Thomas J. Watson Jr: Lessons from the life of successful leader

We live in a world shaped by the work of Thomas J. Watson Jr. During his tenure as CEO of IBM he set the foundations for personal computing and paved the way for the digital age. He was pioneering, principled and ethical. Yet his personal story reveals a man who was also volatile and prone to bouts of depression. In today's episode, Watson's biographer Marc Wortman guides us through his fascinating life, the painful personal decisions he had to take and the huge risks he took to turn IBM into one of the world's most successful businesses. We discover what enduring qualities make an innovative leader and ask whether, in today's world of short-termism, could a figure like Watson exist today?

Marc Wortman is an historian and journalist and co-author, alongside Ralph Watson McElvenny, of 'The Greatest Capitalist Who Ever Lived: Tom Watson Jr. and the Epic Story of How IBM Created the Digital Age'

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In today's world of short terms and shareholder power, could a figure like Thomas J. Watson Jr. exist today?

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