Synopses & Reviews
This is A.G. Lafleys guidebook. Shouldnt it be yours as well?Winning CEO A.G. Lafley is now back at the helm of consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble. If you want to know the strategy hell use to restore P&G to its former dominanceread this book.
Playing to Win, a noted Wall Street Journal and Washington Post bestseller, outlines the strategic approach Lafley, in close partnership with strategic adviser Roger Martin, used to double P&Gs sales, quadruple its profits, and increase its market value by more than $100 billion when Lafley was first CEO (he led the company from 2000 to 2009). The book shows leaders in any type of organization how to guide everyday actions with larger strategic goals built around the clear, essential elements that determine business successwhere to play and how to win.
Lafley and Martin have created a set of five essential strategic choices that, when addressed in an integrated way, will move you ahead of your competitors. They are: (1) What is our winning aspiration? (2) Where will we play? (3) How will we win? (4) What capabilities must we have in place to win? and (5) What management systems are required to support our choices? The result is a playbook for winning.
The stories of how P&G repeatedly won by applying this method to iconic brands such as Olay, Bounty, Gillette, Swiffer, and Febreze clearly illustrate how deciding on a strategic approachand then making the right choices to support itmakes the difference between just playing the game and actually winning.
Playing to Win outlines a proven method that has worked for some of todays most celebrated brands and products. Let this book serve as your new guide to winning, as well.
Review
One of the best books on Strategy is Roger Martin and A. G. Lafley's
Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works.”
TIME magazineWinner Thinkers50 Best Book Award 2012 and 2013.” Thinkers50 (thinkers50.com)
Playing to Win is a rare tale from the front lines of business and from two of its smartest minds.” Washington Post
[Playing to Win]: How Strategy Really Works may be the best business and strategy book Ive read since Michael Porter. There is plenty of practical advice, including the fact that business people often confuse a vision for a strategy. Instead, the authors claim winning through distinctive choices is the always-and-forever job of every strategist.” Jonathan Becher, SAP via Forbes.com
Lafley and Martin have artfully combined two virtues that don't often mix: rigor and brevity. Winning strategy doesn't come from inspirational happy-talk; it comes from deeply substantive hard thinking, and they tell us how it's done, with many examples. The book is short, crisp, a pleasure to read. Fortune
I doubt there are two more intelligent business minds out there than Lafley and Martin. Playing to Win meets the high expectations raised by those two names, and is the best business book Ive read so far this year.” Jack Covert, 800 CEO READ
clear and effective” WSJ.com (Wall Street Journal)
Read their book. They, in turn, are sure to inspire you.” Forbes.com
"I hate CEO books...[but]...this book totally rocks. It's a beautiful manual...a triumph. Tom Keene, Bloomberg TV
This is a fascinating tale, featuring a cast of familiar brands, including Pampers, Tide and Olay, each of which went through a transformation under Mr. Lafleys eye.” The Economist
this new offering by former Procter and Gamble CEO Lafley (coauthor of The Game-Changer) and Martin (dean of the Rotman School of Management and author of Fixing the Game) is a clear standout
This collection of insights and captivating examples about strategy is a must-read for leaders at any level in the for-profit or not-for-profit world.” Publishers Weekly
Strategy lessons, 101
a manual for strategy practitioners.” Financial Times
The many stories from one of the biggest consumer goods firms in the world, with its many successes (and some failures too) along with the framework of the strategy to win, make this an interesting read.” livemint.com
a highly readable book that provides the reader with a very good understanding of the process and the real building blocks of value creation.” Ottawa Business Journal
Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Workswritten by an impressive duo: former Procter and Gamble CEO A.G. Lafley and Dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto Roger Martinis not just an insiders tale of the workings of a successful global corporation. Its the story of how you can do what top brands do: Create and execute stellar strategy well. Lots of books are published about business strategy, many of them either badly written or not relevant to associations, or both. This one is an exception.” Associations Now (ASAE: American Society of Association Executives)
interesting and thought-provoking work on business strategy” Business World
The best practitioner-focused strategy book I have ever read, and all the more useful for the fact it is concise, well-structured and compelling, with almost no jargon.” Strategic Management Bureau
Unlike many management texts, which read as if written for CEOs of multi-billion-dollar businesses, these tales from the fast-moving consumer goods front are useful for acquiring, extending or defending market share at any size of company.” The Deal: The Australian Business Magazine
