Recommended Resources – The Strategist

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StrategyDriven Recommended ResourcesThe Strategist: Be the Leader Your Business Needs
by Cynthia Montgomery

About the Book

The Strategist by Cynthia Montgomery challenges readers to ask “Am I a strategist?” and goes on to provide illustrated examples and insights into the skills and sensibilities all senior leaders must possess in order to guide their organization to ongoing growth and success. Cynthia presents the lessons learned from leading executives while teaching at the Harvard Business School. Within her book, Cynthia covers topics including:

  • Strategy & Leadership
  • Are you a strategist?
  • The Myth of the Super-Manager
  • Begin with Purpose
  • Turn Purpose into Reality
  • Own Your Strategy
  • Keep It Vibrant
  • The Essential Strategist

Why You Should Read This Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like The Strategist for its insights to a key skill every successful executive possesses. Cynthia brings readers a vast collection of experiences from hundreds of senior corporate leaders and well researched case history. Her concepts come to life through a myriad of detailed case studies like those the Harvard Business School is known for.

If we had one criticism of The Strategist it would be that the book is too academic, lacking the real-world insights only an author who has ‘been there’ can provide.

The Strategist conveys to readers the key skills and thought processes they need to succeed as organization leaders. It challenges the conventional, tactical thinking so many managers get locked into. For its executive-level insights and illustrative examples to the critical challenges faced by all organization leaders, The Strategist is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Recommended Resources – The 4 Disciplines of Execution

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StrategyDriven Recommended ResourcesThe 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals
by Jerry Weissman

About the Book

The 4 Disciplines of Execution provides the steps needed to repeatably translate one’s business strategy into the day-to-day activities instrumental to realizing organizational goals. These disciplines include:

  • Focus on the Wildly Important – Give your best effort to those few goals that really matter instead of giving mediocre effort to dozens of goals.
  • Act on the Lead Measures – Carefully track the lead measures and let the lag measures take care of themselves.
  • Keep a Compelling Scoreboard – Make sure everybody knows the score at all times so they can tell if they are winning or not.
  • Create a Cadence of Accountability – Hold frequent accountability sessions whose only purpose is to advance the Wildly Important Goals.

Benefits of Reading this Book

StrategyDriven Contributors like The 4 Disciplines of Execution for its methodical, repeatable method of translating corporate strategy into the day-to-day actions of organization members. We appreciate the adaptation of the book’s principles to both an organization and team-level implementation.

Chris, Sean, and Jim richly present their concepts with detailed illustrations and examples; making the disciplines both easy to understand and readily implementable. The 4 Disciplines of Execution is remarkably well aligned with the foundational principles upon which StrategyDriven, its products and services, is based. For its actionable principles of strategy execution while promoting organizational alignment and accountability, The 4 Disciplines of Execution is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Alternative Selection Warning Flag 2 – An Initiative for Every Executive

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StrategyDriven Alternative Selection Warning FlagSenior executives typically ascend to their elevated positions through the contribution of significant organizational value. While these individuals’ daily activities provided ongoing benefit throughout their careers, there is seldom a more value adding opportunity than successful leadership of a strategic initiative or large-scale project. Consequently, senior leaders seeking further career development and advancement covet these initiatives; sometimes resulting in the creation of such projects to satisfy an individual’s need rather than an organizational one.

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About the Author

Nathan Ives, StrategyDriven Principal is a StrategyDriven Principal and Host of the StrategyDriven Podcast. For over twenty years, he has served as trusted advisor to executives and managers at dozens of Fortune 500 and smaller companies in the areas of management effectiveness, organizational development, and process improvement. To read Nathan’s complete biography, click here.

Recommended Resources – I Have A Strategy, No You Don’t

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StrategyDriven Recommended ResourcesI Have a Strategy, No You Don’t: The Illustrated Guide to Strategy
by Howell J Malham Jr

About the Book

I Have a Strategy, No You Don’t: The Illustrated Guide to Strategy by Howell J Malham Jr provides an illustrated definition of business strategy. Howell breaks down the concept of strategy into its component parts and illustrates these with real-world examples from renowned companies.

Unlike other business books, I Have a Strategy, No You Don’t is structured as a playfully interactive dialog between two characters, Larry and Gary. Through these characters’ conversations, Howell shares:

  • Common misconceptions about strategy
  • Four basic elements of strategy
  • Detailed models of effective strategies and why they work

Benefits of Reading this Book

Business leaders at all organizational levels commonly misuse the term ‘strategy.’ This misuse frequently results in miscommunications that ultimately lead to errant decisions and actions detrimental to the organization.

StrategyDriven Contributors like I Have a Strategy, No You Don’t because it brings to light the seldom recognized but often damaging problem of leadership’s misunderstanding of what business strategy is and provides a clear definition to help resolve the issue. While StrategyDriven Contributors don’t fully agree with Howell’s definition of strategy – we believe strategy represents a how not a what – we fully agree with the premise that an organization should define for itself what strategy is and then consistently apply that definition in its planning and execution efforts.

I Have a Strategy, No You Don’t is a quick and easy read. Howell’s examples of effective strategies come from well-known and respected companies making them relatable to the reader. For bringing to light and offering a solution to an age-old business planning and execution problem, I Have a Strategy, No You Don’t is a StrategyDriven recommended read.

Strategic Planning – How Much Should Organizations Spend on Business Planning?

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StrategyDriven Strategic Planning Principle ArticleWell-crafted strategic and annual business plans provide a sense of purpose and direction. They establish the operations and initiative activities the organization will implement in order to achieve defined outcomes. Furthermore, these business plans serve as a communications mechanism to drive alignment of management decisions and employee actions to the effective and efficient achievement of the organization’s mission goals. (See StrategyDriven article, Why Do Organizations Need Strategic Planning.) Without business plans, time and effort may be applied to activities less directly focused on achievement of the organization’s goals thereby wasting the business’s precious limited resources.

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In addition to receiving access to Strategic Planning – How Much Should Organizations Spend on Business Planning?, you’ll help advance your career and business programs through anytime, anywhere access to:

  • A sampling of dozens of Premium how-to documents across 7 business functions and 28 associated programs
  • 2,500+ Expert Contributor management and leadership articles
  • Expert advice provided via StrategyDriven’s Advisors Corner

Best of all, it’s FREE Forever with No Credit Card Required.

Access the Article Now!

About the Author

Nathan Ives, StrategyDriven Principal is a StrategyDriven Principal and Host of the StrategyDriven Podcast. For over twenty years, he has served as trusted advisor to executives and managers at dozens of Fortune 500 and smaller companies in the areas of management effectiveness, organizational development, and process improvement. To read Nathan’s complete biography, click here.