The One-Guy Theory

BusinessWeek has an article worth reading about The One-Guy Theory. In short, the theory says that successful businesses have one person who is ultimately responsible and making the decisions. This one person is often the brains or the vision behind everything the company is doing. The article goes on to cite some good examples and there are tons more in the tech industry where I work.

Steve Jobs is probably the most obvious example. Apple doesn't do focus groups or marketing studies not only because they're highly secretive about their products but also because they have so much trust in the product vision of their leader. But putting this much trust in one person can be dangerous and Apple's had their share of fumbles in the past. Remember the Motorola/iTunes partnership phone, the Rockr? Yeah, neither do I (well barely.) What about the Apple Newton? It was an ok PDA but maybe too far ahead of it's time. Even the recent Apple TV is having trouble gaining traction.

But ultimately, one-guy setting the rules is a smart way to go because otherwise you create a bureaucratic nightmare where nobody is responsible or accountable. It's hard to set a clear direction when there are multiple committees trying to decide everything. Think about the successful companies you know. Do they have one person at the top that you can point to as an obvious leader?

This touches on the fundamental media conglomerate problem: There are too many layers. There are too many fiefdoms. There are too many...guys. Guys strolling the corridors, guys clustering around the boardroom, guys slowing things down. (The litany of executives that follows shows they're, still, almost exclusively guys.) This, in a time of great uncertainty and fast-shifting consumer appetites, when sheer speed may determine which companies successfully molt and which simply melt.

BusinessWeek.com "The One-Guy Theory"