I fondly remember being a guest at a 100th birthday celebration – that of my client Hufcor, the worldwide leader in moveable partitions and walls to create flexible space. But Hufcor wasn’t always the leader. A savvy new owner/CEO, Mike Borden, saved Hufcor from bankruptcy by pursuing an operational effectiveness strategy, process innovation and global expansion, which ultimately positioned Hufcor where it is today. At its centennial celebration, I observed the pride its stakeholders felt as they celebrated generations of Hufcor’s contributions to its employees and their families, its customers and distribution partners and the humble blue-collar town of Janesville, Wisconsin. As IBM celebrates its well-deserved 100th year birthday this month, business leaders should study how this Fortune 500 giant (and mid-size companies like Hufcor) arrived at this momentous milestone. The $100 billion global technology leader, with its 427,000 employees, defied the odds….