Ibm ceo lou gerstner book

Having lived through the ibm turnaround myself at the coalface as a very humble employee i found it interesting and enlightening to read this book of how it had looked from the ivory tower of corporate management and especially as seen through the eyes of an outsider, for lou gerstner was the first ceo who had not grown up in ibm. Jun 08, 2014 lou gerstner saved ibm from a previous crisis in the 1990s, and then went on to set the company up for the crisis of today. Dec 01, 2017 this was ceo lou gerstner s book title back in 2003 about bringing ibm back from the brink of insolvency to lead the computer business once again. Boasting about ibm boards courtship in 1992, he reveals how ibm board misled the public. Gerstner pushed ibm into services with spectacular results but this hurt the company, too.

After months of courting, gerstner took over as chairman and ceo of ibm on april fools day of 1993. Lou gerstner ibms digital transformation change master. Mw ibm on tuesday tapped president sam palmisano to replace lou gerstner as ceo, handing the reins of the worlds largest computer company to. Gerstner was a great leader who made important changes in ibm, but didnt go far enough. It has been there before and recovered when lou gerstner famously led the change from hardware to service. When lou gerstner was named as ibms ceo in march 1993, the company which had virtually invented business computing in the 1960s had just 100 days left before the cash ran out. The 41yearold son of a former ceo of ibm has died after choking on a piece of steak at a new york city diner. The decline and fall of ibm audiobook by robert cringely. Dec 09, 2002 1292002 ibm was in deep trouble when louis v. Gerstner took over as chairman and ceo of ibm on april fools day of. Gerstner had already led turnarounds at american express and rjr nabisco, and, as saving big blue details, he proved to be the right man for the job. Gerstner was looking for an exit from rjr nabisco, where he was chairman and chief executive. In this video tribute, friends and colleagues share memorable moments and. Jun 09, 2014 the conventional wisdom about ibm is that louis v.

Gerstner was the first outsider to take on this role since thomas watson sr. Lou gerstner saved ibm from a previous crisis in the 1990s, and then went on to set the company up for the crisis of today. Offering a unique case study drawn from decades of experience at some of americas top companies mckinsey, american express, rjr nabisco gerstners insights into management and leadership are applicable. Part iistrategy 111 12 a brief history of ibm 1 making the big bets 121 14 servicesthe key to integration 128 15 building the worlds already biggest software business 6 16 opening the company store 146 17 unstacking the stack and focusing the portfolio 153 18 the emergence of ebusiness 165 19 reflections on strategy 176 part iiiculture 179 20 on corporate culture 181. For most of its long history, ibm symbolized american ingenuity and corporate power. The company held a special place in the hearts and minds of the public and.

He retired from that position in october 2008 and remains a senior advisor to. Gerstner started by changing the companys funereal dress code and eventually redirected the company to provide computer services rather than just computers. Gerstner started by changing the companys funereal dress code and eventually redirected the company to provide computer services. Oct, 2009 the firsthand story of an extraordinary turnaround, a unique case study in managing a crisis, and a thoughtful reflection on the computer industry and the principles of leadership, who says elephants cant dance. Recently, a relaxed gerstner met with businessweek associate editor ira sager. Lou gerstnerlou gerstner born 1942 rescued ibm, the worldslargest computer maker, when he became its ceo in 1993. Well cover the lessons lou gerstner can teach you about leadership and the most important qualities for a successful leader. Ibm needed more than just a talented executive when it hired lou gerstner in 1993.

At the time, the technology giant was in dire straits, but gerstner was able to transform the struggling company on the verge of bankruptcy into a profitable business. A well rendered selfportrait of a ceo who made spectacular change on the strength of. Lou gerstner born 1942 rescued ibm, the worldslargest computer maker, when he became its ceo in 1993. Gerstner jrs memoir about the turnaround of ibm and his. So, here i am, ready to tell you the story of the revival of ibm. The conventional wisdom about ibms ibm is that louis v. Ibm had become like a musicpublishing company run by deaf people. Lou gerstner, american businessman best known for the pivotal role he played in revitalizing the ailing ibm in the mid1990s. Louis v gerstner ceo ibm 19932002 management style and. Lou gerstner created a global enterprise based on capitalizing ibms ability to integrate all the parts for the customers. Gerstner had been a customer of ibm when he was the ceo. Ibm researcher lloyd treinish developed a hyperlocal weather forecasting capability that combined algorithms, computer modeling and visualization to predict shortrange, very local weather. The answers to the question of how gerstner saved ibm. His system was first used at the atlanta olympics in 1996.

