When Lou Gerstner took over as CEO of IBM in 1993, he took the reigns of an old and prestigious institution with a rich history. Gerstner had no computer industry experience, but he did have deep leadership experience. And taking over at IBM he would need every bit of it: IBM had suffered a multibillion dollar loss and was burning cash.
“There’s been a lot of speculation as to when I’m going to deliver a vision of IBM [but] the last thing IBM needs right now is a vision,” Gerstner said at his first press conference. He needed to make some tough decisions and get the his new team members working together effectively – fast.
Read in 2 minutesUseless Leaders Don’t Make Decisions
In Principle 11* David Khalil tells us that those who can’t or don’t want to make decisions will find it hard to lead. They don’t make decisions because they fear making mistakes, are swayed by others, or don’t know how to make their plans reality.
