What specific attributes or practices of a successful company, usually considered strengths (like listening to customers), does Christensen suggest become obstacles when confronted with disruptive change, and through what mechanism do they hinder adaptation?

Synthesized answer

Christensen suggests that attributes and practices usually considered strengths in successful companies can become obstacles when confronted with disruptive change. These include listening astutely to customers and investing aggressively in new technologies [1].

The mechanism through which these practices hinder adaptation is that these companies fail "by doing everything right" [1]. While these principles lead to success in established markets, they can cause leading companies to lose their market leadership when faced with disruptive changes in technology and market structure [1]. The passages indicate that this leads to managers needing to learn "when it is right not to listen to customers, when to invest in developing lower-performance products that promise lower margins, and when to pursue small markets at the expense of seemingly larger and more lucrative ones" [2].

Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.