StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad

Using Strategic Thinking to Defeat Bad Strategy and Save Your Plan

Rich Horwath

BEST STRATEGY BOOK OF 2018: AXIOM BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS
From the New York Times bestselling author on strategy

All over the world, strategies are dying. Thousands of businesses face bankruptcy. People’s jobs are at stake. But what is the nefarious force killing them off? And who can save them?

Technobody—maker of wearable technologies—is under attack. Its strategic plan is slowly being killed by the top strategy villains every company faces: bad meetings (Meeting Menace), fire drills (Fire Driller), silos (Silo-Clops), too many priorities (Dr. Yes), and many others. They are members of the Anti-Strategy Squad (A.S.S.), a gang whose mission is to cause mass strategycide and global bankruption. But Technobody will not fail without a fight. Led by its fearless managers and three superheroes—StrategyMan, Innovatara, and Purposeidon—it will summon all of its strategic thinking powers to wage one final war against bad strategy and save its plan.

New research shows that the No. 1 most important leadership capability for executives is strategic thinking. Yet, only 3 out of every 10 people are strategic. With the leading cause of business failure being bad strategy, it's critical that you and your team are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and tools to think strategically. In StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad, you'll learn how to:

- Develop a common language for strategy

- Create a shared understanding of strategy

- Design a practical toolkit for strategy

- Think strategically on a daily basis

- Infuse innovation into your strategies

- Facilitate strategy conversations

- Lead strategic meetings

- Set clear strategic direction

- Profitably grow your business

- Create competitive advantage

In today's ultracompetitive market, it's be strategic . . . or be gone.

Rich Horwath is the CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute, where he helps organizations develop enterprise-wide capabilities in strategic thinking and planning. As a former Chief Strategy Officer and graduate professor of strategy, he has worked with more than 100,000 managers to develop their strategic thinking skills. Rich leads executive teams through strategic thinking and planning workshops to help them set clear strategic direction, facilitate strategy conversations, and create competitive advantage. He is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of seven books on strategic thinking, including Elevate: The Three Disciplines of Advanced Strategic Thinking,Strategy for You: Building a Bridge to the Life You Want and Deep Dive: The Proven Method for Building Strategy.