alexander

22 THE WISDOM OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT
was able to reframe the problem so that it resulted in unity,
not conquest. This solution was brilliant, but it is rarely
emulated today during acquisitions.
Leading Lessons
Victory can be defined in various ways. Some victories are
of more long-term value than others are. By not conquering
Athens, and by employing an extra-organizational agency
effectively, Alexander could safely leave the country without
fear of subsequent revolt.
A failed example comes to mind. When US Airways acquired
Piedmont Airlines (for access to the Charlotte,
North Carolina, hub), it acquired an airline with one of the
finer flight service groups in the industry. This acquisition
occurred during a time when US Airways had a reputation
for poor in-flight service. An appropriate reframing would
have turned this acquisition to its advantage and allowed
the former Piedmont leaders to implant their service standards
throughout the new, merged airline. Unfortunately,
for reasons that are not public, all significant Piedmont executives
affiliated with flight attendant recruiting, selection,
training, and so on left the merged organization within just
a few months. Conquest was harmful to service in the long
term. Unity, with the subsequent appearance of loss of control,
would have been a better way to reframe the situation.