his team to prioritize their own well-being. Besides exercise, nutrition and sleep are the two other health biggies. If you want to learn more about exercising, eating and sleeping for sustained productivity and health, read this.

Forget about rushing through your day, perfection at every step, and multitasking.

Focus on quality, not quantity. Focus on priorities, not schedule.

Focus on progress, not perfection.

And please share this post with one person who might benefit from doing the same.

Until next week,
Christian

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