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When Tim Cook took the helm at Apple last year, many wondered: Can Tim Cook lead Apple as Steve Jobs led?
Months later, the answers seems all but confirmed: Yes, Tim Cook is fully capable of leading Apple – but no, Tim is not leading Apple as Steve did. (See also: Is Tim Cook too nice?)
Tim has done quite a bit:
Since taking over, Tim Cook has:
- Started a charity program at Apple.
- Increased employee discounts on Apple products.
- Was ranked the highest rated CEO with a 97% approval rating. [Glassdoor] That’s two percent above Steve Jobs.
- Initiated a dividend share & repurchase program for shareholders. This program will spend $45 billion over the next three years.
- Created a new type of Apple announcement. Mountain Lion wasn’t announced at a special event, but still received good press coverage.
- Responded actively to allegations about poor conditions in China factories. This included commissioning third-party factory audits, raising pay at factories, reducing factory work hours, and making a personal visit to the factories in China.
Tim Cook is performing well as Apple’s CEO, but he is by no means the same as Jobs.
Steve Jobs was a singularity. He had, in many ways, a personality that simply cannot be matched. That’s why Apple was successful.
But Tim Cook isn’t trying to copy Steve Jobs. There is no “What Would Steve Do?” mantra at Apple.
And that’s why Apple will continue to be successful.
[Image source: Bloomberg]
