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Beyond Great: Nine Strategies for Thriving in an Era of Social Tension, Economic Nationalism, and Technological Revolution
Great is no longer good enough. Beyond Great delivers a powerful new playbook of 9 core strategies to thrive in a post-COVID world where all the rules of the game are being re-written. Beyond Great answers to two fundamental questions which face business leaders today in a world shaped by daunting and disruptive technological, economic, and social change. First, what is outstanding performance in this new volatile era? Second, how do we build competitive advantage in a world with new and often uncertain rules? Supported by years of research and hands-on consulting practice, this book presents a comprehensive framework for building a high performing, resilient, adaptive, and socially responsible global company.The book begins by taking an incisive look at these disruptive forces transforming globalization, including economic nationalism; the boom in data flows and digital commerce; the rise of China; heightened public concerns about capitalism and the environment; and the emergence of borderless communities of digitally connected consumers. Distilled from the study of hundreds of companies and interviews with dozens of business leaders, the authors have distilled nine core strategies – the new winning playbook of the 21st century. Beyond Great argues that business leaders today must lead with a new kind of openness, flexibility and light-footedness, constantly layering in new strategies and operational norms atop existing ones to allow for "always-on" transformation. Leaders must master a whole new set of rules about what it takes to be "global," becoming shapeshifters adept at handling contradiction, multiplicity, and nuance. This book will show them how.
- GenresBusiness
289 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 6, 2020
66 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 26, 2020
A Primer for Digital Growth Strategies
It’s true, large incumbent multinational companies can change and evolve. That said, it’s a difficult journey (the pursuit of greatness) to a destination that’s often a moving target in the twenty-first century. Being a CEO in the current economy is challenging on many fronts.
I’ve read this book from the perspective of someone that’s worked in several large technology sector companies and led business strategy development projects. I’ve also consulted with numerous other organizations that embarked on company-wide change management initiatives.
Based upon my own work experience, I can relate to many of the book’s business case study examples, authored by these three Boston Consulting Group (BCG) senior partners. In this review, I’ll share my perspective about a key chapter and the closing summary section.
Chapter 9: “Embrace Always-On Transformation” includes actionable guidance that senior executives can consider and apply in their own organization. The authors describe the “Head, Heart and Hands” model of transformation. Plus, they outline four distinct activation levers -- Purpose, Culture, Empathy, and Leadership. It’s an insightful explanation of a savvy ‘change process’ playbook.
“Beyond Great Leadership” is a summary of nine strategies outlined in the book. Building a new business-operating model is a huge undertaking for leaders; particularly those executives at large public companies. They have to create growth and deliver quarterly financial results that please the market, while also developing and executing their agile strategic planning agenda.
Clearly, there is no simple framework for bold and brave change management practices that encapsulates everything that a CEO might need to know to ensure their ongoing success. However, the author’s research has gleaned practical revelations from the many executive interviews they conducted. I believe that these lessons-learned are worthy of repeating.
Leaders must lead with conviction to positively impact society. Leaders must pivot from a command-and-control mindset to a more collaborative approach. Leaders must guide their organization to become far more open-minded towards their peers. Leaders must elevate and embed a continuous learning mindset. They must embrace a transformational leadership style. And, leaders must develop a new ability to navigate through ambiguity, tension, and paradox.
To go ’beyond great’ leaders must achieve all of these goals to satisfy their key stakeholders. Addressing the executive reader of this book, the authors offer the following conclusion: “The journey ‘beyond great’ is wonderfully fulfilling and enriching for everyone involved. And it all starts with you.”
It’s true, large incumbent multinational companies can change and evolve. That said, it’s a difficult journey (the pursuit of greatness) to a destination that’s often a moving target in the twenty-first century. Being a CEO in the current economy is challenging on many fronts.
I’ve read this book from the perspective of someone that’s worked in several large technology sector companies and led business strategy development projects. I’ve also consulted with numerous other organizations that embarked on company-wide change management initiatives.
Based upon my own work experience, I can relate to many of the book’s business case study examples, authored by these three Boston Consulting Group (BCG) senior partners. In this review, I’ll share my perspective about a key chapter and the closing summary section.
Chapter 9: “Embrace Always-On Transformation” includes actionable guidance that senior executives can consider and apply in their own organization. The authors describe the “Head, Heart and Hands” model of transformation. Plus, they outline four distinct activation levers -- Purpose, Culture, Empathy, and Leadership. It’s an insightful explanation of a savvy ‘change process’ playbook.
“Beyond Great Leadership” is a summary of nine strategies outlined in the book. Building a new business-operating model is a huge undertaking for leaders; particularly those executives at large public companies. They have to create growth and deliver quarterly financial results that please the market, while also developing and executing their agile strategic planning agenda.
Clearly, there is no simple framework for bold and brave change management practices that encapsulates everything that a CEO might need to know to ensure their ongoing success. However, the author’s research has gleaned practical revelations from the many executive interviews they conducted. I believe that these lessons-learned are worthy of repeating.
Leaders must lead with conviction to positively impact society. Leaders must pivot from a command-and-control mindset to a more collaborative approach. Leaders must guide their organization to become far more open-minded towards their peers. Leaders must elevate and embed a continuous learning mindset. They must embrace a transformational leadership style. And, leaders must develop a new ability to navigate through ambiguity, tension, and paradox.
To go ’beyond great’ leaders must achieve all of these goals to satisfy their key stakeholders. Addressing the executive reader of this book, the authors offer the following conclusion: “The journey ‘beyond great’ is wonderfully fulfilling and enriching for everyone involved. And it all starts with you.”
