Oh I don't dispute that his impact has been significant and positive. I just think there's other factors at play here. For example, Google was extremely slow to market with a competitive cloud strategy, and Apple has been a less competitive player the last 3 years with its own product innovation.

Isn't that kind of like saying that a runner doesn't deserve credit for her win because the other people in the race ran slower than she did?

Change the runner analogy to manager of a sports team.

It's hard to only credit one manager over another when the opposition is a big factor in the equation (along with the strength of the team).

You can also say this in a different way- Microsoft was faster than Google when it came to cloud strategy.

It's almost like a corporation is a mini fiefdom. Like there is a petty dictator at the helm , no matter how benevolent. Weird how capitalist companies are structured that way

Or that there is another single factor which led to the hiring of a CEO like Nandella and not like Ballmer.