I wrote Apple’s Credo 6 years ago — here’s why it’s still relevant

The pinnacle of my creative career at Apple is embodied in the 171 words of the Apple Credo.

Back in 2016, if someone had asked me to distill all that Apple is and strives for, I could not have done it. That’s way too overwhelming. But I found my way in to this creative challenge by seeing my role in the creative process as a conduit — a channel — for Apple’s people. For the values and aspirations they held in common.

Nothing to take lightly. And for good reason. At the time this project was underway, there were 65,000 stakeholders (read: employees) who cared deeply about Apple’s culture. For many, the credo was a sacred symbol of that, and a core part of Apple Retail’s origin story when the first stores were opened in 2001 under Ron Johnson and Steve Jobs.

A company’s credo is a declaration of beliefs designed to guide employee actions. In 2014, when Angela Ahrendts joined Apple as a Senior Vice President, uniting both the Apple Retail Stores and the Apple Online Store, it quickly became clear the original credo didn’t reflect or include the online stores and contact centers. It was also clear that the revisions it had undergone across the previous 15 years made it more tactical than aspirational.

Over 2015, surveys and focus groups uncovered an valuable insight: the words of the credo weren’t precious — its ideas and values were. That freed me and the rest of the team to take a fresh pass at expressing Apple’s reason for being.

A lot has happened since this went live: increasing political polarization, an ongoing pandemic, the return of Top Gun.

What hasn’t changed? The words of the credo ring as true today as when they first hit oxygen.

Why? Because they were written to stand the test of time. And if you have a vision you want to rally our hearts and minds around ad infinitum, you can future-proof it, too. Here’s how:

Set our sights out of reach.

A vision that’s attainable isn’t a vision — it’s a task. And while we may get a sense of satisfaction from completing tasks, that’s a mere fraction of our life’s work. When it comes time to cross the rainbow bridge, I highly doubt anyone is saying, “wow, I’m really glad I reached Inbox Zero.” Even for email apps that promise that, their aim is to reduce distractions so we can focus on what really matters. (Pssst, that’s not our inboxes.)

Raise our sights well above our to-do lists by describing a future worth working towards. Tell us where you want to go, what it’s gonna take to get there, and why it’ll still be worth it when things get hard.

Remind us of our best selves.

This is especially important on our worst days. When we’re in the mire and forward movement feels impossible, we can benefit from being reminded of the strengths and skills we have within us — the very strengths and skills necessary to make it out of the muck and then some. And how beautiful that these very characteristics are also the ones needed to bring your vision that much closer to reality.

Speak galvanizing truths.

High-stakes truths hit nerves. That’s uncomfortable. And that discomfort is part of what inspires us to take action. We want to avoid feeling uncomfortable again, and chances are we’re willing to do something about it. Consider what’s at stake in your vision: things like life or death, justice or injustice, abundance or scarcity, etc.? Be bold and make that clear. Walking on eggshells is for the birds. (After they’ve hatched.)

Today, Apple’s credo is used to recruit team members, to onboard all new Apple employees, to evaluate employee performance, and to reconnect team members to Apple’s vision in good times and hard times. That’s a lot of heavy lifting for 171 words.

Whether your vision is expressed in a few words or a few thousand, if its written to stand the test of time, it can be a tool to powerfully aid your aspirations, however audacious they might be.

Want to work together?

• I’m developing a course on building an unstoppable culture of innovation and inspiration — the Apple way. Interested? Join the waitlist and influence the curriculum by completing this survey.
• Finally, I’m represented by WSB for speaking engagements. Get in touch with my team directly if that’s something your organization needs, and we can make that happen.

Anita Stubenrauch is an ex-Apple creative and the founder of Cause:Effect Creative, an agency that helps brands express visionary ideas with poetic power, and the host of the Hyperactive Imagination podcast, a high-voltage channel for creativity. Want to keep tabs on all the things I’m up to? Check out my Linktree.