Learn more about gerstners life and career, including his work with other businesses. Aug 21, 20 the 41yearold son of a former ceo of ibm has died after choking on a piece of steak at a new york city diner. Gerstners father, louis gerstner jr, 71, became the ceo of ibm in 1993. Gerstner, one of the most accomplished chief executives of his time, knows this. Well cover the lessons lou gerstner can teach you about leadership and. Who says elephants cant dance louis gerstner meine. Taking readers deep into the world of ibm s ceo, gerstner recounts the high.

Lou gerstner has succeeded in writing a book which both provides valuable insights into the computer industry and the situation and success of ibm, as well as providing a roadmap for leaders seeking to effect strategic change in any industry. Who says elephants cant dance leading a great enterprise. His career has been a study in corporate strategy and how to turn ailing companies around. He is a graduate of chaminade high school, dartmouth college and holds an mba from the harva. He remained chairman of the board through the end of 2002.

All that changed when lou gerstner was named ceo of ibm in 1993. Gerstner led ibms transformation from geographical organization to a global, customeroriented organization. Lou gerstner and the business turnaround of the decade by doug garr, harper business, 1999, 351 pages when doug garr was hired by ibm get reporto be a speechwriter for personal. Lou gerstner will always be known as the man who saved ibm after resuscitating, then reinvigorating, the near bankrupt com pany when he took over as chairman and ceo in 1993.

Lou gerstner shares some blame for ibms current mess. Its hard not to look at the ibm of 2018 and the disastrous tenures of gerstner s successors as ceo sam palmisano and ginni rometty to wish for the halcyon days of the 1990s when lou turned around the great ship known as ibm. This content is no longer being updated or maintained. Nov 11, 2002 after months of courting, gerstner took over as chairman and ceo of ibm on april fools day of 1993. The answers to the question of how gerstner saved ibm, the major business decisions, are known. Financial challenges, a rigid corporate culture and a. In january 2003, he assumed the position of chairman of the carlyle group, a global private equity firm located in washington, d. This was ceo lou gerstners book title back in 2003 about bringing ibm back from the brink of insolvency to lead the computer business once again. The most important choice facing ibms new ceo arvind krishna. Big blue, as the company is known, tends to rely for its success on magical thinking but that magic ran out a long time ago.

Jun 09, 2014 in a book excerpt posted on recode, cringely writes. Lou gerstner shares some blame for ibms current mess, according to new book. Louis v gerstner, jr 1942 ibm ceo 19932002 sign in louis gerstners office. Ibm is finally a buy, says alphaone capitals dan niles. Who says elephants cant dance inside ibms historic. In his nineyear tenure as ceo of big blue, gerstner lifted ibm out of disarray and. By understanding and anticipating weather patterns, businesses and government agencies could better utilize resources, reduce costs and curtail.

Mst adds annex bulletin 9329 quote lou gerstners book. Gerstner, the rjr nabisco executive who became ibms ceo and chairman in 1993, righted the ship. In a book excerpt posted on recode, cringely writes. The company got in trouble back in the 1990s and had to hire for the first time an outside ceo, lou gerstner, to save the day. Leading a great enterprise through dramatic change louis v. For the first time, gerstner answered critics who have charged that his. Gerstner was a great leader who made important changes in ibm, but didn. He is largely credited with turning ibms fortunes around. Louis gerstner iii passed away last wednesday while dining alone at lenox hill grill. But as he told mba students at harvard business school, he wasnt the only one responsible for the change. Gerstners career, though, spanned 43 years which also included more than a decade at mckinsey, senior positions at american express, and four.

Lou gerstner thought the enormous corporate elephant could dance as gracefully as its much smaller competition. Gerstner served for four years as chairman and ceo of rjr nabisco, inc. I believe it might be of interest to briefly outline of his achievements so as to draw some conclusions about sound management practices. Gerstner, the rjr nabisco executive who became ibms ceo and chairman in 1993, righted the ship, taught the elephant to dance, and insert. The firsthand story of an extraordinary turnaround, a unique case study in managing a crisis, and a thoughtful reflection on the computer industry and the principles of leadership, who says elephants cant dance. Taking readers deep into the world of ibms ceo, gerstner recounts the high. He took over ibm at the request of the board of directors, who realized the company was in trouble, and turned the company around. Shortly after lou gerstner was introduced as ibms ceo in the spring of 1993, he met with the companys corporate management board roughly the top 50 people in the company. Of course, this book would never have appeared without the heroes among my ibm colleagues who helped me restore ibm to a position of leadership. Its hard not to look at the ibm of 2018 and the disastrous tenures of gerstners successors as ceo sam palmisano and ginni rometty to wish for the halcyon days of the 1990s when lou turned around the great ship known as ibm.