Tim Cook's True Reason For Joining Steve Jobs In Apple's Journey: It Wasn't About The Money

This story is part of a new series of features on the subject of success, Benzinga Inspire.

Tim Cook started working for Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) in 1998 before succeeding Steve Jobs as CEO of the company in 2011. The reason he has devoted much of his life to Apple can be traced all the way back to the way Jobs viewed the purpose of his work. 

Apples To Apples: If it wasn't for Jobs, Cook wouldn't be where he is today. The course of his life was changed because he admired the way Jobs was chasing something much bigger than a successful product or business. 

"This guy really wanted to change the world. And I'd never seen that in a CEO before," Cook said in a recent GQ interview, cited by Inc. 

At the time, most chief executives were out of touch with the real world, but Jobs was a rare creative genius, he said, adding he wasn't just sprinkling the "Silicon Valley magic" dust around, he was really after something bigger. 

Jobs was often described as being a tough boss and difficult to work with, but he could also be very charming and personable, according to retired Apple engineer Steven Ussery, who called him a "mixed bag" in a recent post. 

See Also: Was Steve Jobs A Genius Or Jerk? Retired Apple Engineer Tells The Tale

One of the things Cook most admired about Jobs was his ability to tune out all of the noise and focus on one thing, even if it meant letting other projects go to give "that one thing" the attention it needed to be great, which Inc suggests likely played a big role in helping Jobs and Cook change the world by creating products people can't seem to live without. 

From Last Month: Steve Jobs Was The Master Of Unveiling Apple Products: This Was His Secret For Leaving Audiences Awestruck

Tuning out everything else and focusing on the pursuits that matter the most has been the blueprint for innovation at the Cupertino-based company. This approach was passed on from Jobs to Cook. 

Jobs once said that he was as proud of the things Apple didn't do, as he was of the things it successfully completed.

That relentless focus lives on in Cook today, and so does that fire to better the world outside the Apple walls.

"The most important thing Apple is doing is making sure they leave the world better than they found it," Cook said at an event in 2015. 

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