“There’s not a doubt in my mind that Tim Cook is a better CEO than Steve Jobs ever was,” John Kirk writes for Tech.pinions. “I thought so from day one. But is that the right question? Shouldn’t we be asking ourselves instead whether or not Tim Cook is a leader and whether he can lead Apple forward without Apple losing that rare mixture of genius and madness that made Apple so very unique?”
“Being inefficient was one of the many prices Apple paid for having Steve Jobs as its CEO. Jobs notoriously didn’t tolerate ‘B’ players on his team. He felt they infected the company and soon led to the proliferation of ‘C’ players as well. Jobs wanted only ‘A’ players and he was willing to have Apple be understaffed rather than to fill vacancies with anything less that what he deemed to be the best,” Kirk writes. “The result? Superb products that were always running on the edge, always running late; always in danger of not coming out in a timely fashion or in any fashion at all. This is a very uncomfortable way to run a company. It’s a very inefficient way to run a company. But it also proved to be a very effective way to run a company.”
Kirk writes, “Is Apple running smoother now? Undoubtably. But is that necessarily the good thing everyone seems to think it is? Perhaps not.”
Much more in the full article – highly recommended – here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Enough with the dead horse beating! I’m tired of seeing Apple ruled by the dead hand of the past. Judge it on its merits as of the present. Different from Jobs =/= wrong, because it is impossible to know how Jobs would run Apple today.
This is the only field where founders and past great visionaries are never laid to rest. The Ballmer-Gates comparisons got old too. I wonder if great scientists kept getting compared to Einstein the years immediately following his death.
I agree.
I think there may be as many Jobs vs. Cook articles as there are Windows viruses.
Besides, those articles are pointless not only because there is no and will not be Jobs around, but also because there is no one better than Timothy Cook.
Jobs was very confident in him so he insisted on 10-year long bonus/stock option package program for Cook.
I agree totally. Sick of the comparisons- which insult Jobs, Cook, and our intelligence. Tabloid journalism. Irrelevant.
Did the same analysts comment on GE after Jack Welch retired?
Jack Welch was arguably terrific in his tenure. But times change. Lessons are learned. Challenges change.
I don’t recall as much hand wringing.
Can’t believe that MDN actually recommend this garbage.
This subject is a bit deeper:
Steve Jobs was an entrepreneur and behaved as such. He remained entrepreneurial throughout his time(s) at Apple. His behavior made this obvious.
Tim Cook is NOT entrepreneurial. But he’s a terrific leader who tips on the leadership scale more toward being relational with his staff than productivity oriented. He isn’t trying to invent stuff at every turn. Nonetheless, as a terrific leader, he fully knows, respects and insists upon productivity. This approach to leading Apple is very positive, avoiding the, admittedly, most irking aspects of Jobs’ personality at the company.
IOW: 😀
I cannot agree with the assertion that Apple’s management is better today than it was back in Job’s era. Apple was already the largest company in the world (shares) while Jobs was alive. It was also wildly profitable back then, and let us not forget that all the excitement was there not because the products, but because of Jobs himself, showing off ideas that would appears to be crazy at first and then BANG! a shot in the head of stupidity (RIM, Nokia, HP, Motorola etc) and their lame products once everybody had a chance to use it. Cumcumber’s ice cream (Cook) has not brought anything like that yet.
It’s unreasonable to ask lightning to strike twice in the same spot, don’t you think?
Did I EVER say ‘better’? No. I clearly was talking about different.
If you want to talk about ‘better’, I prefer the entrepreneurial leader every time. But that’s because of my personality and the fact that an entrepreneurial leader keeps the company on its toes AND insists upon new ideas, creations, products all the time.
What would solve Sony’s current rot and ruin? An entrepreneurial leader, NOT a Tim Cook.
Leadership is a continuum between relational skills and productivity skills. That’s at least one modern model.
Cumcumber’s ice cream (Cook) has not brought anything like that yet.
I analyze YOUR leadership skills to be zero specifically because of your personal problems that lead you to require scapegoats in your life to compensate for aspects of your self-loathing. But I’m no psychology pro. I just talk about it a lot.
Re “It’s a very inefficient way to run a company” … No. Apple is run incredibly efficiently. Among tech companies, Apple boasts an unbelievable Return on R&D Investment. I can’t think of any meaningful metrics that indicate that Apple is run inefficiently.
Hilarious isn’t it? Every dimwit analyst and commentator wants to get their early digs in and the satisfaction of declaring Tim Cook isn’t Steve Jobs but not bothering to let much time pass to let it show Tim can do the job, but get the results in his own way. With the team he and Jobs put together. Talk about a futile and pointless exercise. Give it time you big dopes, zip yer pieholes, STFU and stop jumping the gun in desperation. There’s plenty of time to look wrong later.
