Lou gerstner sam palmisano book

By the time sam palmisano took over as ceo in 2002, ibm had been pulled back. Palmisano continued to serve as chairman of the board until october 1, 2012. As if this isnt challenging enough, there is also the question of how to handle the process of exploration and exploitation when the ambidextrous leader moves on. Jun 09, 2014 gerstner was a great leader who made important changes in ibm, but didnt go far enough. Cringelys new e book, the decline and fall of ibm, available at. Feb 26, 2020 lou gerstner, american businessman best known for the pivotal role he played in revitalizing the ailing ibm in the mid1990s. Ibms current ceo, sam palmisano, told us that during a dinner conversation in november 1994.

Judging by ibms successes over the past decade, palmisano, who was ceo of ib. Sam palmisano an ibm lifer followed gerstner as ceo and followed, too, the gerstner playbook. Gerstner jrs memoir about the turnaround of ibm and his transformation of the company into the industry leader of the computer age. Sam palmisano an ibm lifer followed gerstner as ceo and followed, too, the. Bob stephenson, for whom he wrote and rising stars sam palmisano, now oddson favorite to succeed gerstner brings the tale to life. Mar 03, 2014 a better example of organization culture change comes from ibm.

This book describes some of the details of his early, premckinsey life that werent previously in the public domain. Who says elephants cant dance inside ibms historic. In 1992, however, ibms board of directors replaced akers with lou gerstner, a manager from r. This book how ibm fell from grace, where it is headed, and what specifically can. The ceo is not the brand, he says, extolling the importance of teamwork. There were many such leaders, but clearly among the most important were dennie welsh and sam palmisano, who built our. Lou gerstner shares some blame for ibms current mess. About lou gerstner s book who says elephants cant dance. 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. Gerstner spilled the beans in his book on ibm dec 16, 2002.

This is a well written book, very practical and full of information on how lou gerstner saved and transformed ibm. Jan 18, 2012 how ibms sam palmisano redefined the global corporation. The future of ibm lou gerstner seems to have pulled off a miracle. When sam palmisano succeeds louis gerstner as chief executive of ibm corp.

A better example of organization culture change comes from ibm. Learn more about gerstners life and career, including his work with other businesses. As far as a legacy goes, says ibm chairman sam palmisano, i just want to leave the company better than i found it. Though garr seems free of animus, his portraits have the whiff of the office skinny. 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. Sam palmisano born july 29, 1951 was president and the eighth chief executive. Gerstner iii, the son of the former chief executive of international business machines, died on thursday. Sam palmisano reversed some of the good that gerstner had done, and compounded what gerstner. Sam palmisano, the former head of ibm, was photographed at the washington post in. He died after choking while dining in a restaurant, according to a paid death notice in the new york times. Oct 24, 1999 lou gerstner and the business turnaround. In 2002 palmisano succeeded a legendary leader in lou gerstner, who saved ibm from being broken up and put it on a viable course. But because palmisano had been also akers ea executive assistant, and was in japan at the time of that october 1992 board meeting.

Lou gerstner answers fareen zakarias question, how to lead. I am also grateful to harper collins as i have used excerpts from the book itself. The decline and fall of ibm ibm is in serious trouble. And it was time for me to pass it on to sam palmisano. Now at the helm of carlyle, the private equity firm, he can maintain his privacy in both home and business affairs. It was at a client meeting in san francisco in october 2002 that sam palmisano, ibms new ceo, first unveiled the initiative he hoped would transform his company. Watsons lecture series was published in 1963 as the influential book a business and its beliefs. Jun 07, 20 the first paragraph of every obituary on louis v. The cge was established in 20 to help educate societal stakeholders as well as leaders from the private sector, public sector, and academia on. As ceo in what were arguably ibms darkest hours, gerstner brought the company back from the brink. He is largely credited with turning ibms fortunes around. Moreover the author highlights the strong influence the company had on the 21st century industry.

In many respects this is their book as much as it is mine. I strongly recommends this book to any one passionate about change management, transformation, leadership, customer focus and strategy execution. If theres a single reason sam palmisano will take over as ceo. Ibm finds profit in diversity harvard business school. Ibm press room the ibm board of directors today elected samuel j. I had read the book, watsons a business and its beliefs, when i first took. Watson held forth on ibms three basic beliefs, the forebears of the values that still guide the company today. When gerstner became ceo of ibm in 1993, shares were in free fall and the company was on the verge of collapse. 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. Palmisano main idea to reorganize the company was to restructure it into a strong and unique entity. Buffett praised ibm ceos lou gerstner and sam palmisano in his. We spent a number of years working with ibm, oreilly says.

