An Apple a Day

Steve Jobs' own ignorance and failure to see the implications of his not divulging information on his health was definitely suggestive of a potential if not full-on crisis. Obviously Jobs' appearance at Apple when its was losing significantly in the market showed that consumers held him in high confidence. His lack of concern for these same consumers led the brand to suffer because of his unnecessary secrecy. A company should always be willing to give a report about the state of its CEO, the person in charge of making sure the company is handling business in the best fashion. If a company's CEO falls ill, that presents numerous questions about the future of the company's leadership. Steve Jobs apparently didn't think this to be important information to his various publics and his reputation suffered. I would have advised Jobs to be frank with his publics especially his shareholders. He could easily have explained his ailment situation while still maintaining confidence in the Apple brand. By not speaking, Jobs was himself sending out a message. And the consumers listening heard loud and clear that Steve Jobs cared more about his ego than informing the people around him.