Lessons from Boeing’s Crisis

Paul Simpson’s article in Management Today (Strategic Clarity in Complex Organisations – Lessons from Boeing’s Crisis) is a ‘must read’. In it, Simpson provides a brutally clear and concise explanation of where Boeing Corporation lost its way. In the attached short article, I have attempted to summarise the reasons for Boeing’s failure and identify five lessons for large organisations to help them succeed despite size and complexity.

I strongly encourage you to read the article and reflect on whether your organisation has reviewed its strategy development and deployment processes to apply these lessons. If not, a pitfall awaits!

Simpson’s article concludes with a powerful quote from GE’s former CEO Jack Welch “Shareholder value is a result, not a strategy,” he told the FT in 2009. “Your main constituencies are your employees, your customers and your products.” I couldn’t agree more. If you would like to discuss strategy and how we can shape its development and deployment, please get in touch.