I am continuously asked what would happen if Steve Jobs left Apple, or as he sometimes put it, if he “got hit by a bus.” I tell people that Steve is not replaceable as a charismatic, visionary leader of a consumer-product-centric company, but that he can be replaced by a triumvirate to carry on his legacy. Apple will have a new CEO but he, or she, will fill only one part of Steve’s role. Jonathan Ive, the modest Brit who breathed life into the designs of the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad, will continue to dream up designs for products everyone wants to use and own. Phil Schiller will continue to dream up product concepts, laying the path for the future of technology. One of several contenders will take over Steve’s role as the driving force over the unsung teams who translate the visions into software, hardware components, and the … Continue reading →