“It’s not easy describing Tim Cook’s role within Apple. Yes, he is CEO serving at the discretion of Apple’s board of directors,” Neil Cybart writes for Above Avalon. “However, there is much more than this going on behind the scenes and Cook’s formal title. Apple isn’t run like an average company and shouldn’t be judged as one. This impacts how we should grade Tim Cook’s performance as Apple CEO.”
“In trying to find an answer to this question, much more information is needed regarding Cook’s actual role within Apple,” Cybart writes. “Is he single-handily guiding Apple forward or has Cook come to depend on a smaller, inner circle within Apple’s SVP ranks? The answer plays a role in determining Cook’s contributions to Apple. Meanwhile, how much of Apple’s product strategy is actually determined by Cook rather than Jony Ive? This seems like critical information to have when judging Cook’s performance. ”
“The Apple Watch serves as a great example of how power within Apple is much more decentralized than many assume. Apple Watch is Jony’s baby,” Cybart writes. “One can repeat this exercise with every major Apple product and initiative. Should Tim Cook be judged by Apple’s success or failure in music and video streaming even though that is clearly Eddy Cue’s domain?”
“Tim Cook and his inner circle look after Apple’s day-to-day operations, while the Industrial Design group look after Apple’s product strategy. Meanwhile, Jony Ive as Chief Design Officer is left to do what he wants. If that role sounds familiar, it is the exact role formerly held by Steve Jobs,” Cybart writes. “With this new framework regarding Tim Cook’s inner circle in mind, let’s grade their performance.”
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: You cannot effectively grade someone by passing the buck.
