Fri, 18 Jan 2013 Apple's Cook is 'Charisma challenged', should speak up while Apple in doldrums

Apple CEO Tim Cook has come under fire for being "charisma challenged".  

Music industry veteran Bob Lefsetz has attacked Cook in his blog, suggesting that Cook's silence while the "press is beating up Apple" is damaging Apple.

Lefsetz writes: "If you read the press today, you believe the iPhone is in a death spiral, that Samsung is king and Apple is going downhill." And, he complains: "What does Apple have to say about this? Nothing."

"Steve Jobs was not silent during the iPhone 4 antenna fiasco. He interrupted his vacation, and spun the problem as overblown hype from the media… And the iPhone 4 went on to set sales records," writes Lefsetz.

"When it’s raw misinformation, and the public is acting on it, you’ve got to put in your two cents, you’ve got to spin the story," he writes.

While it may be the case that the radio silence is due to Apple's results announcement scheduled for next week, Lefsetz seems to suggest that even if Cook spoke out it might not help. The reason is that Lefsetz thinks Cook lacks charisma.

"Tim Cook is charisma-challenged. He starts to speak and credibility goes out the window. Phil Schiller has more gravitas, and Jonny Ive eclipses even him."

Comparing Cook to the late Steve Jobs may seem a little unfair, notes Business Insider. "Jobs was the most charismatic, most compelling person in technology ever. He was most interesting, articulate speaker in all of business. Every single time he did an interview he said something interesting that you never heard or thought of before. He was a genius on a level that no one will match," writes Business insider's Jay Yarrow.

Unfortunately, since the death of Steve Jobs Lefsetz thinks that Apple's "gone from trustworthy monolith to dying empire, all based on spin."

"People in the press and online saying Apple is toast with few facts to back it up," writes Lefsetz.

"You’ve got to manage your image. You cannot let the hoi polloi run ragged with your story. You’ve got to control it. I’m not saying you should lie, but at least give some real guidance. Otherwise you’re like Apple, with a tanking stock and everybody piling on."

Earlier in the week we spoke to a financial expert about concerns that Apple's stock is being manipulated in the run up to the expiration of Call Options. It was suggested that Apple would be speaking to the SEC about this if it was the case.

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