Can Apple Last Without Steve Jobs?
{mosimage}
What’s so scary about Apple’s continued success is the intermingling of Apple and Steve Jobs as interconnected brands that need each other to define the other’s existence. It goes without saying that Jobs has done an exceptional job at leading Apple, and the company is out of control. It’s the new Google of consumer electronics that has and will continue to take a lot of other companies by surprise; however, you have to wonder how long the success will last. To be more precise, you have to wonder how long will Apple keep up its success factor without Jobs. (Column) – What’s so scary about Apple’s continued success is the intermingling of Apple and Steve Jobs as interconnected brands that need each other to define the other’s existence. It goes without saying that Jobs has done an exceptional job at leading Apple, and the company is out of control. It’s the new Google of consumer electronics that has and will continue to take a lot of other companies by surprise; however, you have to wonder how long the success will last. To be more precise, you have to wonder how long will Apple keep up its success factor without Jobs. When mainstream consumers associate Jobs and Apple with each other, you know the company is on the right track to becoming a household name. As great as it is for Apple, can the company continue its charismatic way of developing products without Jobs, it’s equally charismatic leader at the helm? I doubt it. Although I’m certain the Board of Directors and Jobs himself is interning a few successors to lead Apple when he retires, it’s not going to be the same. When people are going to compare the new CEO against Jobs with every step he takes, that’s just going to add to the additional pressure that the CEO title already comes with, and it’s going to be very difficult to focus on making Apple successful with key precision. Could the new CEO be a charismatic speaker? Could he draw thousands of people to MacWorld for his keynote with the same excitement as Jobs? Could he continue to push Apple employees into changing the world? These are all fundamental questions that the new CEO will face when Jobs retires. You could almost say that Jobs is a natural fit to Apple. Could the new CEO be such a natural leader? Regardless of the successor’s capabilities, the initial blow is going to shake Apple to its core. Imagine what it will be like when Jobs announces his retirement from Apple. That’s going to turn things upside down. To simply put, the magic out of Apple will fade away in an instance. Although Apple will continue to last as a relatively successful company, it needs someone who is going to be more than a leader to the company. It needs someone with Jobs’ personality and everything that Apple’s CEO has to offer. Remember that part of Apple’s mantra is simplifying solutions and selling mystifying products that redefine user experience. The company doesn’t need yet another CEO; it needs a leader to its true sense. Hopefully, the Board of Directors and Jobs are thinking about this issue seriously and focusing on it as much as they are on the company’s current state. It’s a very important issue that needs great attention. In order to keep the tingly feeling that Apple is associated with, its current management has their work cut out for them.
Other related articles:
- None Found
