Seduced by Success

Don't let success put your company on the road to ruinIn Seduced by Success, Robert J. Herbold, the former Chief Operating Officer of Microsoft, shows you how to avoid the nine traps of success-the "legacy practices" that almost felled such giants as General Motors, Kodak and Sony. Herbold, a 26-year-veteran of Procter & Gamble who lived through each trap, gives you proven tactics for preventing arrogance, bloat, and neglect while capitalizing on your accomplishments, sustaining your momentum, and retaining your position in the marketplace.The nine traps every successful organization must avoid areNeglect: Sticking with Yesterday's Business ModelPride: Allowing Your Products to Become OutdatedBoredom: Clinging to Your Once-Successful BrandingComplexity: Ignoring Your Business ProcessesBloat: Rationalizing Your Loss of Speed and AgilityMediocrity: Letting Your Star Employees LanguishLethargy: Getting Lulled into a Culture of ComfortTimidity: Not Confronting Turf Wars and ObstructionistsConfusion: Unwittingly Conducting Schizophrenic CommunicationsThese mistakes cut your business legs off at the knees, destroying your ability to recognize and meet the need for change. Herbold shows you how to avoid these landmines byContinually revitalizing your brands and productsDemanding new approaches to "proven" practicesMaintaining speed and agility through strong leadershipMaking sure employees are empowered to achieve and not handicapped by bureaucracyUsing an exciting new product to overhaul your cultureFor each success trap, Herbold provides illuminating examples of top companies that were seduced by their success-as well as others that managed to maintain and even broaden their achievements. Seduced by Success is the best way to ensure your company sustains its success for the long term.