Strategic IQ: Creating Smarter Corporations

329 Pages·2011·2 MB·English

by  Wells

FTOC 03/16/2012 16:14:32 Page10
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Perspectives on Strategic IQ from
Practitioners and Scholars Around the Globe
“Terrifying but true! Wells zeroes in with supreme intellectual precision on theheavy price
firms pay for moving too slowly onthebusiness battlefield.”
BillRoedy, ex Chairman & CEO,MTVNetworks International, USA
“Wellsmakesacompellingcasefordramaticchangeforthoseatthehelm–andsuggests
waystopushbeyondthelimitsoftraditionalthinkingandbehavioursthatcanstandinthe
way ofinnovation.”
RonSargent, Chairman & CEO,Staples Inc., USA
“AcomprehensivecompendiumforanyCEOtryingtodriveexcellenceintheircompany.John
Wellsmasterfullylinkstheneedforawinningstrategy,asmartstructureandbusinessmodel
forflawlessexecution,andthekindofhumancapitalandcultureneededtosustainexcellence
through wrenching change. A mustread for anyCEO looking tojumpshift their company's
performance.”
Michael White,Chairman & CEO,DIRECTV, USA
“Ourpeople,strategyandculturearewhatmakeusspecial.Wellsoffersinsightfulresearch
intohowthesefactorsinfluencestrategicintelligenceandoffersrealworld,practicaladviceto
raiseyourcompany’sStrategicIQ.”
Glenn Renwick, CEO,ProgressiveCorporation,USA
“John Wells has created the next strategic classic. He brings the strategic, structural and
humancapitalchallengestogetherintoaholisticviewofthechallengesofchangeandsurvival
in anincreasinglycomplexchanging world.”
Saul Berman, Global leaderofStrategy andChange, IBM, USA
“TheDanaherBusinessSystemisabout'doingtherightthings,well.'Wells'compellingbook
makesthecasefortightlyweavingafirm'sstrategic,operationalandorganizationalinitiatives
intowholeclothbeforewell-meaningbutfractured,functionaleffortscauseeventhemost
successful companytounwind.”
Larry Culp, CEO,Danaher, USA
“JohnWellsdoesanenormousservicetothescienceofstrategybycategorizinganddescribing
simpleandpracticalmeasuresandmentalmodelsthatdistinguishgreatfirmsfromtherest.”
John Pittenger,Senior VicePresident,Koch Industries Inc., USA
“Profoundandobjectivethoughtsforallfirmsfocusedonlongtermsuccess. Wellsexamines
rigorously the role of structure and people in shaping successful cultures for long term
survival.”
Marcelo Odebrecht, CEO,Odebrecht S.A., Brazil
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“Anessential read forleadersofanyorganizationin theseturbulent times.”
Charles Gurassa,Deputy Chairman, easyJet plc, UK
“Hard-hitting and stimulating, Wells’ thesis carries a robust message that should make
businessleaderstheworldoversitupandthink.Fromthesociologyofwolvestothedemiseof
CircuitCity,thisbookisatoneadivertingreadandatthesametimeabrutalwakeupcallfor
the business establishment.”
Archie Norman, Chairman, ITV, UK
“JohnWellsisoneoftheworld’sfineststrategicthinkers.Especiallyduringthesetumultuous
times, every business leadershould read StrategicIQ.”
David Soskin, Chairman, mySupermarket.co.uk
“As always, Wells gets to the heart of outstanding performance. Neither leadership nor
analysisbythemselvesisenough.It’sthecombinationthatispotent.Thisisamust-readfor
anyoneina positionof authority.”
Gerald Corbett, Chairman, Supermarketmoney.com; Chairman, Betfair;
Chairman, Britvic plc, UK
“Wellsbringshisfamouslysharpmindanduncompromisingapproachtoabrilliantnewbook.
Deeplyresearchedandbeautifullycrafted,youwillenjoytheread,butflinchattheimplications.”
Dan Cobley,Managing Director, Google, UK
“Always stimulating, John Wells will challenge your mindset and stretch your ambition.
