Very well said, Bolaji. Reeling the concept back to just the distribution industry, there have been many examples where larger-than-life personalities may have set the tone for the organization without having its future depend entirely on their presence. If Steve Jobs set good policies in, then the transition should go well. Let's ask "Joe Public" a year or so from now when he's buying his iPod 6 or whatever they call the generation at that point.
Barbara, i kind-off smiled at your paragraph "...when someone with a big TV camera elbowed his way...Can we interview you? ...". You sounded like a superior race than that of the ET crew!
I like the way you described this, and I think it applies for all the great companies out there.
Apple wouldn't be the company it is today without brilliant engineering. But the force of Jobs's personality is one of the things that propelled the PC out the business and office environment into the pop culture realm
Bolaji, Apple is already the victim of its co-founder's personality based on the fact that Apple's stocks plunged down to low depths for many years after Steve Jobs was fired and only rebounded upon his return and has soared since then.
Even though Apple is in capable hands now, it will be hard for stakeholders to trust that Steve's Jobs departure again will not lead to another slump. Hopefully the company can come up with new or enhanced products after his departure to put this reputation to rest.
Very valid concerns. Hopefully the products that have now created a brand image for Apple will help Aple survive this reputation of dependency on Steve Jobs to thrive. Yes time will tell, but continued innovation of products will help!
Besides Jobs's personality, I think what makes his departure so dramatic is also related with Apple's past. After Steve Jobs was fired, Apple plunged down deeply for many years, only to be rescued by Jobs again. This miraculous turnaround gives a feeling to many that Apple is heavily reliant on Steve Jobs. Only time will tell how valid these concerns are.
In the technical and investor circles the name APPLE may be closely associated with STEVE JOBS. But if we talk to any of those IPAD or IPHONE users they may not even have heard the name of Steve Jobs.Especially the Asian market.
And today the products have created a brand image for Apple and not vice a versa.
So as long as Apple continues its tradition of giving elegant products - whether Steve Jobs is there or not does not matter.
The personality does matter when a company is facing a downturn. because it is in the downturn when the strong CEOs like Stev Jobs( APPLE), Ravi Pandit ( Citibank) can really help those sinking corporation to come out of troubled waters.
Barbara, One of my primary concerns about Apple is the overwhelming association of the company with one single individual. A company is supposed to be an enduring enterprise. While the potential lifespan of an individual can be fairly determined, companies shouldn't be as easily pegged. Apple became almost synonymous with Steve Jobs. That wasn't Jobs' fault but now the two are slowly parting ways as they must. Let's hope Apple doesn't become a victim of its co-founder's oversized personality.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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