NEWSFLASH:
Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why it Matters was chosen as one of six finalists for the Financial Times & Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year award for 2011.
“There are precious few books that enable you to not only re-think the way you think but also improve your performance. Richard Rumelt’s brilliant Good Strategy/Bad Strategy is one, a milestone in both the theory and practice of strategy. Cutting to the core of what makes the difference between success and being an also-ran, Rumelt uses vivid examples from the contemporary business world and global history that clearly show how to recognize the good, reject the bad, and make good strategy a living force in your organization.”
- John Stopford, Emeritus Professor, London Business School
“In his provocative new book, Richard Rumelt lays bare an uncomfortable truth: Most companies have strategies that are quixotic, muddled and undifferentiated. This is hardly surprising, since in recent years the very idea of “strategy” has been dumbed-down by a deluge of naïve advice and simplistic frameworks. Rumelt cuts through the clutter and reminds managers that the essence of strategy is a clear and differentiated point of view that supports forceful and coherent action. Drawing on a wealth of examples, Rumelt identifies the critical features that distinguish powerful strategies from wimpy ones—and offers a cache of advice on how to build a strategy that is actually worthy of the name. If you’re certain your company is already poised to out-perform its rivals and out-run the future, don’t buy this book. If, on the other hand, you have a sliver of doubt, pick it up pronto!”
- Gary Hamel, co-author of Competing for the Future
“Rumelt’s new book clearly elevates the discussion of strategy. Using compelling examples and penetrating insights, Good Strategy/Bad Strategy provides new and powerful ways for leaders to tackle the obstacles they face. The concepts of “The Kernel” and “The Proximate Objective” are blockbusters. This is the new must-have book for everyone who leads an organization–business, government, or in-between.”
- Robert Eckert, Chairman and CEO of Mattel
“This is the first book on strategy I have read that I have found difficult to put down. For Rumelt, strategy is no more – or less – than structured, intelligent thinking about business. This book teaches you how to do it.”
-John Kay, author of Culture and Prosperity and Obliquity
“Richard Rumelt really “gets it”! Too many strategy books delve into esoteric subjects and forget that a strategy is really about action. Rumelt reinforces that a strategy is the set of actions an organization or team should implement and, just as importantly, the actions an organization should avoid as they drive forward in their market.
“Richard Rumelt reinforces that a strategy is not a goal or objectives. It is the battle plan for action that is designed upon a unique set of attributes or conditions (kernels) that sets an organization apart from its competitors (leverages) and results in exceptional and sustainable profits.”
-Chuck Harrington, CEO, Parsons Corporation
“Books on corporate strategy are rare. Rarer still are ones that explain good versus bad strategy, through clear illustrations where organizations got it right or wrong. This is a must read for CEOs or planners whose job depends on getting it right!”
-Kent Kresa, former Chairman General Motors, former CEO Northrup Grumman
“Rumelt’s non-fast food approach to strategy is terrific. A pleasure to read, this book explains what is, and what is not, good strategy and good strategic thinking. The examples, stories, and anecdotes kept me engaged throughout this well written book.”
-Brian Farrell, Chairman, President & CEO THQ Inc.
“Richard Rumelt’s book, Good Strategy/Bad Strategy, is a must-read. It articulates the fundamentals of strategy and is exceptional in its depth and breadth of case illustrations and understanding on strategy. A book like this can only be written with many years of research and deep thought on the practice of strategy. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the field of strategy.”
-W. Chan Kim, BCG Professor at INSEAD and co-author of Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant
“Good Strategy/ Bad Strategy pinpoints the polar difference: The diagnosis and actions that constitute good strategy, the fluff and failures that cause the bad. Richly illustrated and persuasively argued by a researcher, teacher, and consultant, Richard Rumelt has authored the playbook for anybody in a leadership position who must think and act strategically. “
-Michael Useem, Professor of Management at the Wharton School and author of The Leadership Moment
“There are many books on strategy but none as good and thought-provoking as Richard Rumelt’s Good Strategy/Bad Strategy. Building on solid academic foundations and using fascinating examples from business, politics and history, Rumelt exposes the many fallacies that surround this important concept while providing his own unique and refreshingly-clear approach on how to develop a coherent and successful strategy. This is a wonderful book, full of fresh ideas and practical advice, written in a clear and engaging way. It will change the way we teach and practice strategy.”
-Costas Markides, Robert P Bauman Professor at the London Business School, co-author of Fast Second: How Smart Companies ByPass Radical Innovation to Enter and Conquer New Markets