StrategicIQ isa powerful antidote toorganizational complacency.”
Luke Mayhew, Chairman, British RetailConsortium, UK
“Amasterclassonstrategyfromamasterstrategist–Wellshasdevotedhisprofessionallifeto
understandingwhatmakessuccessfulorganizationsandsuccessfulmanagerstick;thisbook
brings together theory and practice in a highly readable format that CEOs and senior
executiveswillbeabletoapplydirectlytotheircompanies.Ifyoucanonlyreadonebusiness
bookthisyear,StrategicIQistheone. Wellsprovidesbusyexecutiveswiththeinsightsandthe
practical‘howto’playbookthatwillallowthemtocompeteintoday’severmorechallenging
business environment.”
Rick Mills,Group Director,Strategy Innovation,Alliance Boots, UK
“John Wells brings his much appreciated experience to bear on the challenges facing all
leaders ofbusinesses in today’s worldgrappling withextraordinarytimesofchange.”
Duncan Weston,Managing Partner,CameronMcKenna, UK
“The time toread thisbook isbefore yourealise that you need to! John Wellsblendsthe
fundamentals with bleeding edge insight to produce a handbook that will provoke any
managertoasksearchingquestionsaboutthestrategicdirectionoftheirenterprise.Whenit
comestoscrutinisingastrategy,JohnWellsisahardtaskmaster,butinthecurrenteconomic
environment,thatisjustwhat mostcompaniesneed.”
Rupert Morley, CEO,Sterling Ltd,UK
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“Johnmarvellouslycombinestherealmsofstrategyandpsychology–providingfreshinsights
andmakingusimmediatelywanttorethinkhowwerunourcompanies. Justwishwehadhad
thisbook whenwe startedout.”
Charles Mindenhall andManoj Badale, Co-Founders,AgilisysLtd,UK
“Ascintillating,stimulatingandthought-provokingperspectiveonstrategy.Itisamust-read
forbusiness leaders; ignore itatyourownperil!”
DrNahed Taher,CEO,Gulf One Bank,SaudiArabia
“Withtheproliferationofoff-the-shelfstrategyguides,JohnWellsprovidesawelcomereliefby
goingbacktothebasics. Wellsbreaksdowncommonmisconceptionsaboutstrategyandits
problematicusesincorporations,withthesensiblemessagethattherearenoshortcutstogood
strategy:highstrategicintelligencemustbeearned.Thisbookprovidesanexcellentguide.”
Victor Fung, Chairman, Li & Fung,Hong Kong
“Weliveinachallengingquick-change,dynamic,economicworld;weneedsmartercorpora-
tionswithsmarterstrategiesandstructures,andwemustkeepourmindsintone;thisbook
helpslead theway.”
Douglas TongHsu, Chairman & CEO,Far Eastern Group,Taiwan
“JohnWellsbringstogetherinthisbooktheunderstandingofbusinessstrategy,humancapital
and theprocess ofchange and adaptation insidelarge organizations.”
DanielVasella, M.D., Chairman, Novartis AG,Switzerland
“JohnWellsteachesusthatonemustalwaysbetheFirst,UniqueandDifferent.Butonceyou
haveachievedthis,hetellsushowmuchyouneedtofightforthesethreeelementsastheyare
constantlybeingchallengedbyyourcompetitors.Inbusinessthereisnorest,noweekendsand
noholidays.”
Jean-Claude Biver, Chairman, Hublot, Switzerland
“Thishighlyreadableandenjoyablebookprovidesdeeppracticalbusinessinsightbyasking
theright fundamentalquestions for anycompany.”
AlainCaparros,CEO,REWE Group, Germany
“CEO,doesyourorganizationwanttoattractandkeepsmartminds?Ifyoudo,readthisbook.
Carefully! Itmakesthedifference.”
MarkusNordberg, CFO, CERN,thenuclear researchestablishment
insearchof the“God Particle”, Switzerland
“Inaworldofflux,theideaofpracticalintelligenceresonates.It’snotonlyone’scapacityfor
learning butasimportantisthe commitmenttolifelong learning.”
