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Bruce Henderson’s Ideas and BCG Perspectives
When BCG adopted “strategy” as its specialty, it ignited a revolution that would transform business management forever. From the beginning, Bruce Henderson’s passion for ideas was the firm’s mark of distinction. His ideas and writings reveal a visionary who excelled at challenging the status quo, a brilliant thinker, and a man of action, driven by a strong sense of purpose.
In 1964 he developed a new approach to marketing a consulting firm: Perspectives, brief and highly provocative essays on strategy. BCG published these essays in a user-friendly brochure format—they were small enough to fit comfortably in an executive’s coat pocket. At first the Perspectives series merely excerpted ideas from other publications that had appeared in less user-friendly forms. But soon Henderson and his colleagues were delivering their own new ideas—such as the
growth share matrix and
time-based competition—and these proved far more appealing than what executives were seeing elsewhere.
The Growth Share Matrix
Time-Based Competition
These breakthrough ideas that BCG developed—and continues to develop today—have become business canon and have helped establish our reputation in the marketplace. And the core values established by BCG played a major role in shaping the firm into what it is today—while continuing to guide our work on a daily basis.
Impact
When Bruce Henderson founded BCG, he envisioned that it might someday change the world. Through collaboration with clients, orchestration of strategy, and recognition of distinctive organizational dynamics, BCG consultants have guided industry leaders toward recognizing and responding to their changing world, helping them to capitalize on emerging opportunities, and seizing the competitive advantage.
With true insight and the ability to transform it into action, BCG has driven real change in organizations and fulfilled Henderson’s vision. BCG has not only transformed the way the world does business but also fundamentally changed the game.
Inside the Journey
We have changed the whole nature of American business. And tomorrow we can change the world, too. — Bruce Henderson