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New ideas from dead CEOs

Lasting lessons from business leaders who've gone to the great corner office in the sky.

Akio Morita: Sony
Akio Morita: Sony
Obstacle:
A young World War II soldier wakes up in devastated Japan wondering how he can win over American consumers.

Innovation:
Immerse yourself in the culture of your prospective customers, and turn the name of your corporate company into the brand itself.

Lesson for today:
In a fast-paced world, your customers will pay more for style, portability, and ease. Morita would have been disappointed that Sony let Apple beat it to the iPod and Nintendo defeat it with the Wii. He also disliked big bureaucracies and would have urged his engineers to spend time in American schools in order to figure out what toys would sell best.

Giannini

Watson Sr.

Watson Jr.

Ash

Lauder

Sarnoff

Kroc

Morita

Walton

Disney
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