Here Forever: The Timeless Impact of John Smale on Procter & Gamble, General Motors and the Purpose and Practice of Business

by Rob Garver

Overview

John Smale was arguably the most influential corporate leader of the second half of the 20th century. He grew one great company, Procter & Gamble, more than six-fold during the 21 years he led as president, CEO and chairman of the board. He helped another great com­pany, General Motors, regain momentum in his role as chairman of the board at a critical time in GM's history - and set a new stan­dard for corporate governance that has since transformed the role that Boards of public companies are expected to play. He champi­oned diversity, not only as a US priority but also as a global priority. And he defined a corporate vision for the purpose and social responsibil­ity of business that was decades ahead of its time. And yet, John Smale is largely unknown to many leaders guiding American and global businesses today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781667864068
Publisher:	BookBaby
Publication date:	10/19/2022
Pages:	284
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Rob Garver is a journalist and freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Voice of America, among other publications. He served as national correspondent for The Fiscal Times and collaborated with Bob Woodward on Woodward's New York Times best-selling book, The Price of Politics. He holds a master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont.

Table of Contents

Foreword Ahead of His Time 1

Prologue 7

Part 1

Chapter 1 The Foundation of Business 15

Chapter 2 Any Living Company Has Got to Have Growth 31

Chapter 3 "Even If I Have to Scrub Floors" 37

Chapter 4 To the Best of Your Ability, Do the Right Thing 47

Chapter 5 Smale's Safety Valve 51

Chapter 6 Great Institutions Have a Soul 55

Chapter 7 "You Don't Have the Whole Man" 61

Part 2

Chapter 8 A Grim Coincidence 75

Chapter 9 An Unexpected Discovery 82

Chapter 10 A Way Forward 88

Part 3

Chapter 11 Taking the Long View 107

Chapter 12 Restructuring for the Future 119

Chapter 13 Believing in the Power of Innovation 129

Chapter 14 Knowing Who to Trust 146

Chapter 15 A Commitment to Cincinnati 161

Chapter 16 Sharing Successes 169

Chapter 17 General Motors: The Obligation to Act 185

Chapter 18 Moving Through Waters, Straight-Backed, Facing Forward 226

Afterword Vision, Humility and Trust: The Lasting Impact of John Smale 241

John G. Smale Chronology 245

Acknowledgements 247

Index 251