Cisco Systems – “Bored of councils”

Pros

Legacy leadership in networking
Positive on resume (for now)
Still some astonishingly smart and talented people
Interesting view of technology industry

Cons

Increasingly internal focus
Customer satisfaction declining
Innovation acquired from outside rather than developed inside
"Boards and councils" lead to management by committee

Advice to Senior Management

For all the talk of collaboration, the boards and councils approach is creating a toxic environment, eroding accountability and slowing progress. Make accountability clear and credible to reverse the political kudzu choking the company.