Strategy Book Recommendations

Kelley MBA CORE

Professor Greg Fisher

Core StrategyGood Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters

• An excellent overarching perspective on strategy

• Highlighting good versus bad habits in strategic thinking and action

• Great insights on strategic thinking

• Good examples

By Richard Rumelt

http://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategy-Bad-Difference-Matters/dp/0307886239

Core Strategy

Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy

• Clear description and integration of Michael Porter’s insights and strategy concepts

• Covers Five Forces, Value Chain, Activity Maps, Strategic Trade Offs and Fit

• Well written with excellent examples

By Joan Magretta

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Michael-Porter-Essential-Competition/dp/1422160599/

Strategy Process + Strategy Consulting

What I Didn't Learn in Business School: How Strategy Works in the Real World

• This is a fictional story that which beautifully illustrates the challenge and opportunities in applying core strategy concepts in the real world

• Especially relevant for those wanting a career in consulting

By Jay Barney & Trish Clifford

www.amazon.com/What-Didnt-Learn-Business-School/dp/1422157636/

Strategy For Consumer Goods

Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works

• Examines the central questions and steps in the strategy process

• Very practical application of core strategic principles

• Most examples relate to P&G, hence very relevant for those wanting a career in consumer goods

By A.G. Lafely & Roger Martin

http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Win-Strategy-Really-Works/dp/142218739X/

Strategic Growth and Turnarounds

Scaling Up Excellence: Getting to More Without Settling for Less

• Insight into the challenge of scaling up a business or a business process

• Useful tools and perspectives for turning around a struggling entity

• Engaging reading with excellent case studies

By Robert Sutton & Huggy Rao

http://www.amazon.com/Scaling-Up-Excellence-Getting-Settling/dp/0385347022/

Selling Ideas and Strategic Initiatives

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

• For strategy to be effective, others need to buy in to what you are doing. This is a great book on getting others to buy into your ideas

• Practical framework and excellent examples throughout

By Chip Heath and Dan Heath

http://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ideas-Survive-Others/dp/1400064287/

Strategic Decision MakingDecisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work

• Strategy is about decisions. This is a very well researched and well written guide to decision making

• Applicable to everyone whether you making billion dollar strategic decision on personal career decisions

By Chip Heath and Dan Heath

http://www.amazon.com/Decisive-Make-Better-Choices-Life/dp/0307956393/

Strategic QuestioningA More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas

• Questioning—deeply, imaginatively, “beautifully”—can help us identify and solve problems, come up with game-changing ideas, and pursue fresh opportunities. 

• Applicable to all stages of the strategy process especially, analysis and adaptation.

By Warren Berger

http://www.amazon.com/More-Beautiful-Question-Inquiry-Breakthrough/dp/1620401452/ref=

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Personal Strategy

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

• Application of key strategic principles to personal choices and actions

• Makes strategy relevant in every aspect of life

• Links back to many concepts from class and applies them in more personal settings

By Greg Mckeown

http://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg-McKeown/dp/0804137382/

Leadership

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success

• This book offers some of the most valuable advice into leadership

• To be effective in strategy one needs to lead others and this book provides an insight into the actions and perspective of truly effective leaders

By Adam Grant

http://www.amazon.com/Give-Take-Helping-Others-Success/dp/0143124986/

Global Strategy

World 3.0: Global Prosperity and How to Achieve It

• Great insight into global dynamics

• Examines the challenges and opportunities of doing business in a global economy

By Pankaj Ghemawat

http://www.amazon.com/World-3-0-Global-Prosperity-Achieve/dp/142213864X/

Happy Reading!