Title: Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?
Author: Louis V. Gerstner, Jr.
I choose this book before the assignment was given. This was referred by a friend of mine. Introduction:
The book speaks about the historic IBM turn around by Louis V. Gerstner,Jr. (the Chairmen and CEO from 1993 to 2002)
The book is divided into five parts, in which he did not miss out even a tiny factor that happened at IBM in his tenure.
We have to learn a thing before going into the part 1. Gerstner took the job only when he believed that he can do it. One has to believe himself, to succeed.
Part 1: Grabbing Hold
In this part, the author talks about key things he did after joining IBM. He didn’t take any major decisions immediately after joining. Instead, observed the things around him by meeting all the stake holders and noted the things he has to do and acted accordingly and in time, to stop the bleeding.
Some critical decisions are:
Keep the company together: He considered the size and breadth of IBM as a distinct competitive advantage. A leader should know what are their competitive advantages and cash upon it, rather than mulling over new policies or decisions.
Creating leadership team: This shows that a leader should always have a longer vision for the company. He should build a team of talented people who can lead the company with passion.
Communication with the employees: communication is a very important part in any organization. The employees should know what’s happening in their company to make them feel partners in their strategies to achieve goals.
Right sizing and reengineering: IBM is the most complex organization. Gerstner believed that IBM needs to become a customer oriented. That is possible only by changing the way it operated by right sizing and reengineering.
Advertisements for reviving the brand: With the financials falling down daily, IBM Brand also fell apart in the crisis. Gerstner recognized the importance a brand