Making strategy requires undertaking major--often
irreversible--decisions aimed at long-term success in an uncertain
future. All leaders must formulate a clear course of action, yet many
lack confidence in their ability to think systematically about their
strategy. They struggle to apply the abstract lessons offered by
conventional approaches to strategic analysis to their unique contexts.
Making Great Strategy resolves these challenges with a
straightforward, readily applicable framework. Jesper B. Sørensen and
Glenn R. Carroll show that one factor underlies all sustainably
successful strategies: a logically coherent argument that connects
resources, capabilities, and environmental conditions to desired
outcomes. They introduce a system for formulating and managing strategy
through a set of three core activities: visualization, formalization and
logic, and constructive argumentation. These activities can be
implemented in any organization and are illustrated through examples and
case studies from well-known companies such as Apple, Walmart, and The
Economist.
This book shows that while great strategic thinking is hard, it is not a
mystery. Widely applicable and relevant for managers and leaders at all
levels, especially executive teams charged with setting the course of
their organizations, it is essential reading for anyone faced with
practical problems of strategic management.
