When Apple offered the iPhone 4 and reports started swirling that it suffered from antenna issues, the company was admittedly slow to come around. At first, it wouldn’t even take responsibility. But Steve Jobs eventually realized that he needed to act. And when he did, he made a compelling case, showing that the iPhone 4 wasn’t alone in losing signal strength when held in a certain way. He also tried to make it right by offering a free case. Was it the best solution? No, but it certainly worked to assuage consumer fears.

Whenever evaluations of Steve Jobs’ ability as an ex-ecutive arise, the talk always turns to his ability to see into the future and innovate beyond what other companies are doing. It’s a solid argument. The iPhone was technologically advanced for its time, and so was the iPad. The iPod was another innovation winner. Steve Jobs continues to be the chief R&D person for the entire tech industry. That likely won’t change anytime soon.