Few business leaders have influenced our everyday lives as much as Steve Jobs. He’s widely credited as the visionary behind Apple’s greatest hits. But when it came to the iPhone, he wasn’t the one pushing for change—he was resisting it.

In 2004, Apple employees proposed evolving the iPod into a phone. Jobs was reportedly furious: "Why the f@*K would we want to do that?” he snapped. “That is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard." His concerns were practical and emotional—fear of cannibalizing the iPod, and disdain for mobile carriers.

But the team didn’t drop the idea. Instead, they repositioned their case. They reminded Jobs that Apple wasn’t a phone company—it was a "Think Different" company. A smartphone, they argued, was just the next great tool for creatives. The idea didn’t betray Apple’s culture—it honored it.

Six months later, Jobs gave the green light. The iPhone launched in 2007. Four years later, it generated half of Apple’s total revenue.

The lesson? Change sticks when it builds on what already matters. People resist transformation when it threatens identity—but embrace it when it affirms who they are.

At Innate Motion, we help organizations do just that. Our cultural identity tool invites people to reflect on:

1. How they want to contribute

2. How they experience company values

3. How they define the organization’s capabilities

   
   

These stories surface the invisible threads that hold a company together. And once those are visible, change becomes less about disruption—and more about evolution.