Details

<p>Introduction 1</p> <p>Elevate 1</p> <p>Importance of Strategy 3</p> <p>Top 10 Strategy Challenges 5</p> <p>GOST Framework 12</p> <p>Strategy Defined 14</p> <p>Thinking Strategically 16</p> <p>1,000-Foot View 21</p> <p><b>Discipline #1: Coalesce 23</b></p> <p>Patterns in Strategy 26</p> <p>Systems 32</p> <p>Platforms 34</p> <p>Business Model 39</p> <p>Phase I of the Business Model: Value Creation 40</p> <p>Phase II of the Business Model: Value Delivery 44</p> <p>Phase III of the Business Model: Value Capture 48</p> <p>Profitable Growth 52</p> <p>Strategy and Innovation 58</p> <p>Types of Innovation 59</p> <p>1,000-Foot View 67</p> <p><b>Discipline #2: Compete 69</b></p> <p>Competitive Condition 73</p> <p>Leader 73</p> <p>Challenger 76</p> <p>Spectator 82</p> <p>Competitive Advantage 84</p> <p>Competitive Intelligence 88</p> <p>Trade-off Zone 91</p> <p>Indirect Competition 94</p> <p>Intangible Competition 97</p> <p>1,000-Foot View 102</p> <p><b>Discipline #3: Champion 103</b></p> <p>Using Time Strategically 106</p> <p>Time Trade-Off Techniques 109</p> <p>Influencing Strategy Commitment 112</p> <p>Increasing Buy-In with Social Proof 115</p> <p>Strategic Behavior 119</p> <p>Practicing Strategic Thinking 122</p> <p>Developing Strategy Habits 129</p> <p>Strategy Conversations 134</p> <p>The Power of Story 138</p> <p>Creating a Strategy Story 141</p> <p>1,000-Foot View 145</p> <p>Conclusion 147</p> <p>When to Change Strategy 147</p> <p>Fire Prevention 149</p> <p>Tactical Evaluation Matrix 151</p> <p>Strategy Launch Review 153</p> <p>Strategy Scaffold 155</p> <p>Strategic I Am 157</p> <p>1,000-Foot View 160</p> <p>Notes 163</p> <p>Index 173</p> <p>Acknowledgments 181</p> <p>About the Author 183</p>

<p><B>RICH HORWATH </B>is the CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute and a <i>New York Times, Wall Street Journal</i> and <i>USA Today</i> bestselling author on strategy. He is a former Chief Strategy Officer and professor of strategy and has appeared on ABC, NBC and FOX TV. Horwath has helped more than 50,000 managers around the world develop their strategic thinking skills and is consistently ranked the #1 speaker on strategy & innovation at national conferences.

<p>The ability to think strategically is the most sought-after trait in leaders, and one of the most surefire ways for leaders to get ahead. So why do so few leaders understand what strategic thinking really means? There are plenty of books out there on corporate strategy, but, until now, few have explained how individual executives can practice strategic thinking on a daily basis to guide their business. Leaders need a concrete framework they can use to keep their careers vital through innovation and inspiration—not a theoretical introduction to strategy. In <i>Elevate: The Three Disciplines of Advanced Strategic</i> <i>Thinking</i>, Rich Horwath fills in the gaps with his highly respected, highly practical framework. <p>Understanding the basic principles of strategy is just the prerequisite for becoming a truly strategic leader. In this book, Horwath focuses on advanced strategic thinking that will drive results in the short- and long-term. His three-discipline approach breaks strategy down into its fundamentals: Coalesce, Compete, and Champion. Effective strategic leadership starts with a bird’s-eye perspective, but it doesn’t end there. Incorporating new insights and influencing commitment are part and parcel of advanced strategy. Through research, exercises, thought models, and lucid explanations of key concepts, <i>Elevate</i> guides leaders in the process of building these essential skills. <p>The majority of organizations say that strategic thinking is the most underdeveloped skill among their senior leaders. Too often, managers are so busy with day-to-day business operations and fire drills that they forget to take a step back—to <i>elevate</i> their thinking. This book demonstrates beyond a doubt that more advanced strategic thinking among managers would lead to greater strategic innovation and fewer fire drills, freeing leadership to take the initiative necessary to drive the organization to the next level. <p>Staying ahead of the competition is crucial for businesses, but competition is stiff at the individual level, too. Firms are realizing that strategic failures can lead to long-term losses and even financial catastrophe. That means leaders who are unable to think strategically could find themselves being phased out. <i>Elevate: The Three Disciplines of Advanced Strategic</i> <i>Thinking</i> helps leaders get ahead in their own careers by stepping back to focus on the big picture. <p>For more information, visit strategyskills.com.

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