It's Not the How or the What but the Who

{40}

Thriving on Crises

The late 1940s were a tough time for Hewlett-Packard, the fledgling electronic equipment maker that would eventually become one of America’s best-known technology companies. World War II had left business slow and finances strained. But as legions of great engineers streamed out of closing or soon-to-close US military labs, HP’s legendary founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard realized they couldn’t let such an amazing hiring opportunity pass them by. When asked how they could afford to keep taking on new people, their answer was simple: “How could we afford not to!” Years later, when asked about the biggest contributor to HP’s success over the years, they routinely cited their willingness to invest in talent, no matter ...