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Go Long: Why Long-Term Thinking Is Your Best Short-Term Strategy
The lifespans of companies are growing shorter each day. Why do some companies thrive and grow, while others fail?
Inspired by the CEO Academy, the annual off-the-record gathering of chief executives organized by the authors, Go Long reveals how some of the world’s most prominent business leaders resisted short-term pressures to successfully manage their organizations for the long term, and in turn, aim to create more jobs, more satisfied customers, and more shareholder wealth.
In Go Long, authors Dennis Carey, Brian Dumaine, Michael Useem, and Rodney Zemmel take you behind-the-scenes to witness the business decisions that are enabling leading organizations to outsmart and outlast the competition.
Why did CEO Larry Merlo allow CVS to take a $2 billion hit—on purpose?
How did CEO Alan Mulally maneuver Ford’s $48 billion turnaround?
How did director Maggie Wilderotter and her fellow board members engage top management to embark on an unusual exercise to help Hewlett Packard Enterprise build a long-term strategy?
Why did CEO Paul Polman’s turn back to Unilever’s original mission of leading with a purpose to fuel profits?
How did CEO Ivan Seidenberg convince his investors and board to allow him to make a $150 billion bet?
How did CEO George Buckley find a way to address investor calls for 3M to spend less on research and development while still finding a way to innovate?
These leaders argue that a short-term mindset might satisfy investors for this quarter or next, but there’s a heavy price to be paid. Instead, they argue, long-term thinking is your best short-term strategy.
Called a “mandatory read” by David M. Rubenstein, co-founder and co-executive chairman of The Carlyle Group, Go Long is a critical resource for leaders who want their organizations to survive over the long-term and for anyone who cares about the global economy.
Inspired by the CEO Academy, the annual off-the-record gathering of chief executives organized by the authors, Go Long reveals how some of the world’s most prominent business leaders resisted short-term pressures to successfully manage their organizations for the long term, and in turn, aim to create more jobs, more satisfied customers, and more shareholder wealth.
In Go Long, authors Dennis Carey, Brian Dumaine, Michael Useem, and Rodney Zemmel take you behind-the-scenes to witness the business decisions that are enabling leading organizations to outsmart and outlast the competition.
Why did CEO Larry Merlo allow CVS to take a $2 billion hit—on purpose?
How did CEO Alan Mulally maneuver Ford’s $48 billion turnaround?
How did director Maggie Wilderotter and her fellow board members engage top management to embark on an unusual exercise to help Hewlett Packard Enterprise build a long-term strategy?
Why did CEO Paul Polman’s turn back to Unilever’s original mission of leading with a purpose to fuel profits?
How did CEO Ivan Seidenberg convince his investors and board to allow him to make a $150 billion bet?
How did CEO George Buckley find a way to address investor calls for 3M to spend less on research and development while still finding a way to innovate?
These leaders argue that a short-term mindset might satisfy investors for this quarter or next, but there’s a heavy price to be paid. Instead, they argue, long-term thinking is your best short-term strategy.
Called a “mandatory read” by David M. Rubenstein, co-founder and co-executive chairman of The Carlyle Group, Go Long is a critical resource for leaders who want their organizations to survive over the long-term and for anyone who cares about the global economy.
- GenresBusinessNonfiction
119 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2018
38 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 30, 2018
No insights, just providing stories about focusing on quality and sustainability for the long term. This idea is already provided with many business books.
August 24, 2023
Great read
Quick read, but a book with a lot of value and insight to help both seasoned and young leaders navigate the changing corporate landscape.
Quick read, but a book with a lot of value and insight to help both seasoned and young leaders navigate the changing corporate landscape.
May 10, 2018
I received my copy of Go Long through a goodreads giveaway.
Go Long is a short book with a very simple premise: It is in the best interests of leaders to think long-term, to plan years ahead instead of focusing on very short-term interests, such as quarterly earnings estimates. The authors provide several examples in the first part of the book where long-term thinking benefited the company, using as examples: Ford, CVS, Unilever, Verizon, 3M, and HPE.
In each case the leaders (both CEO’s and directors) implemented long-term strategies to turn the company around or move it in a new direction given the current market of the time. In each case there were very large hurdles to overcome, but the company came out stronger after the changes were implemented. Granted, Ford is an interesting example given their current problems, though their planned changes could be another example of long-term thinking.
The second part of the book goes into how leaders can implement long-term thinking. They outline several key principles, such as creating a purpose for the organization greater than profits, and how important it is to foster a culture of long-term thinking.
I don’t know if the examples will be sufficient to convince people to think long-term if they don’t already do so or wish to do so. There is so much desire for quick profit these days that short-term thinking seems very entrenched, both at a shareholder level and too often at a company level. But perhaps someone already tired of all the short-term thinking may benefit from the examples in the book. Perhaps it will give them ideas of how to shift to a more long-term approach. I’m hopeful.
Go Long is a short book with a very simple premise: It is in the best interests of leaders to think long-term, to plan years ahead instead of focusing on very short-term interests, such as quarterly earnings estimates. The authors provide several examples in the first part of the book where long-term thinking benefited the company, using as examples: Ford, CVS, Unilever, Verizon, 3M, and HPE.
In each case the leaders (both CEO’s and directors) implemented long-term strategies to turn the company around or move it in a new direction given the current market of the time. In each case there were very large hurdles to overcome, but the company came out stronger after the changes were implemented. Granted, Ford is an interesting example given their current problems, though their planned changes could be another example of long-term thinking.
The second part of the book goes into how leaders can implement long-term thinking. They outline several key principles, such as creating a purpose for the organization greater than profits, and how important it is to foster a culture of long-term thinking.
I don’t know if the examples will be sufficient to convince people to think long-term if they don’t already do so or wish to do so. There is so much desire for quick profit these days that short-term thinking seems very entrenched, both at a shareholder level and too often at a company level. But perhaps someone already tired of all the short-term thinking may benefit from the examples in the book. Perhaps it will give them ideas of how to shift to a more long-term approach. I’m hopeful.
November 24, 2018
I listened to this book utilising an audio-edition I borrowed from a digital public library. It is the first 'free' (non-Audible / Amazon) book I have listened too. Usually I just buy the books via Audible because there is no wait or time limit plus I can save notes on the Audible app which I can't seem to do on the Libby app.
The narrator did not help my perceptions of the value of this book. After listening to 'Influence' and 'The Coaching Habit' which both had excellent narration I found the narration of 'Go Long' below my production quality expectations (aka the voice irritated me for some strange reason).
Add to this the the topics covered, didn't seem to get past "long term plans and strategy is better than a short term mentality" with a few examples of ways leaders have achieved this. I definitely know more about the financial history of Ford so that's a plus.
The narrator did not help my perceptions of the value of this book. After listening to 'Influence' and 'The Coaching Habit' which both had excellent narration I found the narration of 'Go Long' below my production quality expectations (aka the voice irritated me for some strange reason).
Add to this the the topics covered, didn't seem to get past "long term plans and strategy is better than a short term mentality" with a few examples of ways leaders have achieved this. I definitely know more about the financial history of Ford so that's a plus.
January 7, 2020
The book really focused on long term strategy for CEOs of publicly traded companies. For those select individuals it would probably be a great book but there just wasn't enough relatable tactics and strategies to be that valuable to me.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews