Customer Focused Process Innovation: Linking Strategic Intent to Everyday Execution

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The Challenge of Change

Every year, a growing number of corporate stalwarts—household names anchored by esteemed brands—lose their footing and stumble from what was previously considered an unassailable market position. The past few years have been particularly unkind. The list of failures added formerly admired brands such as Circuit City, Woolworth’s, Lehman Brothers, Borders Bookstores, Readers Digest, Sharper Image, Washington Mutual, Bearing Point, Silicon Graphics, Continental Airlines, and Wachovia, to name a few. Apart from this list, a good number of companies remain open for business only because either the U.S. taxpayer bailed them out or because another company acquired them and retained the name.

At the helm of each of these failed ...