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William Hewlett and David Packard Leadership


William (Bill) Hewlett (1919-2001) and David Packard (1912-96)

 William Hewlett and David Packard Leadership

American founders (pictured right, Hewlett is left) of Hewlett-Packard, the first computer company in Silicon Valley, California.

 

 

What do they tell us about leadership and business success?

 

1. Customer satisfaction

Any product must provide an economical and useful solution to customers’ problems.

“We're not selling hardware; we're selling solutions to customer problems”, Packard said.

So their top priority was customer satisfaction, but to achieve it they realized that they needed great employees, innovation and quality (see below).

“To be useful an invention must not only fill a need, it must be an economical and efficient solution to that need”, Packard said.

 

2. The “HP Way” – putting people first

Still practised in the company today, this describes Hewlett and Packard’s principles on people management:

  • great training.
  • empowerment (encouraging people to take responsibility for results).
  • participation in decision making.
  • open communications.
  • cutting bureaucracy (particularly by minimizing levels of management).
  • profit sharing.
  • visible and supportive management (“management by walking around”).

“It has always been important to Bill and me to create an environment in which people have a chance to be their best”, Packard said.

William Hewlett and David Packard Leadership

 

3. Innovation

They believed in:

  • taking risks.
  • continuously making new and better products.

Their first product was an audio oscillator, which they sold to Walt Disney Studios to test the sound for the movie, Fantasia (pictured right).

Hewlett was a great innovator because of his

  • passionate curiosity.
  • applying new knowledge to solve new problems.

 

4. Quality

The quality and reliability of their products were extremely important to them.

So they gave employees control over their work so they could find their own ways to improve quality, particularly in teams.

 William Hewlett and David Packard Leadership

5. Toughness

Despite their kindness, they never flinched from making difficult but necessary decisions like firing 60% of their staff in the post-World War Two recession.

Pictured right is Packard’s garage where they started the business in 1939 with only $538.

 

6. Learning

They were constantly:

  • questioning existing knowledge (they hated complacency)
  • looking at problems in different ways
  • encouraging their employees to do the same.
  • seeking new market opportunities .

 

7. Humility, kindness and honesty

Their integrity inspired people’s trust, respect and commitment.

They were down-to-earth leaders who were never arrogant and treated all employees the same, seeing them as their partners in the business.

They became extremely wealthy but lived simply, giving millions to charities.

“Never stifle a generous impulse” was one of Hewlett’s favourite phrases.

 

8. Social responsibility

Packard said that a business must not only be profitable but also socially responsible.

“The betterment of society is...a responsibility to be shared by all”, he said.

 William Hewlett and David Packard Leadership

9. Teamwork

They (pictured together in 1939 - courtesy of Hewlett-Packard) had complementary skills:

  • Hewlett was a great engineer.
  • Packard, an expert administrator.

 

Packard quotes on marketing and innovation

We're not selling hardware; we're selling solutions to customer problems

Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department.

To be useful an invention must not only fill a need, it must be an economical and efficient solution to that need.

 

Packard quotes on human resource management

It has always been important to Bill and me to create an environment in which people have a chance to be their best

We have a responsibility to our employees to recognize their dignity as human beings.

 

Packard quote on change

To remain static is to lose ground.

 

Packard quote on decision making

Take risks. Ask big questions. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; if you don’t make mistakes, you’re not reaching far enough.

 

Packard quote on corporate social responsibility

The betterment of society is...a responsibility to be shared by all.

 

Hewlett quotes on creativity

Creative people have an abiding curiosity and an insatiable desire to learn how and why things work.

Never stifle a generous impulse

 

Hewlett quote on motivation

Men and women want to do a good job and, if they are provided the proper environment, they will do so.

 

Hewlett quote on decision making

All business proceeds on beliefs, or judgements of probabilities, and not on certainties.

 

Hewlett quotes on strategy

We were just opportunistic.

 

Hewlett quote on objectives

Believe you can change the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

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