November 13, 2024
Beyond Great provides a compelling and actionable roadmap for leaders navigating today's fast-paced, often volatile business landscape. The authors outline nine essential strategies that push companies beyond conventional success into realms where they can drive sustainable, transformative change. The book addresses how leaders can foster resilience, meet societal needs, and align with shifting technological and economic realities
What struck me most was the authors' insistence that companies must fundamentally reshape their core strategies to deliver social impact alongside profits. Leading-edge firms aren't only measuring success by financial performance but by how well they serve their stakeholders, from employees to communities, as seen in inspiring examples from companies like Siemens, Philips, and Nokia. Having been part of Microsoft myself during Satya Nadella’s tenure, it was very interesting for me to read the observations on how Microsoft has redefined success with a mission-focused approach, aiming to empower organizations and positively impact society—a reflection of one of the book’s key messages that organizations must "do good to grow beyond."
The authors also emphasize agility and data-driven decision-making. Today's companies need to be nimble, moving away from rigid hierarchies toward "always-on" transformation models. With fast-evolving customer needs and technological advancements, companies are encouraged to cultivate a culture of continuous learning and digital fluency—a vital shift, given the growing global skills shortage in digital expertise.
The book's emphasis on purpose-driven leadership is inspiring. Leaders are encouraged to act as "chief purpose officers," blending clarity, energy, and a deep sense of mission to guide their teams. By fostering agile, autonomous teams, leaders empower their organizations to adapt swiftly, embodying a mindset that values speed, collaboration, and customer focus.
Ultimately, Beyond Great argues for a profound re-imagining of success in business, pushing beyond traditional profit metrics to build organizations that thrive by enriching the societies they operate within. For any leader looking to navigate the complexity of our era, this book is a practical and very useful guide to leading with purpose, resilience, and adaptability.
What struck me most was the authors' insistence that companies must fundamentally reshape their core strategies to deliver social impact alongside profits. Leading-edge firms aren't only measuring success by financial performance but by how well they serve their stakeholders, from employees to communities, as seen in inspiring examples from companies like Siemens, Philips, and Nokia. Having been part of Microsoft myself during Satya Nadella’s tenure, it was very interesting for me to read the observations on how Microsoft has redefined success with a mission-focused approach, aiming to empower organizations and positively impact society—a reflection of one of the book’s key messages that organizations must "do good to grow beyond."
The authors also emphasize agility and data-driven decision-making. Today's companies need to be nimble, moving away from rigid hierarchies toward "always-on" transformation models. With fast-evolving customer needs and technological advancements, companies are encouraged to cultivate a culture of continuous learning and digital fluency—a vital shift, given the growing global skills shortage in digital expertise.
The book's emphasis on purpose-driven leadership is inspiring. Leaders are encouraged to act as "chief purpose officers," blending clarity, energy, and a deep sense of mission to guide their teams. By fostering agile, autonomous teams, leaders empower their organizations to adapt swiftly, embodying a mindset that values speed, collaboration, and customer focus.
Ultimately, Beyond Great argues for a profound re-imagining of success in business, pushing beyond traditional profit metrics to build organizations that thrive by enriching the societies they operate within. For any leader looking to navigate the complexity of our era, this book is a practical and very useful guide to leading with purpose, resilience, and adaptability.
July 16, 2023
Themes for digital transformation is similar everywhere: we rely to Sustainability, Digitalization and Globalization, thats the three main themes anywhere at least in 2023, thats the trend. The second how the business operate externally is through ecosystem, chain of supplier and distribution, and tied up with data. The last one for internal the key message is: Agile, Talent and Prioritization
Growing Beyond
1.Do good, grow beyond: ESG
2.Stream it, don't ship it: Digitalization: Connectivity, Broadband, IoT: COVID
3.Refine your global game: Globalization: Xiaomi
Operating Beyond
4.Engineer an Ecosystem: Ecosystem
5.Flex how you make it: Lean Operation, Supply Chain
6:Let the Data run through it: Data
Organizing Beyond
7.Get Focused, Fast and Flat: Customers, Agile (Operating Model)
8.Thrive with talent: Resources
9.Embrace Always-On Transformation: Planning
Beyond Great: Nine Strategies for Thriving in an Era of Social Tension, Economic Nationalism, and Technological Revolution (Arindam K. Bhattacharya 2020)
Growing Beyond
1.Do good, grow beyond: ESG
2.Stream it, don't ship it: Digitalization: Connectivity, Broadband, IoT: COVID
3.Refine your global game: Globalization: Xiaomi
Operating Beyond
4.Engineer an Ecosystem: Ecosystem
5.Flex how you make it: Lean Operation, Supply Chain
6:Let the Data run through it: Data
Organizing Beyond
7.Get Focused, Fast and Flat: Customers, Agile (Operating Model)
8.Thrive with talent: Resources
9.Embrace Always-On Transformation: Planning
Beyond Great: Nine Strategies for Thriving in an Era of Social Tension, Economic Nationalism, and Technological Revolution (Arindam K. Bhattacharya 2020)
Read
December 11, 2020For those whom has read Jim Collins' "Good to Great", "Beyond Great" (by Arindam et al) is a great book to continue, particularly when platform revolution around us is constantly disrupting normalcy. Being Great is no longer enough and transformation is always-on.
This is a great high level Playbook for executives, with success stories as examples.
This is a great high level Playbook for executives, with success stories as examples.
October 27, 2020
To be reviewed in the Jan-Feb issue of Global Business and Organizational Excellence.
March 2, 2023
Although an enjoyable listen, most of the material felt like a random composition of great things leaders and businesses should do.
October 23, 2024
It took me a very long time to finish this book. It has insightful points but could have been 20 pages instead of 200.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews