We said farewell to Louis V. Gerstner Jr., a person who reflected leadership grounded in reality and compassion lived through Action.
This short post is my heartfelt tribute to an exceptional leader who faced corporate reality, rebuilt trust, and used success to ease human suffering through philanthropy
My followers on Medium can read this story on that platform.
My Impression of Mr Louis Vincent Gerstner Jr.
Yesterday, I learned with sadness that Louis Vincent Gerstner Jr. passed away at the age of 83. As a former IBMer who retired from the company in 2021, I want to share a personal reflection on how his leadership influenced my thinking and values during my formative years at IBM.
I still remember the quiet pride and humility I felt when I received my first invention award, bearing the personal signature of Louis V. Gerstner Jr..
When technologists and business leaders speak of Mr Gerstner, many remember a decisive business leader who saved IBM. Fewer know the depth of his quiet, passionate, and sustained commitment to human dignity.
Long after boardrooms and earnings calls faded into history, his attention turned steadily toward education, biomedical research, environmental responsibility, and families facing sudden hardship.
Through his philanthropic work, he supported students who otherwise would not have had access to opportunity, researchers whose work aimed to relieve human suffering, and families standing one step away from losing stability.
There was nothing performative about this generosity. It reflected the belief that strong institutions and strong societies depend on leaders who act when no spotlight is on them.
That same clarity of responsibility defined his leadership years earlier, when he stepped into IBM at one of the most uncertain moments in its history. I joined IBM during that period of reckoning.
As a young IBMer with substantial experience in technology and science, I watched closely how leadership behaves when reality refuses to be ignored.
Lou did not arrive at IBM with comforting narratives. He came with discipline, facts, and an insistence on confronting what was true rather than what was familiar.
Coming from McKinsey, American Express, and RJR Nabisco, he brought a perspective that was refreshingly unencumbered by internal myths. He listened carefully to customers, noticed where systems failed them, and acted decisively.
His decision to keep IBM together, even though breaking it apart appeared logical to many, reshaped the company and reestablished its relevance.
From inside IBM, that decision was not abstract. It changed how we worked, how we spoke in meetings, and how we understood accountability.
What influenced me most was his comfort with the uncomfortable truth. His tolerance to discomfort became a case study in my cognitive science research.
In practical terms, meetings became sharper, preparation mattered, and hierarchy gave way to evidence for creativity and productivity.
Leadership in IBM was no longer about preserving tradition, but about delivering value in the real world with utmost client focus.
Those experiences laid the foundation for my leadership thinking, long after my early years at IBM.
When I read Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance?, I recognized the same leadership I had observed firsthand. The book captured the discipline, the cultural tension, and the cost of delay with rare honesty.
His later work, Reinventing Education, reflected a consistent belief that systems improve when reality is acknowledged and responsibility is shared rather than deferred.
Looking back, I believe Mr Gerstner’s remarkable influence comes from the habits of thought he left behind. He taught many of us that courage in leadership means clarity without cruelty, decisiveness without ego, and responsibility without theatrics.
His philanthropy carried those core values forward, supporting lives and futures far beyond corporate walls. He leaves behind more than a business legacy. He leaves behind a global standard of compassion.
My deepest condolences go to Mr Gerstner’s wife Robin, his daughter Elizabeth, his grandchildren, and his extended family, as well as to the many colleagues and leaders around the world whose thinking, values, and leadership were shaped by Lou Gerstner.
May he rest in peace. 🙏🌹❤️🌟♾️
For those interested, Mr Arvind Krishna, IBM’s current CEO, has shared a thoughtful and heartfelt tribute on LinkedIn.
Thank you for reading this chapter. I wish you a healthy and happy life. I also send my best wishes to you and your loved ones for a joyful festive season and a happy New Year.
Here’s another recent tribute I wrote for another friend.
A Bright Mind, A Warm Heart, A Gentle Soul: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Lauri Viisanen
Goodbyes feel difficult when a person’s influence stays alive in every fond memory, every intellectual project, and…medium.com
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