Insights from Remarkable Business People (Collections)

Lessons of a Brand Manager

Michael F. Golden

When I took over Smith & Wesson in 2004, I felt a little like I had walked right into an ambush. As soon as I stepped inside the 150-year-old firearms giant, I was surrounded by a swarm of critical problems. The legendary company, which had an incredibly talented and dedicated workforce and a loyal customer base, was nevertheless losing money, had surrendered key customers, overlooked important technological advances, and failed to successfully expand into growth markets. Any newly appointed leader might have felt unsure of where to start. But my mood was just the opposite: I was loaded with ideas. ...