Couple of questions:
What company has John Kirk run that has continuously generated the level of net return that Apple produces?
Has this self-aggrandizing blow hard heard of Apple University where Apple has purposely delivered to those who are committed the information and methods to move Apple ever forward and to remain hungry, to do things simply and to strive for the vision that the customer will know that they need the “next big thing” from Apple when they see it.
The vision of Steve Jobs continues – not his personality – in the combination of those who have carried on.
Has there been attrition? Of course, always will be when the reins of leadership change. Has there new paths opened and old ones expanded – obviously.
What was the advise that Steve Jobs gave Tim Cook et al? Do it your way – don’t think “What would have Steve Jobs done.”
And to their credit – not just Tim Cook (an exceptional leader and devoted fellow “Applite”) but all of the team there – they have followed Steve’s wishes.
Cheers to Apple. I like it, I like it alot! 🙂
Please…..Give me a break…. Enough already !
This is getting so old and stupid !
Steve Jobs is not Tim Cook.
Surely all of the amazing stuff they presented to developers at the this year’s WWDC puts the lie to this writer’s theory.
He obviously doesn’t know why Aperture is important.
Mommy, why can’t Timmy be Stevie?
Because honey, Timmy is not Stevie.
And, Timmiy is just as important as Stevie, because there is not a single other person on the planet that has yet been born who could come as close to keeping Apple , well, Apple, as Timmy can.
So sweetie, while we’re very sad Stevie is gone, it’s going to be okay as long as no one takes assholes, like the ones who write bullshit like this, seriously.
Does that help?
Yes mommy, thank you.
On the one hand, I want to thank you because -as in Matrix- I feel so much like Mr.Anderson after he met with the Oracle. On the other hand, I want to release hell -as in Gladiator- because I know you are no Oracle. That’s how fucked up this Steve dying of Cancer, Lennon shot my a nut situation really is. All you can do is make glib comments….in 1, 2, 3…..
The Daily Beast, yesterday: “Indeed, the Steve Jobs era, one that transformed Apple from Dell’s ugly stepchild into the premier destination for music, smartphones, laptops, you name it, has sadly come to a close. And the Tim Cook era, which unofficially began with the passing of Jobs one day after the announcement of the iPhone 4s, has thus far been marked by middling products designed to pad the company’s bottom line while gouging their loyal—and dependent—fan base.”
As these growing and entirely accurate stories throughout the main stream and tech media continue to grow, there is hope that the useless Apple Inc. board of directors will wake up and realize their massive fortunes have come at the expense of integrity for the once great company.
No matter how hard you close your eyes, and wish upon a twinkling star, this overdone media narrative you’re buying into won’t come true.
Jay — any idiot on the planet can repeat (over and over and over) a few negative talking points.
Let’s see an actual analysis of tech companies you think are better run, produce better products.
But seriously — why do you bother?
And by the way, Apple was never “Dell’s ugly stepchild.” Dell did one thing, and one thing only: manufacture and ship PC clones efficiently. Dell never did anything to advance computing as Apple has been doing regularly for 50 years. The fact that that line is from the story you quote basically negates everything that follows it.
and Steve Jobs was no Mahatma Ghandi. And Humphrey Bogart was no Bela Lugosi.
When you’ve got nothing intelligent to say – spout another knee jerk inanity.
Even though Steve was a brilliant visionary, his roughness and arrogance rubbed me the wrong way. As a result, I became an Apple detractor and boycotted their products by purchasing devices from other companies.
Tim’s disposition is much more pragmatic and steadfast, but before WWDC I had reservations about a lack of vision. There is no doubt now that Apple is laying the groundwork to better the world once again. Today, I am an Apple customer, investor and cheerleader thanks in part to the leadership of Tim and the dedication of the Apple team. Go Apple and keep up the great work!
Apple, with the second coming of Jobs, was highly successful. Apple under cook has continued that success.
Jobs may have had big shoes to fill but he took those shoes with him. What he left was a management team up to the challenge of expanding the franchise globally.
My advice to pundits is to stop channeling your inner Steve Jobs and concentrate on where Cook and his evolving management team are taking the franchise.
I’m as eager for the next big Apple reveal as any fan could be. But Steve Jobs didn’t show things until he knew it was going to delight people. It’s a testament to Cook that it has taken so long for a new reveal. When it happens I’m sure we’ll all know Apple is in very capable hands.
iCal that!
I agree. Steve job was a better CEO!