The World’s Greatest Salesman: An IBM Caretaker’s Perspective: Looking Back

The New York Times and Time Magazine called Thomas J. Watson Sr., the founder of IBM, the ＂World’s Greatest Salesman.＂ Newsweek wrote that he was a philanthropist, where ＂none gained more from his beneficence than his own employees.＂ President Eisenhower said he was a man ＂marked by a deep-seated concern for people.＂The World’s Greatest Salesman is an IBM employee’s perspective of Tom Watson Sr.’s leadership during the Great Depression, starting the day after Black Tuesday and ending three days before Christmas 1933, soon after the Depression’s trough. In the midst of today’s current economic turmoil, it is time to reexamine the thoughts, words and actions of IBM’s founder. He set an example of great leadership during one of the darkest economic times in world history and led a good company to greatness in the 20th century.

Peter E. Greulich is a thirty-year IBMer. Pete started in the ’80s in administration, became a first-line administration manager, and then moved through worldwide sales and technical roles supporting IBM representatives and their customers in more than seventy countries. His jobs included: Worldwide OS/2 Brand Manager and Sales Evangelist, Worldwide Marketing Manager for Tivoli Configuration Manager (TCM) and Tivoli Monitoring (ITM), and Product Manager for IBM Tivoli Netcool. He was a Tivoli Top Gun best presenter. As a result, he brings a unique perspective to IBM’s policies and procedures and their impact on its culture and customers. The Watsons desired enthusiasm and Pete was one of their most enthusiastic as he practiced IBM’s Basic Beliefs, from the day he was hired until the day he retired in March, 2011. This enthusiasm continued after retirement with the publishing his first book about Thomas J. Watson Sr.-The World’s Greatest Salesman-and three essays on Watson’s leadership during the Great Depression: Democracy in Business, We Are All Assistants and We Forgive Thoughtful Mistakes. His next publication, A View from Beneath the Dancing Elephant: Rediscovering IBM’s Corporate Constitution, will question many of the perspectives presented in Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance? by Louis V. Gerstner. Shouldn’t that story be heard?