Despite a sense from some that the cutting edge of the technology market is moving away from its products, Microsoft reported a strong quarter last week.   Revenues were $16.0 billion compared to $13.1 billion in the year-ago quarter (up 22%).  Profits were $4.5 billion vs $3.o billion in the year ago quarter (up 50%), [...]

business · challenges · customers · innovation · leadership · Microsoft · profit

Goldman Sachs reported quarterly results the day before yesterday.  The results were softer than the prior year and reflected the settlement with the SEC and a provision for a special UK tax on banker’s bonues.  The total of those two provisons was $1.15 billion. Revenue was $8.8 billin vs $12.8 a year ago.   Net income [...]

challenges · ethics · Goldman · leadership · profit · values

On Friday, Steve Jobs and other Apple executives held a press conference to address concerns about the antenna performance of the iPhone 4.  From the reports I read, it seems to me that Jobs struck a good balance of caring for customers, listening to criticism, and standing up for the quality work of his team. [...]

Apple · challenges · customers · leadership · quality · service · values

In the last couple of weeks, Toyota announced that it is promoting more non-Japanese managers into leadership positions in its European and North American businesses. According to the Finanicial Times the move is related to learning from the recent quality problems, in particular to encourage quicker transmission of “brutal facts” within the management chain. Another [...]

challenges · emerging markets · global · leadership · Toyota

Toyota (Akio Toyoda, CEO), has had some well-advertised problems over the last year: problems with sticky accelerators that caused accidents, some fatal; the recall of 6 million vehicles, fines from U.S. regulators, and a number of lawsuits related to all this.   From what I saw, Toyota’s executives did not at first put on an [...]

challenges · culture · customers · innovation · leadership · quality · Toyota