The Real Problem of an Apple Without Steve Jobs

Speculation (fueled by the WSJ) is that Steve Jobs will return Monday, and that he’ll announce the iPhone 3.0. All Apple (AAPL) will say is that marketing SVP Phil Schiller is doing the keynote at this week’s WWDC, and that Jobs will be back at the end of the month.

The WSJ article includes a health update:

While Mr. Jobs has been on sick leave, some Apple directors have gotten weekly updates about his medical condition from the CEO's physician, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mr. Jobs's recovery "is coming along" and he is on schedule to return to work later this month, said this person, who has seen Mr. Jobs in recent weeks.

"He was one real sick guy,'' added this person. "Fundamentally he was starving to death over a nine-month period. He couldn't digest protein. [But] he took corrective action.''

Mr. Jobs occasionally has come into Apple's headquarters since his leave began, said a person who has seen him there.

We don’t know if this is the last health scare he’ll have during his career, but it’s great to hear that Steve Jobs the father and husband has come back to health.

As I’ve said before, I hope Jobs does not return as CEO. The company has learned to operate without Steve, as has the investor community. There will need to be a succession to Steve someday, and this is the natural time to do so. Also, Steve has created three great businesses for Apple (Apple II, the Mac and the iPhone) and a hit machine at Pixar; what’s left to prove?

Steve could stay on as a non-executive chairman for a year or a decade. He could still be involved in new product decisions and the occasional rollout. He could even be part of an office of the CEO, with a special responsibility for new product strategies.

The problem with Steve stepping down — now or later — is that no one at Apple (or almost anywhere else) matches Steve Jobs for charisma. For 30 years, Jobs has been making people not only believe, but want to believe. The Apple products have been good the past decade, but Steve made them even more exciting.

Since a charisma transplant is not possible, and the Apple ranks do not suggest a logical replacement, I don’t know what will happen next. Before Jobs returned to Apple, the company suffered when led by two charisma-deprived CEOs (Spindler, Amelio) who were clearly not up to the task. Neither Schiller nor COO Tim Cook will ever fill Jobs’ shoes as company spokesman.

If Jobs does reduce his role, the company must also start grooming a successor for Cook. The two men have been the heart of the company for a decade, and with Jobs stepping back, the company is even more dependent on his continuing performance and health. As Jobs’ bouts with pancreatic cancer remind us, no one knows how long he’ll be on this earth, so companies must plan for the unthinkable (sudden death) or inevitable (age and retirement).

Comments

[raytaythemd:]

...I suspect you'll get your wish...given Mr. Jobs' medical history, I'm inclined to believe either the sources mentioned in the article are either in denial or Apple is merely trying to prevent the truth from coming out until after the "developer's extravaganza"...Mr. Jobs has a terminal condition for which he underwent a palliative surgery -- the Whipple procedure...I seriously doubt Mr. Jobs will ever return to Apple...

Jun 08 08:18 AM

[mollytjm:]

though i hope for Jobs' sake and for his family that he lives long and prospers, it's clear that he has built a company that will, for sure, live long and prosper. he's not the only charismatic genius on the planet and he won't be the last one at Apple.
Apple 'on the ropes' needed a charismatic figurehead and lead to get it out of the dust and up where it belongs. That's done now, and though in a perfect world it would be nice of Jobs could return and continue to innovate and lead, it's not absolutely necessary and the world has seen that. Losing him now, even if he comes back as CEO, would not have the impact it initially did and recovery would be swift.
Apple will continue to be amazing.

Jun 08 10:43 AM

[DmytrenkoArtem:]

i am wonder my Steve is so sick.. maybe just speculation? he was in India, was asket, etc. He have to know how to return health to budy

Jun 10 07:59 AM