I agree that it takes vision for a company to be wildly successful, but that vision doesn’t have to come from the CEO. In fact, I would say that is rare among even tech companies. If you look at Google, for instance, many of their biggest products and innovations outside of search come from their many engineers, or from outside acquisitions.

One dramatic shift at Apple that Jobs spearheaded upon his return to the company was to elevate design to a position equivalent to marketing and engineering, which usually get to dictate how products are developed and built in most companies. Apple was the same in the 90s according to Jony Ive’s statements in the Issacson book and interviews after Jobs’ death. In promoting the value of great design, and making that a real priority in product development, Jobs made it easier for the best ideas to rise to the top, even if they come from lower level personnel. They are less likely to get lost in the beaurocratic shuffle. As long as Apple is still able to attract top level talent, they should be able to push forward into new product areas.

Steve Jobs was marginalized before he became focused on the Mac. Jobs took over the Macintosh project because it was a sneaky way to stay relevant in a company that no longer wanted him. He was allowed to take on the Macintosh so that he would be out of the picture for the development of the Lisa which is what Apple’s management thought was Apple’s future. The Macintosh prolonged Steve’s involvement with Apple.

Jobs went to great lengths to make sure the 90s weren’t repeated when he left. Their training program is second to none, and indoctrinates new employees with his principles for how Apple should be run. He hand-picked the majority of the current team, and put his stamp on everything the company does.

This was not the case when Jobs was forced out years ago. He got too focused on one area (Macs), and was marginalized. It was easy to push him out the door, because the company wasn’t set up in his image. Apple was a much more conventional company then. With the way it is set up now, and as much money as they have, I don’t see Apple falling off the map the way some like Ellison predict.