I wish this book had been available to me earlier it would have been invaluable during my tenure at Britannia!” Sunil K. Alagh (Ex-CEO, Britannia Industries Ltd.) in Outlook Business
Youre unlikely to find a more comprehensive guide to what strategy actually means and how to use it to your companys advantage.” HR Magazine
As a mere student of life and an avid readers of business literature that is grounded in the practical and realistic realms, I found this (book) is a must read.” Jonathan Yach (CEO, PropCare Mall Management) in Business World (India)
The book offers many inside stories about how P&G tackled strategy in various arenas, including examples of when it failed. That gives an even more practical flavour to this practical look at strategy, from two savvy strategy practitioners.” The Globe and Mail
Sure to be a strategy classic. Book of the Month.” Strategic Management Bureau
Set to become a classic text on strategy.” Decision (Ireland)
a full vindication of P&Gs strategic nous” Marketing Ireland
Two of todays best-known business thinkers get to the heart of strategy. The stories of how P&G repeatedly won by applying [Lafley and Martin's] method to iconic brands such as Olay, Bounty, and Gillette, clearly illustrate how deciding on a strategic approach--and then making the right choices to support it makes the difference between just playing the game and actually winning.” Expert Marketer Magazine
a must-read book” American Express Open Forum
the book can be used by any business to help mesh everyday operations with long-term strategic objectives.” Fort Worth Star Telegram
Playing to Win clearly elevates the discussion of strategy. It gets to the heart of whats important for a business leader.” Business Standard
The book delivers on the title. Its a unique and nuanced view of strategy and its implementation. Highly recommended.” Business Traveller (businesstraveller.com)
just about everyone trying to market anything these days could profit from this careful, well-done text on how to craft a strategy.” Marketing Daily
an important addition to every decision-makers library.” Success magazine
Pick up the book to know how to create a triple crown: a win in China, a win in India, and a win at home; and to understand the differences and similarities between China and India.” Business India
This valuable book is based on the two authors years of experience working together and separately at P&G and Rotman School of Management. It is rich in examples and practical advice that show how organizations of all sizes can move beyond visions and plans to create judiciously plotted winning strategies.” Developing Leaders
ADVANCE PRAISE for Playing to Win:
Daniel H. Pink, author, Drive and A Whole New Mind
Reading Playing to Win is like having prime seats at the Super Bowl of strategy. Youll learn the strategies consumer goods powerhouse Procter and Gamble uses to get its innovative products into millions of homesplus tested methods for winning your own marketplace contests. If youre a marketer or a leader, you need to read this book.”
Sir Terry Leahy, former CEO, Tesco
This is the best book on strategy I have ever read. Lafley and Martin get to the heart of whats important: how to make choices in order to control events rather than allowing events to control your choices. Everyone wants to win; this book sets down with calm authority the steps you must take to turn aspiration into reality.”
Clayton M. Christensen, Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School; author, The Innovators Dilemma
Lafley and Martin teach us how to develop and then how to deploy strategy. Their recommendations apply at every levelcorporation, business units, products, and teams. This is a great book.”
Chip Heath, coauthor, Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work
Most authors conduct research before they write a book. Lafley and Martin went out and did something. They used their simple, subtle frameworkWhere will we play? How will we win?to double the value of one of the worlds greatest businesses. And now theyre showing you how to do the same. Read this book. . . before your competitors find it.”
Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO, Lego Group
Playing to Win is a rare combination of depth of thinking and ease of use. It clearly explains what business strategy is and isnt, and how to develop it. Lafley and Martin distill their hard-won experiences and offer insights, practical hands-on tools, and tips that will inspire and allow you to think strategically in new ways about your own business.”
Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO, General Electric
A great CEO and a renowned educator join forces to create a must-read for anyone thinking about strategy.”
Scott Cook, cofounder and Chairman of the Executive Committee, Intuit
Here is business strategy through the eyes of the man who led Procter and Gambles stunning turnaround and success in the 2000s and the strategist who advised and worked with him. Lush with insights that show the what” and the how” of two master strategists.”
James P. Hackett, President and CEO, Steelcase Inc.
Lafley and Martin have invested their respective careers in understanding the complexity of strategy. What has emerged in this seminal work is a simple and rich framework that can help business leaders think through strategic choices. It is an eminently helpful guide to choice making, which is the most essential part of leadership.”