But as lou gerstner, ceo of ibm from 1993 to 2002 said to me, and as i. Jun 26, 2015 but former ceo sam palmisano says he isnt looking back. For a hard look at ibms books, see that old financial magic by bethany mclean. Palmisano, ibm president and coo since septemeber 2000, will become big blues new ceo on march 1, when the contract of current chairman and ceo louis. Mw ibm on tuesday tapped president sam palmisano to replace lou gerstner as ceo, handing the reins of the worlds largest computer company to. Worse still, he made a few strategic errors that helped the company into its current predicament. Sam palmisano reversed some of the good that gerstner had done, and compounded what gerstner did wrong. The future of ibm lou gerstner seems to have pulled off a. Palmisano is the chairman of the center for global enterprise, a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research institution devoted to the study of the contemporary corporation, the management science in a globally interconnected world. In this video tribute, friends and colleagues share memorable moments and lessons learned from this iconic.

Sam palmisano, whos retiring as big blues boss, brought the companyand its mindsetinto the 21st century. Nov 11, 2002 the book is interesting, even for longtime ibm followers, because it is gerstner s own story. Lou gerstner shares some blame for ibms current mess, according. Ibm on tuesday tapped president sam palmisano to replace lou gerstner as ceo, handing the reins of the worlds largest computer company to a veteran executive who.

Jul 25, 2000 palmisano moves up into gerstner heir slot at ibm. Ibm ceo sam palmisano prompted ibmers to reexamine the companys identity with valuesjam, an allemployee online conversation in 2003. He was a virtual recluse when it came to interviews and public appearanceshe doesnt try to hide his. 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. Jan 18, 2012 as far as a legacy goes, says ibm chairman sam palmisano, i just want to leave the company better than i found it. Louis v gerstner ceo ibm 19932002 management style and. Palmisano moves up into gerstner heir slot at ibm the. Gerstner served as president of the gerstner family foundation, according to the death notice. Palmisano moves up into gerstner heir slot at ibm the register. Gerstner chose to shift ibm from being a company that produced commodities to one focused on services to clients, and he recognized palmisano as someone who shared his longterm. The book explains how important is execution, focus and behavioural change. Fortune magazine lou gerstner arrived at ibm on april fools.

Apr 19, 2011 for the full version, please read the book, who says elephants cant dance inside ibms historic turnaround by louis v gerstner. For reasons i dont fully understand, the company was ambidextrous under lou gerstner and sam palmisano. Using a title like the decline and fall of ibm for a book is a big call. 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.

Gerstner came on board as chairman and ceo almost a decade ago. For the full version, please read the book, who says elephants cant dance inside ibms historic turnaround by louis v gerstner. Jun 09, 2014 the conventional wisdom about ibm is that louis v. Lou gerstner, handed over a company in much better financial shape than it was in 1993 when gerstner took. But as he told mba students at harvard business school, he wasnt the only one responsible for the change. Judging by ibms successes over the past decade, palmisano. Palmisano, who currently is ibm president and chief operating officer, will remain president. The decline and fall of ibm audiobook by robert cringely.

His successor is finding its not so easy being a pachyderms partner. Sam palmisano reversed some of the good that gerstner had done, and. At ibm, lou gerstner was a famously private individual. Dec 09, 2002 1292002 ibm was in deep trouble when louis v. Sam palmisano, the former head of ibm, was photographed at the. Sam palmisano has been made president of ibm as well as coo, which positions him as the most likely to succeed lou gerstner as chairman when. When sam palmisano took over as ibms chairman and ceo in 2003, the worst was over. Cio is a generic term and other analogous titles are head of it, it director, director of it etc. Gerstner was a great leader who made important changes in ibm, but didnt go far enough.

Sure, youve been lou gerstner s heir apparent for the past year or so, ever since you became ibms president see page 21. But former ceo sam palmisano says he isnt looking back. Big blue needed more than a talented executive when it hired lou gerstner in 1993. In 1992 when lou gerstner was hired to be ceo, ibms mainframe sales were plummeting, and most people inside and outside of ibm advised gerstner to break up the company. The secrets to corporate longevity stanford graduate. Heres an excerpt from the gerstner book about their february 1993 meeting. The story of this book began in the summer of 2007, when i was shooting a. In 2002 palmisano succeeded a legendary leader in lou gerstner, who saved ibm from being broken up and put it on a viable.

The point organizational transformation program fo. Boasting about ibm directors courtship in 1992, he reveals how ibm board misled the public. Palmisano chief executive officer of the company effective march 1. In an interview with the chronicle, gerstner, 60, who stepped down earlier this year and has been replaced by sam palmisano, talked about writing the book, the future of the technology industry. As far as a legacy goes, says ibm chairman sam palmisano, i just want. Sam palmisano, the former head of ibm, was photographed at the washington post in washington, d. How ibms sam palmisano redefined the global corporation.