Why CIOs Need To Master The Art Of Adaptation
CIO, Wednesday, October 29th, 2025
With gen AI upending industries, CIOs must adapt, but not in isolation. Companies should support them by creating a culture that allows experimentation and tolerates mistakes.
In the 1960s and early '70s, Chrysler Corporation was a muscle-car powerhouse. It rolled out Dodge Chargers and Plymouth Barracudas with Hemi V8 engines that roared past 425 horsepower. Loud, fast, and stylish, these cars made Chrysler a cultural icon, and the company kept doubling down on them.
But what helped define Chrysler's glory years also set the stage for its downfall. The automaker's fixation on fuel-hungry muscle, even as gas prices shot up, was not aligned with the smaller, more efficient cars that customers wanted. By 1979, Chrysler was on the brink of bankruptcy and was forced to seek a $1.5 billion government bailout, the first ever for a major carmaker.