My blog has been designed as a full, rich and constructive conversation about leadership: What it means, how it's developed and how it's applied. I hope a healthy and robust exchange will result in practical leadership refinement for all participants. Postings will include my viewpoint on leadership, decision-making, collaboration, communication, pressure, and more--within the context of "real life" business and a "current event" environment. I hope you'll join in the conversation!
Friday, October 15, 2010
From a leadership perspective, Exxon can't hang with Apple...
It is noteworthy that Apple's success has been propelled--even during a deep economic downturn-- by a relentless focus on providing highly distinctive products that consumers don't yet know they need. Once they have them, they can't live without them.This speaks to marketing and innovation savvy that is rivaled by few if an other companies, US or foreign. On the other hand, Exxon's market cap has benefited largely due to the surge in oil prices. No doubt, Exxon is capitalizing on the smart bets it made a decade ago. However, from a leadership perspective, Exxon can't hang with Apple. In Exxon's case you have an undifferentiated product that is driven by supply and demand. In Apple's case value is created by truly "changing the game" in its market space. If Exxon were like Apple, it would be innovating aggressively on (and away) from its core product which is under siege on all fronts.
This morning, as Apple (AAPL) shares neared $300, a Postcards reader, gslusher, weighed in on a post that Jessica Shambora, my Fortune colleague, wrote in October 2009 about the world's largest stock-market capitalizations. Amazing to see how Apple, in less than a year, has vaulted just behind Exxon Mobil (XOM)...on its way to be THE most valuable company?
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