Jean-Francoisvan Boxmeer,Chairman &CEO, Heineken,TheNetherlands
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“Wells'searchforStrategicIntelligencenotonlyprovidesbreakthroughthinkinginhowwe
eachcontributetotheeventualcollapseofcompanies;itmakesacompellingcaseinmyview
for the role of wisdom and diversity to broaden the range of strategic capabilities and
competencies that will enable companies to both navigate and shape their future. Finally,
while it highlights the contribution of IRRESPONSIBLE Leadership towards the state of the
worldtodaysobrilliantly,itprovidesstrategictoolsforallofustoovercomechronicinertia.It
is a timely book for a world in crisis and desperate for leadership that is able to shape a
sustainablefutureandalignstrategytocurrentrealitythroughintelligentthinkingandaction
at thesame time.”
WendyLuhabe, Chancellor, Universityof Johannesburg,
Social Entrepreneur, South Africa
“HatsofftoJohnWells!Hecombinespracticalwisdomandintellectualinsighttoconvinceus
thatasmartleaderhastowearthreehats–thatofastrategist,anorganizationaldesigner,
and a social psychologist–allatthesame time.”
Hirotaka Takeuchi, ProfessorofManagement Practice, HarvardBusinessSchool, USA
(former Dean,Hitotsubashi Business School, Japan)
“When companies achieve success, managers inexorably createprocesses and make hiring
decisions that sow the seeds of self-destruction. John Wells has written an insightful and
engaging description of the phenomenon and a roadmap for preserving the strategy,
processes and people that made the company successful in the first place. This is must
reading for all those eager to avoid being caught in the trap of managerial inertia that is
pervasive.”
BillSahlman, Dimitri V.D'Arbeloff Professor
of BusinessAdministration,HarvardBusinessSchool, USA
“Wells’ bookexplores a powerful formula for sustained corporate high performance as an
inextricablemixofsmartstrategy,smartstructureandsmartminds.Hebringsanurgentand
critical wake-up call to successful companies to adapt to present realities and to prevent
failurethroughinertiatochange.Thisbookoffersapractical,hands-onstructureforlong-term
success.Thisisamustreadbookforallleaders.Itwillinspireyourbrainforanewwayof
thinking aboutstrategy andexecution.”
GeorgeKohlreiser, Professorof Leadership andOrganizational Behaviour,IMD,
Switzerland, authorof best-seller HostageattheTable
"Atourdeforce... itcoversallthekeyissues,hasgreatexamples,andiseasilyreadable!A
mustreadforallleaders. ..Wellspresentsthemostapproachable,practical,andcompre-
hensive strategyguide toformulating and executingstrategyever!"
BruceHarreld,Senior Lecturer,HarvardBusinessSchool
(ex-Head of Strategy, IBM, USA)
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S IQ
TRATEGIC
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''In evolutionary systems, sustainable competitive
advantage does not exist; there is only
a never ending race to create new
sources of temporary advantage.''
Eric D. Beinhocker
The Origin of Wealth (p. 332)
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S IQ
TRATEGIC
Creating Smarter
Corporations
John R. Wells
FFIRS 08/31/2012 15:21:11 Page8
Thiseditionfirstpublished2012
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Wells,JohnR.
StrategicIQ:creatingsmartercorporations/JohnR.Wells.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978‐0‐470‐97828‐3(hardback)
1. Strategicplanning. 2. Organizationaleffectiveness—Management. 3. Organizationalchange. 4. Success
inbusiness. I.Title.
HD30.28.W3832012
658.4'012—dc23
2012003409
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
ISBN978-0-470-97828-3(hardback)ISBN978-1-119-94278-8(ebk)
ISBN978-1-119-94279-5(ebk) ISBN978-1-119-94280-1(ebk)
Setin11/13ptCalibribyThomsonPress
PrintedinGreatBritainbyTJInternationalLtd,Padstow,Cornwall,UK