4. Keystone Habits, or the Ballad of Paul O'Neill Summary and Analysis

October, 1987—Wall Street investors meet the new CEO of the Aluminum Company of America. This company has made blunders throughout the last year that has resulted in loss of profits. Paul O'Neill arrives, confusing his audience by talking about worker safety, not mentioning profits at all. O'Neill insists that the companies' profit problem rests in safety. Investors are furious, and many sell their stock immediately. The company hits record profits inside of that year. This happened because O'Neill recognized that he could change the whole company by attacking and changing a core habit. O'Neill had a long history of restoring order to institutions, including healthcare spending, NASA, and the CPA. The emphasis on safety at Alcoa brought about a dramatic improvement in habits and communication throughout...