* * * * *
                                        
                     “It was a good run while it lasted … ”
                                        
Okay, one neat thing I've come across:

> Kongo Gumi also boasted some internal positives that enabled it to survive
> for centuries. Its last president, Masakazu Kongo, was the 40th member of
> the family to lead the company. He has cited the company's flexibility in
> selecting leaders as a key factor in its longevity. Specifically, rather
> than always handing reins to the oldest son, Kongo Gumi chose the son who
> best exhibited the health, responsibility, and talent for the job.
> Furthermore, it wasn't always a son. The 38th Kongo to lead the company was
> Masakazu's grandmother.
> 

Via kisrael.com [1], “The End of a 1,400-Year-Old Business [2]”

And to think, this company has been around as long as some religions … 

[1] http://kisrael.com/viewblog.cgi?date=2007.04.18
[2] http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/apr2007/sb20070416_589621.

Email Sean Conner at sean@conman.org

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