Change At Apple: Is It Time For A Successor To Steve Jobs?

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Who should succeed Steve Jobs as Apple’s head?

To be sure, Steve didn’t bring about Apple’s recent successes with Mac OS X, G5s, iPod, iTunes, iTunes Music Store, iLife applications, pro applications, and the many products and innovations single handedly. It’s been a team effort since Apple bought Job’s NeXT Computer, Inc. back in late 1996, and Jobs took over as then interim-CEO in mid 1997.

The management team at Apple is considered, by most observers, as one of the best in the industry. From the brilliant Avie Tevanian (brain child behind the Mach kernel and Mac OS X) who hooked up with Jobs back in 1985 at NeXT, to Jon Rubenstein, once head of all Apple hardware, to recently departed CFO and now Board member Fred Anderson, and executive VP Tim Cook, Apple’s top tier team is seasoned, experienced, and work well together.

For the month Jobs needs to recuperate from surgery, Tim Cook has been appointed to handle day-to-day operations. Is Cook up to the task? For awhile. Most Apple insiders would agree with a resounding, “yes!” For now.

Is Cook the heir apparent and is Apple beginning the proper steps to set succession in motion?

The former remains to be seen and the latter must happen.

Few companies of the size and influence of Apple Computer have a co-founder and current CEO still running the company 25 years later (there are exceptions… can you say “Microsoft?”). Few companies have their CEO’s personality, style, and “chutzpuh” so ingrained into the company culture, company products, company legend, and, perhaps company future.

For long term viability, that’s probably dangerous; for Apple, for their products, for customers, certainly for shareholders who continue to drive Apple’s stock price in a pleasantly upward direction.

What happens when something bad happens to Steve Jobs?

Back in 1985 boardroom politics got Steve booted, somewhat un-ceremoniously, from the company he founded with Steve Wozniak. Computers themselves were selling like hotcakes, everyone was a buyer, and hardly anyone in the public noticed or cared when Jobs left and started NeXT.

If Steve Jobs were to leave now, unexpectedly, disastrously, through illness or politics (Steve in a Kerry Administration post?) or whatever for whatever reason, Apple could be damaged.

Could be.

That’s why a succession plan is important. That’s why Steve should take a lower and lower profile at Apple for the next few years. While we enjoy the “rock star” of technology and what he brings to Apple (and how he sticks it to Microsoft from time to time), and the products Apple brings to market, it’s important for Apple (and Steve) to be as disciplined toward succession as they have been running Apple the past seven years (not many product disasters or goofs, huh?).

The current team would appear to be capable of keeping Apple on the right track for a few more years. The toll of long days and stress, and the desire to “cash in” on the wealth they’ve been building will be there.

Who’s waiting in the wings?

Who’s the next Steve Jobs for Apple Computer?

Admittedly, I don’t have an answer for that. I wish I did. I wish Tim Cook well (I hope he speeds up my dual 2.5 ghz PowerMac G5 order, now delayed). I wish Steve Jobs a full and quick recovery.

For the sake of the 90-percent of computer users who don’t know about the benefits of Mac and Apple ownership, the technology world needs a healthy, sane, energetic Steve Jobs.

We also need a Steve Jobs pinch hitter who can step up to bat, take a place in the lineup, and perhaps be the leader of the team.

Someday.