Jim McNerney, President, CEO, and Chairman, Boeing
Playing to Win is an insightful do-it-yourself guide that demystifies what it takes to craft, implement, and continuously improve effective business strategies. Using relevant, real-world examples, Lafley and Martin offer proven techniques for competing and winning in todays challenging global business environment.”
Thomas Tull, founder and CEO, Legendary Pictures
I love this book; it is thought provoking and acts as a catalyst to ask questionsabout ourselves and our business life course. In a day and age when information and instant communication are relentless components of business and our lifestyle, A. G. Lafley and Roger Martin suggest we take an important pause to actually question our strategic road maps and the associated plans we need in order to succeed in this marketplace.”
Review
"The author examines the skills, behaviors and strategies of gamesmanship in corporate settings, including mastering the brinksmanship to close or walk away from a deal, building rapport with your colleagues and keeping your cool...Packard provides useful examples from her experiences and those of other female executives. Her concise book offers ways to level the playing field. If winning were the only theme, the books appeal would be limited, but Packard presents her ideas in the context of treating people, including competitors, fairly and respectfully. Great leaders, she writes, demonstrate good sportsmanship whether they win or lose, have the grit to move on from mistakes and defeats, and build a team with shared values. A straightforward guide to success that deserves a prime spot on the bookshelves of career women aspiring to reach the highest corporate ranks."
—Kirkus Reviews
“When I read Susan Packards Ten Rules of Gamesmanship, I found many relatable truths. In our family we did not list them as ‘rules but we learned by my mothers example. Difficult balancing acts, like being gracious while staying cool, and showing grit while valuing being likeable to others, and if you fail, learn from it and try again. I live many of Packards ‘rules of gamesmanship through my mothers wise examples.”
—Rachael Ray
“Finding comfort competing, the importance of practicing many roles on a team, and the key role that resilience plays - these define a winning spirit. Susans book will be extremely useful to all women navigating career choices”
—Margo Georgiadis, President, Americas, Google
“Susan Packard shares a successful formula for all in her new book.”
—Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever, Inc., a Global Fortune 500 Company
“Packards New Rules of the Game gives practical insight that we can all learn from.”
—Gina Bianchini, founder and CEO of Mightybell, cofounder of www.LeanIn.org
“Susans strength and skill shine through in New Rules of the Game. This book provides actionable steps for success in business.”
—David Zaslav, President and CEO, Discovery Communications
“The insights on gamesmanship in Susan Packards book will better enable women, and men, to fulfill their potential every day.”
—John Bryant, CEO, Kellogg, a Fortune 500 Company
“With style thats observant, insightful and funny, Packard teaches the rules and the language of winners.”
—Sally Jenkins, Washington Post
“Theres no question that business advancement requires passion and a spirit of competition, as well as collaboration. How women can express this successfully is captured well in Susan Packards New Rules of the Game.”
—Susan Cameron, CEO, Reynolds American, Inc., a Fortune 500 Company
“This book could become a new guide for women in business, helping any one of you at home work your way to the top of your industry.”
—Kristin Farley, ABC-News
Synopsis
Description pending.
Synopsis
Are you just playingor playing to win?
Strategy is not complex. But it is hard. It s hard because it forces people and organizations to make specific choices about their futuresomething that doesn t happen in most companies.
Now two of today s best-known business thinkers get to the heart of strategyexplaining what it s for, how to think about it, why you need it, and how to get it done. And they use one of the most successful corporate turnarounds of the past century, which they achieved together, to prove their point.
A.G. Lafley, former CEO of Procter & Gamble, in close partnership with strategic adviser Roger Martin, doubled P&G s sales, quadrupled its profits, and increased its market value by more than $100 billion in just ten years. Now, drawn from their years of experience at P&G and the Rotman School of Management, where Martin is dean, this book shows how leaders in organizations of all sizes can guide everyday actions with larger strategic goals built around the clear, essential elements that determine business successwhere to play and how to win.
The result is a playbook for winning. Lafley and Martin have created a set of five essential strategic choices that, when addressed in an integrated way, will move you ahead of your competitors. They are:
What is our winning aspiration?
Where will we play?
How will we win?
What capabilities must we have in place to win?
What management systems are required to support our choices?
The stories of how P&G repeatedly won by applying this method to iconic brands such as Olay, Bounty, Gillette, Swiffer, and Febreze clearly illustrate how deciding on a strategic approachand then making the right choices to support itmakes the difference between just playing the game and actually winning."
