Last week, a rare piece of self-deflating news trickled out of North Korea, concerning the ceremonious launch of the country's most advanced naval destroyer.  With Kim Jong Un personally in attendance, the ship became unbalanced, tilted to one side and became stuck right next to the docks.  

 

Hmmm. The much anticipated, cutting edge naval vessel promptly sinking before its maiden voyage. Sound familiar?  You bet.  History does indeed repeat itself.  Back in the 1620s, The Vasa was built to be the mightiest, most fearsome warship of its time. It was constructed under the orders of Sweden’s ambitious king, Gustavus Adolphus.

 

The Vasa was to set sail on August 10, 1628 from Stockholm in front of a crowd of awestruck spectators and foreign dignitaries. It fired a salute and proceeded out of the harbor. But it never made it out. Due to faulty design, the ship tipped to one side and sank before its maiden voyage.

 

The parable of the Vasa is one I use with corporate leadership teams to think about their strategic focus:  Are they so caught up in installing and using frontline technology that they lose sight of its usefulness to end customers?  If yes, then their new product or service launch might just flop right out of the gate at its market introduction - as spectacularly as the Vasa did. Or, much more recently, as the most advanced North Korean destroyer did. 

 

#leadership #historylessons #korea #technology #strategy