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IT Management Slideshow:
The Secret of Apple's Success

By Dennis McCafferty on 2012-02-03


While many questioned how the company would fare without its iconic leader, Apple continues to thrive in the post-Steve Jobs era. In its most recent quarterly earnings statement, the company reported selling more iPhones, iPads and Mac computers than in any three-month period in its history. This sales surge fueled $46.33 billion in revenue for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2011, beating analyst expectations by a whopping $7 billion. The company's success is no accident; Jobs had a clear, powerful vision that he passed on to his employees and cultivated a corporate culture that rallied around that vision. In the book Inside Apple: How America’s Most Admired—and Secretive—Company Really Works (Business Plus/available now), author Adam Lashinsky penetrates the legend of Steve Jobs and his company and breaks down the building blocks that make it all work. Lashinsky illustrates what Apple execs call the “secret sauce” – the systems, tactics and management strategies that produce hit after hit. Lashinsky is a senior editor at large for Fortune magazine and a Fox News contributor. For more about the book, click here. The following are ten of those secret sauce "ingredients" behind Apple's success.

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Rethink Leadership


Presence and vision influence results, regardless of “face time.” At Apple, employees always pondered, “What would Steve think?”

Embrace Secrecy


Apple grew famous for its windowless “lockdown rooms” – no information went in or out without a reason.

Turn Processes Inside-Out


Businesses typically start with marketing then design. Apple preaches that design comes first, and dictates everything that follows.

Focus Obsessively


A student of Buddhism, Jobs understood that even the simplest task should command all of his mastery and attention.

Stay Start-Up Hungry


Jobs refocused the company’s organizational structure by function when he returned in 1997.

Innovate the Existing


Apple didn’t invent music players or retail stores. But it made both better for consumers.

Own Your Message


Jobs conveyed company ideas with seemingly effortless ease. But every word was consciously intended.

Hire Disciples


Employees who understand and buy into organizational vision as opposed to just “doing a job” are best-suited to pursue key strategies.

Plan for the Long Haul


Before he passed away, Jobs created Apple University to ensure the company’s history and culture would endure.

Inspire Imitators


Apple's ideals of accountability and design simplicity now set the standard for others.

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