GoKawiilEntrepreneur Column Cites Thomas Midgley Jr. to Warn Leaders About Hidden Costs of Success
An Entrepreneur opinion piece revisits engineer Thomas Midgley Jr., credited in the 1920s for solving engine knocking with leaded gasoline and developing the refrigerant Freon, innovations that earned him industry praise and the Priestley Medal. The column notes both breakthroughs later proved damaging — leaded fuel released toxic lead through vehicle exhaust — and uses the case to argue that business leaders should scrutinize whether their current winning strategies carry unseen long-term costs.