It’s two years since the passing of Steve Jobs, Apple’s iconic firebrand CEO, and the company has continued to flourish under the astute leadership of Tim Cook. Or has it? A new infographic compares the leadership styles of both men.
The infographic by Ohio University Online compares Apple’s brand and performance under Jobs and Cook.
It found that by looking at certain factors – product development, handling of controversies, paying out dividends – CEOs truly define their companies.
For example, it compares the unrelenting cycle of innovation wrought by high expectations and perfectionism under Jobs compared with the emphasis on transparency and teamwork as well as the calm demeanour of Cook.
The infographic traces the blistering pace of innovation under Jobs, from the launch of the iMac in 1998 right through to the iPad in 2010.
In only two years at the helm of Apple, Cook has nevertheless kept the machine in motion, driving the rollout of the iPad mini and the iPad Retina in 2012.
The infographic also looks at the controversies the company has faced, including concerns about working conditions in Asian factories that produce Apple products to allegations Apple worked with the US National Security Agency to gather information from iPhone devices.
However, the infographic fails to note the onset of innovative new devices under Cook’s leadership. These include the low-cost, but colourful iPhone 5c smartphones, as well as the iPhone 5s, which comes with a fingerprint scanner and 64-bit computing. It also fails to take into account Apple’s slew of MacBook Air and Pro devices with Retina technology, not to mention the new desktop computing form factor, the new cylindrical Mac Pro.
Jobs versus Cook – how do they compare
