Sparks: The Strategies One Man Used To Save IBM From the Brink of Collapse

Sparks: The Strategies One Man Used To Save IBM From the Brink of Collapse

You've heard of IBM, but did you know that it was once on the verge of bankruptcy? One man, a cookie salesman, was able to turn the company around and keep it from collapsing. In today's leadership spark, we'll explore the remarkable turnaround of IBM in the 1990s under the leadership of Lou Gerstner, Former CEO of IBM. Lou, an outsider with a background in consumer goods and financial services, took the helm and transformed the company. He restructured IBM, shifting its focus from hardware to services and software, and revitalized its corporate culture, steering it from near bankruptcy to becoming a global leader in technology services. This story is a powerful example of how visionary leadership and strategic decision-making can navigate a company through trying times and lead it to success.

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Episoder(1178)

Amazon Tightens The Screws, Workers Lose Confidence, and Job Openings Fall

Amazon Tightens The Screws, Workers Lose Confidence, and Job Openings Fall

January 8, 2026:  In today's episode of Future Ready Today, I break down the most important future-of-work stories shaping how work is actually changing right now. I look at new research showing worke...

8 Jan 19min

How We Accidentally Lowered the Bar in the Name of Employee Experience

How We Accidentally Lowered the Bar in the Name of Employee Experience

January 7, 2026: Nearly a decade ago, I wrote The Employee Experience Advantage to challenge organizations to move beyond perks, surveys, and surface-level engagement. Since then, employee experience ...

7 Jan 16min

Bank of America on Gen Z Fears, AI Slowing Productivity, and the Rise of Workplace Non-Compliers

Bank of America on Gen Z Fears, AI Slowing Productivity, and the Rise of Workplace Non-Compliers

January 6, 2026: Is AI actually increasing productivity — or just shifting responsibility without reward? In this episode of Future Ready Today, I unpack seven of the most important future-of-work sto...

6 Jan 23min

Behind the Scenes of CEO Succession Planning: How Organizations Decide Who Leads Next W/ Debbie Pickle, CHRO of Williams

Behind the Scenes of CEO Succession Planning: How Organizations Decide Who Leads Next W/ Debbie Pickle, CHRO of Williams

When a longtime CEO steps down, it's not just a change in leadership—it's a shift in the organization's heartbeat. After 40 years of service, Williams faced exactly that moment: a legacy to honor, a c...

5 Jan 55min

What an Entrepreneur, a Scientist, and a Security Chief Teach About Future-Ready Leadership

What an Entrepreneur, a Scientist, and a Security Chief Teach About Future-Ready Leadership

The world of work didn't just change, it fundamentally broke the old rules. Forget just 'adapting'—this episode is your essential guide to understanding the radical shifts currently squeezing CHROs an...

29 Des 202551min

AI Is Complicating Hiring, Remote Work Has a Price, and Careers Are Breaking Down

AI Is Complicating Hiring, Remote Work Has a Price, and Careers Are Breaking Down

December 24, 2025:  The systems we've relied on to organize work are starting to crack. In this episode of Future Ready Today, we unpack four stories that reveal how deeply work is being reshaped — of...

25 Des 202521min

Remote Work as Privilege, AI at Work, and Why Sundays Are Becoming Workdays

Remote Work as Privilege, AI at Work, and Why Sundays Are Becoming Workdays

December 23, 2025:  AI is moving from experiment to expectation at record speed, but employees say leadership hasn't built the systems needed to support it. Remote work is quietly becoming a privilege...

24 Des 202521min

Inside the AI and Innovation Transformation of a 200 Year Old Railroad Company

Inside the AI and Innovation Transformation of a 200 Year Old Railroad Company

For many leaders, "transformation at scale" feels like an impossible task—especially when employees are overwhelmed, technology is accelerating, and expectations about the future of work keep shifting...

22 Des 202558min

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