Throughout IKEA, Kamprad was revered as a visionary. "He consistently turned problems
into opportunities and showed us how it is not dangerous to be different," said one executive. But
Kamprad also paid extraordinary attention to the details of his business, and could operate
simultaneously on multiple levels. "In a group of 600 items, he will ask about a particular product,
know its price, its cost and its source, and he will expect you to know it, too. He checks everything
and wants to do everything he can. He does not seem to believe in delegation. He is constantly
bypassing formal structures to talk directly with front-line managers, particularly the designers and
the purchasing group."