Monday, January 17, 2011

Dear Steve Jobs: Only in health

The tech world is buzzing with news that Apple's CEO Steve Jobs is taking a medical leave of absence (Mashable story here.)

The U.S. stock markets are closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but one can only surmise that Apple's share price will take a hit when investors return tomorrow. I'll be discussing this issue with Gary Doyle of 570News in Kitchener just after 1:00 p.m. Eastern today (listen live here.)

(If you'd like to listen to the interview, the show page is here. The actual interview, in MP3 format, is here.)

Beyond the seismic market implications of the potential departure of one of the most influential business leaders of our generation - I'm not fawning here; it is what it is - I find myself looking at things from another perspective. A human one.

He's sick. Very, apparently. And however much success we've amassed on this planet, we all leave it the same way. I feel deep empathy for his family as they ponder what tomorrow will bring, and watch his every move, wondering whether this is the beginning of the end. So many of us have been there that I feel compelled to view today's news through that lens before any other.

Your turn: Thoughts?

But wait, there's more: I ended up chatting about this on television...
My favorite clip from the day: "He's the tech world's equivalent of Wayne Gretzky. He can see above and beyond what everyone else sees."

Indeed.

9 comments:

that guy said...

you are so right...we all have the same destination in life.

sometimes i am glad that i am not a celeb, or in the public eye. it is under much more scrutiny...

but then i remember i am an applause junkie and love people wanting to know who i am..

Bruce
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evilbruce
stupid stuff i see and hear
Bruce’s guy book
the guy book
Dreamodel Guy
dreamodeling!

Kalei's Best Friend said...

U mention the shares will take a hit, does that mean, the CEO who will take over ( I assume temporarily) won't work at the same caliber? I don;t know much about the impending cEO but who knows maybe he can sustain the same...People shouldn't think that just because a company changes hands, that it will go to pot.

Rebecca said...

the circle of life we are born, we live, we die everyone lives the same circle

Beverly said...

I was so sorry to hear that news this morning.

Serendipity said...

I feel sorry for him. Certain things in life, you need to swallow like a poison and live through it. I noticed him becoming leaner and weaker on every Apple conference. Hope it is just fatigue.

Ciera said...

life is fragile, and can be gone in the blink of an eye.

Kalei's Best Friend said...

Carmi: my bad, i just saw on the news Steve Jobs has pancreatic cancer, which i had no idea... That is one of the fastest cancers..lost a friend to it within 6 mos. of diagnosis... I feel for his family...

dana said...

I caught the story on CTV last night.... saw you too! Jobs does look so frail and ill. He's struggled stoically and more or less privately for years. May he find some peace in passing on a legacy that had altered and rocked our world. May he find the right person to pass his magic baton onto..... so that he never feels like he's let anyone down!

Chris Taus said...

Steve Jobs was truly a genius in his field and nobody can take that away from him. If he is unwell again he has earned his retirement/leave. Gods speed.