I listened to the Vice-Chairman of Johnson and Johnson, Christine Poon, at a GIBS evening a few months ago. While cleaning up my office for the onslaught of 2006 I came accross some stats she talked to during her 60 minutes with us. It illustrates that even when you get to the top, it isn’t easy staying there. In fact by the stats she quotes it’s easier to drop right out of the running.
Of the top 100 companies in the USA in 1980;

  • Only 63 of them remained in the Top 100 in 1990;
  • And only 32 of the original 100 remained in the Top 100 in 2004

Of the 68 that had dropped out by 2004;

  • 18 exited the Top 100;
  • 9 exited the top 500;
  • 41 cease to exist today.

And that’s why I’d like to be ready for the next 360-odd days.

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