As the past year and a half has clearly  shown, IBM faces significant headwinds, formidable competitors and a diminished market position since the new leadership has been in place for over two and a half years.  IBM has reported declining revenues for nine consecutive quarters. This inability to deal with the changing landscape of the technology industry can significantly impact the health of the company and can be of detriment to multiple neighborhoods across the nation and across the world. The socio-economic impact of a declining IBM can have a pernicious effect on the livelihood of families and small businesses across the U.S. IBM's chances of surviving & thriving through  the technology industry transition would be significantly better by bringing on board leaders who have had the chance to work across IBM, have worked with IBM’s erstwhile competitors, have a good understanding of the technology levers driving the next stage of growth in the industry and are better equipped to address the fast changing dynamics of the technology industry.