A closer look at companies executing leadership excellence

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Panasonic?  Speakers?  Light bulbs?  TV sets?  These products and many more have been the hallmark of the Panasonic brand since its humble beginnings 100 years ago in Osaka, Japan. The Panasonic of today may not look like the one you grew up with.  But, its founder, Konosuke Matsushita would take pride in the company’s continuous drive to design the future.

This year, the company made good on that commitment by winning the Milan Design Week award for technology with its installation called “Air Inventions”.  The installation marks Panasonic’s transition from a consumer products behemoth to a solutions-based company focused on improving our environment.

In a recent interview with Business Life magazine, Laurent Abadie, CEO and Chairman of Panasonic Europe, explained the company’s transition from products to solutions. “Our environment is changing a lot at the moment,” he said. “There are a lot of issues around energy, pollution, the ageing society and so on, and we’d like to address these issues with our technology and our people. We want to bring unique propositions for a better life and a better world.”

While the shift from products to solutions will require a shift in the mind of the Panasonic consumer, it does not depart from the company’s seven core principles documented in John Kotter’s 1998 bestseller, Matsushita Management. The first principle, “Contribution to society”, remains foremost in the company culture and in the hearts of Panasonic’s global workforce.

While the 100-year anniversary and winning of the Milan Design Week award are important, Panasonic is positioned to continuously assess itself and take part in how it can best contribute to society in the next 100 years.