Founder's syndrome at Apple

This blogger that could would like to point to a previous post on Apple succession originally published back in January 2009. Here's an excerpt:

...It's a little better in iPod land from a performance point of view. But not necessarily at the board level. Apple has been forced out publicly recently with the hormone imbalance admission by Steve Jobs, which hardly quelled speculation that he will need to be replaced. For a board filled with high powered names such as Gore, Wexler, Jung and Schmidt, Apple's slate leaves a lot to be desired in the area of succession, which is arguably a board's first or second largest responsibility. Yes, we know Jobs is an icon and only he (or God) will decide his ultimate fate. But that doesn't negate a stronger need to show investors what the post-Jobs era will resemble. For every day that they obfuscate this issue, the board loses credibility and founder's syndrome takes deeper hold...

Bottom line: Apple is Steve Jobs; Steve Jobs is Apple. The personal and business/product brands are one. The company is a dramatically successful commercial enterprise, which tends to render the governance argument moot. That is until something happens to the brand, which in Jobs case, is an extended illness that everyone has known about for years. Why the board wouldn't take steps to reduce dependency on Jobs speaks volumes on where business is right now in the new New Normal.

Oh, and if you're wondering what we mean by Founder's Syndrome, then please review the attached link sometime: http://startitup.indieword.com/view/curing-the-founders.

Thank you,

JG

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Where will the next set of CEO shoes drop?

The New Year is barely two cold weeks old, and already, brand name CEO changes have been occurring at a rapid clip. Newell Rubbermaid, NPR, Fox Networks, fallout from AMD. Name it to claim it.

The flurry of activity underscores a trend that started last fall: Turnover reflects companies need to change from a low to zero growth climate to a more aggressive posture in a slowly improving marketplace. Leadership tends to fall at the top of the change list, proving once again the chicken and egg battle facing boards. Do we need a star performer to create a winning strategy, or do we need better systems, process and culture/people to ensure sustainable performance? The answer is both but unfortunately far too many remain enamored with the savior mentality. We'll keep watching for exceptions to this conventional rule and will ask you do the same here.

Here's a prediction: After several years of declining turnover, this year will see more executive exodus than the previous two combined. Of course we said the same thing when the Great Recession was gathering steam back in 2009 and nothing really changed. Many boards decided the devil they know was better than the devil they didn't know. Guess that's how predictions go sometime. Some stick, others fail -- proving once again that trying to determine a new new normal future is a lesson in futility. It might just be better to enjoy the moment?

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