tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59374853332895866052012-01-26T13:33:47.479-08:00Clayton Braaschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07982158255892964623noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5937485333289586605.post-13085481584005454902011-08-24T16:16:00.000-07:002011-08-24T16:30:46.452-07:00It’s not often I care to write about certain people, especially when I am shocked and saddened by an event involving them. However, Steve Jobs’ sudden departure from Apple has really left me in a blank state of mind; both his resignation letter and Apple’s press release left me with an eerie chill that this was both planned and sugarcoated. His letter shows that both he and the board knew this day was coming, and they were prepared for the moment his legacy as quite possibly the greatest CEO in history would come to a close.<br /><br />The letter he released follows:<br /><br /><i>“To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:<br /><br />I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.<br /><br />I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.<br /><br />As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.<br /><br />I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.<br /><br />I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.”</i><br /><br />The fact that he’s staying with Apple as Chairman isn’t the part I’m worried about. The underlying message here is that he’s no longer capable, likely physically and/or mentally, of running Apple, and it’s really sad to see. We know that Jobs’ health has been very unsteady these past few years, and I can tell by the way his press release was worded that his health concerns contributed to his decision to step down. We can only pray that Steve gets well, because I’d rather see him leave Apple entirely than see his health deteriorate in front of the public’s eyes.<br /><br />Regardless of whether or not you like Apple and what they’ve done, the undeniable truth is that Steve Jobs has changed the world in an unbelievable amount of ways, and his creativity, passion, and genius will live on for a very, very long time. Creating one product that can change this world is an incredible feat on its own – Steve managed to do it six times. Nobody can say they’ve done what he has, and nobody can take away what he’s done for the better.<br /><br />I think my favorite thing about Steve is that great personality he brought with him to keynotes – regardless of how he might’ve been feeling, he brought joy and intrigue to many the moment he stepped on stage dressed in his black turtleneck and jeans. I’ve never seen a person able to present and show off products the way he can, and I hope he’ll continue to be the Apple spokesman we all know and love, regardless of his position at Apple.<br /><br />There’s so much that can be said about Steve, and while he may not have been the perfect man, he was a damn good CEO and never let anything get in his way when it came to making Apple go above and beyond expectations and deliver world-changing products. I know he may not be dead and will still have a key role at Apple, but there’s something about him not manning the helm of the ship that is Apple, and I don’t think Apple will ever be the same when it comes to having a CEO, whether it be Tim Cook or any other individual.<br /><br />Steve, you were a great CEO. I wish you, your family, and everyone at Apple all the best, and I hope we’ll still see plenty of you as time goes on.<br /><br />“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”<br /><br />He definitely stuck by those words and did everything he could do in his time.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5937485333289586605-1308548158400545490?l=blog.claytonbraasch.com' alt='' /></div>Clayton Braaschnoreply@blogger.com0