Good Power

13

Creating a Movement

We don’t always recognize pivotal moments while they’re happening.

In late May 2020, a little more than six months before I retired, Mark and I were home, like everyone else, quarantining during the Covid-19 pandemic. I was now Executive Chairman at IBM, and Arvind Krishna had begun his tenure as my successor. Our time overlapped to ensure a smooth transition, especially given the large divestiture we’d announced.

Most of my days were spent on videoconference calls with colleagues and clients as we all got used to this new remote way of working. I’d never spent so many consecutive days—almost three months by that time—at my own home in, well … ever. I missed meeting with people in person, but I have to say it sure was ...