Synopsis
A Wall Street Journal and Washington Post Bestseller
A playbook for creating your company's winning strategy.
Strategy is not complex. But it is hard. It's hard because it forces people and organizations to make specific choices about their future--something that doesn't happen in most companies.
Now two of today's best-known business thinkers get to the heart of strategy--explaining what it's for, how to think about it, why you need it, and how to get it done. And they use one of the most successful corporate turnarounds of the past century, which they achieved together, to prove their point.
A.G. Lafley, former CEO of Procter & Gamble, in close partnership with strategic adviser Roger Martin, doubled P&G's sales, quadrupled its profits, and increased its market value by more than $100 billion in just ten years. Now, drawn from their years of experience at P&G and the Rotman School of Management, where Martin is dean, this book shows how leaders in organizations of all sizes can guide everyday actions with larger strategic goals built around the clear, essential elements that determine business success--where to play and how to win.
The result is a playbook for winning. Lafley and Martin have created a set of five essential strategic choices that, when addressed in an integrated way, will move you ahead of your competitors. They are:
- What is our winning aspiration?
- Where will we play?
- How will we win?
- What capabilities must we have in place to win?
- What management systems are required to support our choices?
The stories of how P&G repeatedly won by applying this method to iconic brands such as Olay, Bounty, Gillette, Swiffer, and Febreze clearly illustrate how deciding on a strategic approach--and then making the right choices to support it--makes the difference between just playing the game and actually winning.
Synopsis
The only strategy book youll ever needIf strategy is about creating a competitive advantage that allows a firm to win, then pinpointing your strategy to a few critically important choices will dramatically increase your chances of success. This is especially true in the volatile and complex environment that has become the norm for all of us. Yet the authors of Playing to Win, A. G. Lafley, the former CEO of Procter and Gamble and one of the most successful business leaders of the last century, and Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman School of Management, say most firms shy away from these difficult strategic choices, settling instead for false approaches that can lead to irreversible blunders. Among the most common:
Mistaking tactics for strategy
Using "the world is changing" excuse to make it up as you go
Tweaking outdated plans to minimize disruption
Leaning on strategy consultants to make the tough choices
Dont be most firms. Drawn on their years of experience working together and separately at P&G and the Rotman School of Management, Lafley and Martin present a deceptively simple set of exercises and questions that can guide the decisions of anyone in an organization. The book helps you and those who work with you to figure out the relationship of the day-to-day work to larger strategic goalssomething woefully lacking from many strategy books but also from the real world.
There are plenty of books written by CEOs that champion the work that, truthfully, only they could do, in their unique circumstances with their considerable resources. Playing to Win is different. It's a strategy book for everyone, that works everywhere. Once you open it you'll see why it's the only strategy book you'll ever need.
Synopsis
The co-founder of HGTV shows how women can achieve their career goals using techniques of gamesmanship.
New Rules of the Game provides insights, tips and direction to women in business, based on experiences from author and HGTV co-founder Susan Packard's own 30 year career, along with a dozen other prominent executives. Packard advocates for a revolutionary new perspective for businesswomen, which she calls gamesmanship" --- a strategic way of thinking that cultivates creativity, focus, optimism, teamwork, and competitiveness. These strategies are seen in the gaming and sports worlds and often among men, but women can utilize these skills as well to learn to:
- compete outwardly instead of inwardly
- take loss in stride
- provide the emotional distance necessary to succeed at work
- think tactically
- step up with more grit to get the next win
- level the playing field by understanding how male colleagues think and win at work, and
- add excitement to their careers.
About the Author
A.G. Lafley has been named the new Chief Executive Officer, President, and Chairman of Procter and Gamble, where he previously served as CEO from 2000-2009. Under Lafleys leadership, P&Gs sales doubled, its profits quadrupled, its market value increased by more than $100 billion, and its portfolio of billion-dollar brandslike Tide, Pampers, Olay, and Gillettegrew from 10 to 24 as a result of his focus on winning strategic choices, consumer-driven innovation, and reliable, sustainable growth. Roger Martin is Dean of the University of Torontos Rotman School of Management and an adviser to CEOs on strategy, design, innovation, and integrative thinking. In 2011, Roger was named by Thinkers50 as the sixth top management thinker in the world. This is his eighth book; he also contributes regularly to Harvard Business Review, the Financial Times, and the Washington Post, among others. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an AB in economics from Harvard College.