Breakout Strategy: Meeting the Challenge of Double-Digit Growth

"Breakout Strategy" is a sophisticated handbook on business strategy that provides a clear framework for what has worked in the past and why it has. Success depends upon your ability to "break out" out of the status quo, take action, and stand apart from others.Through rich examples culled from a deep understanding of business history, Finkelstein, Harvey, and Lawton take you through both the winners and the losers and identify why they won or lost. These examples form clear archetypes which, when placed in an easy-to-understand framework, turn the book into a useful business tool. You can just mirror the patterns set by those successful who have gone before and broken away in their fields.--to take your business to the next level.Few stones are left unturned when it comes to a frank look at business. For me, the most interesting section was "Breakout Leadership" where the authors suggest leaders face up to "negative capabilities." They describe leaders who try to put such a good face on everything that they end up stifling debate, change, and eventually growth and survival. I have personally seen examples of unbridled optimism among an executive team that truly created the "culture of silence" the authors describe--with the inevitable negative consequences for the business. As they say, "There is a fine line between appropriate confidence and over-the-top arrogance, and the best breakout leaders understand that they can't cross that line."This is an eloquently written book for the erudite business person--a useful handbook which you can refer to again and again to practice and perfect your business strategy. Breakout out of what you are doing right now and get this book!

I am in banking and bought this book to look at alternative views on strategy.The book was very stimulating so I invited one of the authors to present to the senior mgmt team in the bank that was very well received.Highly recommend it.