83岁IBM前CEO郭士纳逝世，他是任正非唯一承认的老师

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the legacy of Louis Gerstner, the former CEO of IBM, who successfully turned around the company during a critical period from 1993 to 2002, emphasizing his strategic decisions and management philosophy that revitalized IBM and influenced other companies like Huawei [3][5][19]. Group 1: Gerstner's Background and Initial Challenges - Louis Gerstner, with no prior technology experience, took over IBM when it was facing severe financial difficulties, with stock prices plummeting to $13 and losses reaching $81 billion in 1993 [5][6]. - Under Gerstner's leadership, IBM's stock price rose from $13 to $80, and the company's market capitalization increased from $29 billion to $168 billion during his tenure [5][6]. Group 2: Strategic Decisions - Gerstner made a bold decision to drastically reduce the prices of IBM's S/390 mainframe systems, cutting prices by up to 96%, which led to a significant increase in sales and a return to profitability in 1994 [9][10]. - He recognized the shift towards network-centric computing and initiated acquisitions, such as Lotus Software, to pivot IBM towards a service-oriented model [9][10]. Group 3: Organizational Reforms - Gerstner identified IBM as a bureaucratic organization and initiated a ten-year overhaul to streamline operations, consolidating various departments into functional modules [11][12]. - His reforms included selling off underutilized assets, which saved up to $12 billion, and exiting unprofitable businesses, such as the personal computer division [14][16]. Group 4: Influence on Other Companies - Gerstner's management principles significantly influenced Huawei, with its founder Ren Zhengfei acknowledging that Huawei adopted IBM's management practices to enhance its organizational efficiency [19][20]. - The core of Gerstner's philosophy was to prioritize customer needs and maintain organizational agility, which he believed was essential for large companies to thrive [19][20]. Group 5: Legacy and Management Philosophy - Gerstner's approach demonstrated that large organizations could maintain agility and responsiveness, balancing short-term survival with long-term growth [20][21]. - His book, "Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?", serves as a management classic, illustrating his strategies for leading IBM through challenging times and reshaping perceptions about leadership in technology companies [20][21].