Angela Ahrendts has posted the following note on her LinkedIn blog:
I’ve always tried to focus my comments on simple leadership lessons I’ve learned that might somehow, somewhere, someday help others. I’ll admit, I’ve been struggling recently to find one that’s relevant around the holidays.
On Wednesday, I was listening to the radio on my drive home and I heard an old song that took me back to my childhood. I hadn’t heard it for a while, and wow — in that moment, it really moved me. I remembered playing it on the piano growing up. Amid all the turmoil in the world today, hearing the lyrics again really hit home.
The song is “Let There Be Peace On Earth.” There are many wonderful recordings, but the one I heard on the radio was my favorite. It’s by the brilliant B.J. Thomas.
Not sure if it’s my age, experience, empathy, exhaustion or just the reflection that comes this time of year, but that night I kept hearing the words over and over in my head:
Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now
Then it hit me. What better universal leadership lesson to share and reflect on at this time of year?
I thought, I want my kids, my friends and family to hear this song. I want coworkers, partners, acquaintances to hear it. I just felt this overwhelming desire for more people to hear this wonderful message. After all, as leaders of families, households, businesses and communities, we all know the power of uniting people around strong, simple, positive messages.
Brothers all are we
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony
I can’t think of a better message to share with you this month. May it move you as it did me, and may you feel the desire to share your favorite rendition in your sphere of influence. There’s no better gift to give than one of hope and peace.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
Angela
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!
[Attribution: 9to5Mac.]
Amen.
Blah. Blah. Blah.
Agreed. Blah blah. I get the impression that Angela is very much into herself. Kinda self-absorbed. I’m sure most people won’t care what she’s saying or even know who BJ Thomas is. Or even like him. Did she really need to send that to EVERYONE? Maybe keep it in the family.
Remember how much all you guys flamed Balmer for playing Michael Bolton? This is no different. If this were Balmer you’d be all over it.
Angela: we’re still waiting on Apple Store 2.0…
Do you KNOW her? What a cynical attitude!
Do you know Balmer? What a cynical attitude!
Difficult to fully know an android.
Michael Bolton is no BJ Thomas, and neither of them compare to Joe Cocker, RIP
Merry Christmas to all the MDN Staff. Thanks for the great site.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Finally an Apple Inc. executive dare mutter the word “CHRISTMAS”….. not some obscure PC comment guessing or suggesting the Holiday, but actually saying MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Oh how the gays and atheists and multi-gendered must be throwing a hissy fit. She mentioned “family” and “kids” and CHRISTMAS!!! How refreshing! I sure hope she isn’t fired in the coming days. So nice to hear something other than gay propaganda coming out of Apple Inc. for once.
Let peace begin with you.
Let this be the moment now.
Take each moment, and live each moment, with peace eternally…
I’m not bothered one way or the other myself about promoting gay rights but you’re an A-hole.
Funny since when you look in the mirror all you see is a giant dribbling anal sphincter. Merry Christmas!
Ahhhh… so good to see RJ embracing the spirit of the season. /s
Sounds like you’re the one throwing the hissy fit.
Peace – Love
Peace, and love and goodwill towards human kind. It’s an important concept, one to live by.
Merry Christmas one and all.
Invade and torture countless countries on false pretences, torture, experiment and murder people caught and imprisoned without evidence, bomb schools and civilians for a slightest suspicion, sanction countries killing 100’s of thousands of their poorest populations, support and equit brutal cops, take away liberties and hijack the Internet for spying,…..and on and on.
Oh but just for a moment let’s all stop for peace on earth. Moment over! Back to normal.
BJ Thomas!……?
Teardrops cling to bare branches
From the weeping of the skies
Unfallen leaves atremble
Awaiting their demise
The rusty railroad lantern
Keeping vigil over all
A reminder of the crossroads
That loom before us all.
if she wants us to hear it, why not make it a free iTunes download? ? ?
I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
Sounded a bit creepy to me.
The Christmas song that moves me?
Don’t laugh, it’s John Denver and the Muppets Silent Night (with included story)
Still brings a tear to my eye.
In late breaking news it has just been discovered that a virus is responsible for the decline of empathy among humanity. The report details how the first known carrier of the virus was Adolfo Hitler. But there have been many other carriers recently. Outbreaks of the virus are most notable in Pakistan where a group of infected individuals recently shot and killed 132 children at close range, but the effects can also be seen in as diverse a group of readers of the Mac Daily News web site. It appears all but assured that the virus will eventually be found to be responsible for the destruction of humanity.