Dive Brief:

• Former J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson, who was ousted by the retailer after only 17 months on the job, told a classroom of Stanford Business School students that he offered to resign three times, and that the third time was the charm.

• Johnson, who is widely viewed as the architect of Apple’s successful physical-store retail strategy, said the changes he proposed were too creative and too fast for a company that was wedded to the status quo, despite its falling fortunes. 

• That idea has become clear as J.C. Penney picked another former CEO to lead its return to many operational and logistical policies that Johnson had attempted to scratch or revamp.

Dive Insight:

Ron Johnson told a class of business students at Stanford University that he realized his attempts to rescue J.C. Penney were too much, too soon for the retailer, Racked.com reports. He was ahead of the board when it came to realizing the reluctance to institute the changes he envisioned in the time he slated, and offered to resign three times.

He says his thinking was creative at a retailer “that isn't uber-creative."

"I believe in change, this company is much more comfortable, like many people are, with the status quo," Johnson reportedly told the class. "So, it's really important when you pick a job or company, to really focus on the fit.”