Steve Jobs On Medical Leave, But Still At The Helm - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Steve Jobs On Medical Leave, But Still At The Helm

by

f1307384560
Steve Jobs has been on medical leave for more than six months and in that time Apple's stock price has risen more than 20 percent. Since he's been gone, according to the San Jose Mercury News, Steve Jobs has relaxed and focused on the big picture -- rather than micromanaging every tiny detail:

"They tell me he calls in regularly. He talks to Tim, he talks to the top guys, he talks about the Apple stores," [analyst Tim Bajarin with Creative Strategies] said. "But while he used to micromanage everything in ways that most CEOs would not, right down to issues with the company cafeteria, the big change with his latest leave is that there's less micromanagement and more management of his executive team and the big-picture issues."

Corporate CEOs are traditionally concerned with big-picture issues. Jobs, though, is famous for being a micromanager: insisting on overseeing even the smallest of details. His detail-oriented focus has seen him actively participate in a number of projects at Apple, efforts that have even resulted in his name appearing on dozens of Apple patent applications.

Since Steve Jobs has been on medical leave, he's leaving more of the day-to-day work to Tim Cook and Apple's hand-picked upper-management team. If Apple's growing stock price is any suggestion, shareholders think having Jobs focus on the big picture is just fine.

Top Rated Comments

195 months ago
Even though I know you hate my smartphone platform of choice, I still love you, Steve.
Are you rocking the ESPN phone? :D
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
195 months ago
"Let the fools have their Tar-Tar Sauce."
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
195 months ago
It'll be interesting to see how they pass off the role of CEO to (probably) Tim Cook. They have to do it just right or the stock could tank, not that it would do any permanent damage or anything.

Tim Cook is an operations guy, not a visionary leader. A better choice would be Steve Jobs apprentice Scott Forstall but he's not ready yet.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aknabi Avatar
195 months ago
wish the best for steve jobs.i love him really , if Tim cook become the CEO i won't be happy , i want Steve jobs to be the CEO for ever

and ever and ever... hi I am like 13 years old and put hello kitty stickers on my iPhone... and wait every night for Steve Jobs to call me on it
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ouimetnick Avatar
195 months ago
I wish Steve the best. I hope he recovers more, so he can be CEO again. But then again, I hardly think about it, as he still does the Keynotes.

Get well Steve.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
res1233 Avatar
195 months ago
I'm curious why you think Apple isn't after more quantity.

I'm sure they'd like quantity, but not while sacrificing quality. If Apple truly cared about selling in massive numbers, they probably wouldn't be making computers out of solid blocks of aluminum, and would stick to plastic boxes like everyone else.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Feature

'Apple Upgrade' Program Reportedly Launching Next Week

Tuesday July 21, 2026 8:30 am PDT by
Apple and Klarna are partnering on a new "Apple Upgrade" leasing program set to launch in the U.S. on Tuesday, July 28, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The program will allow you to finance most iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models, with a 24-month term for iPhones and Apple Watches and a 36-month term for iPads and Macs. Customers will be able to pay off the device early during...
iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 12 New Features

Tuesday July 21, 2026 6:22 am PDT by
It is now mid-July, and that means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are now just two months away. The devices are expected to look similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be many year-over-year changes, with rumored features including a smaller Dynamic Island, 5G via satellite, and more. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, ...
iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in Two Months With These 12 New Features

Friday July 17, 2026 10:39 am PDT by
It is now mid-July, and that means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are now just two months away. The devices are expected to look similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be many year-over-year changes, with rumored features including a smaller Dynamic Island, 5G via satellite, and more. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, ...