Good Strategy/Bad Strategy cover art

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy

The Difference and Why It Matters

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Good Strategy/Bad Strategy

By: Richard Rumelt
Narrated by: Sean Runnette
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About this listen

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy clarifies the muddled thinking underlying too many strategies and provides a clear way to create and implement a powerful action-oriented strategy for the real world.

Developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of a leader. A good strategy is a specific and coherent response to—and approach for—overcoming the obstacles to progress. A good strategy works by harnessing and applying power where it will have the greatest effect. Yet, Rumelt shows that there has been a growing and unfortunate tendency to equate Mom-and-apple-pie values, fluffy packages of buzzwords, motivational slogans, and financial goals with “strategy.”

In Good Strategy/Bad Strategy, he debunks these elements of “bad strategy” and awakens an understanding of the power of a “good strategy.” He introduces nine sources of power—ranging from using leverage to effectively focusing on growth—that are eye-opening yet pragmatic tools that can easily be put to work on Monday morning, and uses fascinating examples from business, nonprofit, and military affairs to bring its original and pragmatic ideas to life. The detailed examples range from Apple to General Motors, from the two Iraq wars to Afghanistan, from a small local market to Wal-Mart, from Nvidia to Silicon Graphics, from the Getty Trust to the Los Angeles Unified School District, from Cisco Systems to Paccar, and from Global Crossing to the 2007–08 financial crisis.

Reflecting an astonishing grasp and integration of economics, finance, technology, history, and the brilliance and foibles of the human character, Good Strategy/Bad Strategy stems from Rumelt’s decades of digging beyond the superficial to address hard questions with honesty and integrity.
Career Success Decision-Making & Problem Solving Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership Business Technology Inspiring Thought-Provoking Career Business Strategy Strategic Planning

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All stars
Most relevant
This book does a great job of explaining what a strategy is, and give examples and explanations of strategy patterns. The author also did a good job of explaining why you can't make a strategy with a cookie cutter tool.

Made me think of strategy in a new way

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La versión de audio puede ser extenso para algunas personas. Asegúrate de hacer pausas periódicamente para no perder la concentración del tema

Extensivo pero interesante

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A good reminder of the role of insight and clear planning in moving a business forward. I was waiting for a eureka moment that never came but I might be a bit older than the target audience. You won't be blown away but you will be reminded of a few good business principles in a well written and narrated book. Overall a useful read.

A Good Clear Message on Strategy

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This book is one of the first (if not the first) where strategy is clearly explained very clearly and without the fluff of many other books on strategy.

I only recommend when a book brings an aha moment into the topic explained. This book is in this category, highly recommended!

A very good book on Strategy

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loved it. very insightful and well rounded observations of business strategy, with various examples to drill home the points. The book is a suggested core read for my MBA Strategy module and I realised now why they picked it. Very well rounded book on the subject.

fantastic book, very insightful with many examples

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