Hunger in Paradise: How to Save Success From Failure

by Rasmus Ankersen

When companies become successful, they don't just fight their competitors: they fight themselves.m Sucess can trigger a series of psychological problems that are often not recognised until it is too late. But how do you defeat them?

Based on Authentic firsthand case studies Rasmus Ankersen answers some of the toughest management questions of today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

86 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2013

Reviews

[Korkodus]

TAGLINE: Reinvent yourself from a position of strength. Override the end of the history illusion. Make the world bigger and make yourself smaller

1. Outcome bias - "Success turns luck into genius" (eg Newcastle football team)
2. Escalation of commitment - rationalize their actions when faced with negative results rather than alter course (eg the 20 dollar bill auction experiment & leading and lagging metrics)
3. The-end-of-history illusion - I've probably reached my limit vs What keeps me from doing better?



QUOTES:
"The hardest part is not to become successful. It is to stay there"
"When companies becomes successful they don’t just fight competitors anymore. More than anything they fight themselves"
"Feeling successful breeds an illusion of personal control - meaning you think you can control things that statistically can’t be controlled like lotto"
"When results are better than ever you need to ask increasingly skeptical questions"
"Urgency leads to success, success leads to complacency"
"The money and effort invested in the past shouldn't influence what is the right decision in the future (The sunk cost fallacy). The more successful a company has been with a plan the more difficult it is to change course."

[kvazimodla]

And now for some business self help :)

[Dan Walker]

Short book that helps illustrate a business problem I encounter daily: why change? We're making money!

However we're making money due to a temporary reason which is masking inefficiencies in the rest of the product line. Reading this book should help managers think about this possibility when normally they'd go happily onto a different, less important topic.

[Bill Search]

Pithy and compelling. It's a fast read with many contexts of application from the business to the not-for-profit to the religious setting, Hunger in Paradise will warn the successful. It can also explain why once might organizations fail.

[Gill White]

The threat of Complacency whilst successful

Great case studies and interesting thoughts on focusing on what your real purpose for your customers is. Works well with Christan Claysons job to be done thinking.

[Michael Connor]

Fantastic book, read in an afternoon, great for anyone in business for sure

[Matt Cordas]

Read as part of SJP talent programme. Development and change successes with failure

[Kerry]

Short, to the point and damn impactful

[Lesroy Byers]

Challenging topics, eye-opening concepts! Great work by a great mind!

[Ashley]

Arrogant. Has no idea what he’s talking about. A better use of this book would to put it the toilets at St Mary’s as Thats all it’s good for. Would give it minus stars if I could.

[Claus]

Gode tanker og ideer. Men kan nok være lidt lang, hvis man ikke interesserer sig for fodbold. (Mange fodboldanekdoter/eksempler).