Kodak dominated the consumer photography market for over a century and their downfall seems to be obvious in their inability to adapt to the digital age. But when you look closer at the company’s history, you’ll come to see that ironically what made them so successful was what ultimately killed off the Company. John Kotter, best-selling author, and professor at Harvard Business School will help break down how Kodak was a lesson in how a series of mistakes, including the culture at Kodak, could forever damage a once picture-perfect pioneer.
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Episode Sources:
Here’s Why Kodak Failed: It Didn’t Ask The Right Question!
The Demise of Kodak: Five Reasons
Why Kodak Failed and What Entrepreneurs Can Learn
Barriers to Change: The Real Reason Behind the Kodak Downfall
The Real Lessons From Kodak’s Decline
A Brief History of Kodak: The Rise and Fall of a Camera Giant
Why Did Kodak Fail and What Can You Learn from its Demise?
Kodak’s Downfall Wasn’t About Technology
KODAK SAYS 3M USED SECRETS STOLEN BY RETIRED EXECUTIVE
The moment it all went wrong for Kodak
Wikipedia: You Press the Button, We Do the Rest
THE WORLD’S FIRST DIGITAL CAMERA, INTRODUCED BY THE MAN WHO INVENTED IT
Steve Sasson invented the first digital camera in 1975 but was forced to keep it hidden
The New Kodak Moment = That Moment When You Lose Market Relevance
Special Guest:
John Kotter
Chairman of Kotter International
Regarded by many as the authority on leadership and change, John P. Kotter is a New York Times best-selling author, award winning business and management thought leader, business entrepreneur, inspirational speaker and Harvard Professor. His ideas, books, speeches, and company, Kotter International, have helped mobilize people around the world to better lead organizations, and their own lives, in an era of increasingly rapid change.
Professor Kotter’s MIT and Harvard education laid the foundation for his life long passion for educating, motivating and helping people. Today, he continues to deliver seminars in Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Programs, which are sometimes regarded as life changing by his students.
Kotter has authored 18 books to date – twelve of them bestsellers. Arguably his most popular book, Our Iceberg is Melting, was released in 2006. This New York Times bestseller helped launch to a large audience the 8-step philosophy behind Kotter International. Written as an allegory, it is a simple, yet unforgettable story about a group of penguins on a melting iceberg and the changes they undertake to survive and thrive amidst an unclear future. This story connects with a broad range of people needed to effect major organizational transformations in an easily understood, clear way. Kotter International aims to do the same. Other widely read books include A Sense of Urgency, and Leading Change, which Time magazine selected in 2011 as one of the 25 most influential business management books ever written. Professor Kotter is currently working on writing his 19th book.
Kotter’s research and pursuits in education, business and writing over the past 35 years have earned the respect of his peers, helped transform organizations around the world, touched countless lives, and still inspires others to adopt his methods and spread the word. He continues to work tirelessly to achieve the goal of “millions leading, billions benefiting”.