Who says Elephants can’t Dance? by Louis Gerstner

I just finished listening to this audiobook. The book is by former CEO of IBM, Louis Gerstner, the outsider who was responsible for IBM’s spectacular turnaround in the 1990s.

The first time I read the paper edition of this book was soon after its release in 2002. Those were early years in my firm, Vishwak, when I wanted to be more hands-on in technology, and I was reluctant to take up management responsibilities that were being thrown my way every day as CEO of a company. This book, along with Jack Welch‘s (Jack: Straight from the Gut), definitely stirred up my interest in management, growing the business and winning.

When I graduated as an engineer, just like every other fresh engineer, I thought all managers were like Dilbert’s Pointy Haired boss. This book and several others I read during the time certainly demystified and clarified to me that management is also a science that can be learned by reading & practice.

If you are a manager of a division, a CEO, or a founder, this book is a must-read, and I am sure it will inspire and motivate its readers, just like it did for me.

Update on 27 December 2025

Hearing about Louis V. Gerstner’s passing today, I paused and thought of how one outsider quietly taught many of us that even the biggest, most tired organisations can learn to dance again. My respects.