COMMENTARY | Steve Jobs, the man behind Apple, Inc., announced Wednesday his resignation as CEO of the successful company he built. According to TechCrunch, Jobs requested, and was granted, a seat as chairman on Apple’s Board of Directors, but will no longer be involved in the day-to-day activities of the company.
His predecessor will be Tim Cook, the man who has previously taken over the role of CEO while Jobs was unable to act in that capacity. Cook will also have a seat on the board. Although Jobs was the major force behind many of Apple’s latest and greatest innovations, it is best for the company that he stepped down when he did.
First, Jobs has been plagued by a series of very serious health problems that left him out of commission as CEO and forced Cook to step in and act in Jobs’ place. The stress of being the CEO of one of the hottest companies would get to anyone, even those in excellent health. Jobs’ main health issue is pancreatic cancer, however.
Reuters reports Jobs had a liver transplant as part of an experimental treatment. Both a liver transplant and cancer are very serious by themselves, let alone when combined together. His resignation will hopefully allow Jobs to concentrate on his health and spending his time with loved ones as he tries to battle the ongoing health problems.
Second, resigning at this time will allow for up-and-coming, talented thinkers and innovators to still work, in a very small capacity, with Jobs. Jobs is one of the greatest innovative minds in the computing industry. Despite being a college dropout, Jobs discovered a talent for taking existing products and improving them or changing them in a way that makes the product more marketable. By stepping back from his role as CEO, perhaps he will have the time to help the new generation of Apple developers learn.
Finally, it is good for all companies to have changes in leadership now and again. Although Jobs can clearly show he still has what it takes to come up with innovative products, it is always good to allow space for new people to rise in the ranks and show that they are capable of keeping the organization going. Without change, companies tend to grow stagnant and unable to think outside the proverbial box. The companies will also grow to rely too much on certain executives and not be able to find separate footing once the executive leaves.
By leaving now, Jobs is still around to reassure investors but has stepped back enough to allow new executives to prove their abilities.