’Forget Vision:’ Lou Gerstner’s IBM Turnaround

The legendary CEOs of the 1990s included Jack Welch of GE and John Chambers of Cisco, who was on our show last season. Another dominant figure was Lou Gerstner of IBM, the first IBM CEO recruited from outside the company. When he became CEO in 1993, IBM was struggling against competitors like Microsoft, Dell, and Compaq. Gerstner famously declared, "The last thing IBM needs right now is a vision," and instead focused on breaking through internal bureaucracy and making tough decisions. His approach transformed IBM, boosting its market cap from 29 billion to 168 billion over nine years. In this 2020 conversation, Lou shares his journey to the CEO role and the principles behind IBM's turnaround.

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