A strategy to consider

Executives in top management need to act quickly to stay ahead of competitors, adjust to changing market dynamics, devise programs for employee/skills retention, meet shifts in their value chains and keep up with new technologies. And these things change at breakneck speed. That's why successful executives have good strategies in place.

But what exactly is meant by 'Strategy'? These authors say that Strategy is one of the most used and abused words in the corporate lexicon. No two executives will have an exact definition of this term. The authors define Strategy as the framework of choices that determines the nature and direction of an organization.

The Art and Discipline of Strategic Leadership presents a proven approach to strategy that meets day-to-day challenges head on. The book also suggests concepts and processes to help improve strategic performance, arguably the most important aspect of a senior executive's work.

The foundation of this book is the unique five-phase model for strategy formulation and implementation developed by Kepner-Tregoe. The effectiveness of their model has been demonstrated in a wide variety of public, private and not-for-profit organizations around the globe.

But strategy isn't built on theory and fictitious examples alone. What one needs are real examples of how the integrated approach has been deployed in some of the world's leading organizations. This book details examples from the Bank of Ireland, British Airways, Corning, Crown Greetings, Hallmark International and others.

— Brian Pereira