What Is Strategy? - by Joan Magretta (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

When it comes to strategy, the mistake most managers make is thinking they have one when they don't.

Joan Magretta, author of the bestselling book Understanding Michael Porter, has teamed up with illustrator Emile Holmewood to capture essential strategy concepts in a short, easy-to-understand, graphic format.

Here you'll find the classic Porter frameworks—industry structure and the Five Forces, competitive advantage and the value chain—as well as a set of practical tests to apply in evaluating existing strategies or developing new ones. You'll also learn Porter's thinking about critical issues such as scale, goal setting, sustainability, and disruption.

With a relatable cast of characters—a deadlocked team of managers calls in Professor Porter to help them devise a new strategy—this book brings a sense of fun to a serious subject. It will help you quickly grasp the fundamentals of strategy, whether you're a seasoned strategist looking to cut through all the new buzzwords or a new manager about to lead your first strategy meeting.

Review Quotes

"I am often asked to name the most common strategy mistake I see companies making. I answer: they think they have a strategy when they don't--at least not one that passes a rigorous test of what good strategy is. That's why I'm so enthusiastic about What Is Strategy?, an innovative, new graphic book about my work. It is a short and smart update of the classic Harvard Business Review article with that title, used by so many companies. Most important, it captures my current thinking, going well beyond the common, simplistic understanding about generic strategies." -- Michael Porter

Praise for Michael Porter:

"The most famous and influential business professor who has ever lived." -- Fortune

"Among business-school professors, Harvard's Michael Porter is a category killer. He literally wrote the book on 'competitive strategy'..." -- Wall Street Journal

Praise for Understanding Michael Porter by Joan Magretta:

"...the strategy bible for today's busy managers." -- Business Executive

"If you have always intended to read Michael Porter's groundbreaking management classics, but have never quite got around to doing so, Joan Magretta's Understanding Michael Porter does the hard work for you." -- Financial Mail (South Africa)

"Magretta's book is a timely reminder that serves to put Porter's thinking and concepts before us again--ideas that all firms and strategy practitioners would be well-advised to study and learn from...an excellent read." -- Quality Digest

"Ms. Magretta does a superb job of clearly and logically explaining Prof. Porter's concepts, with lots of helpful examples. Reading it brings you up-to-date on his ideas and, more importantly, helps you to understand your own business and the strategic elements you may have missed." -- The Globe & Mail

Praise for What Management Is by Joan Magretta:

"...a fun read..." -- The Washington Post

"...a brief and jargon-free framework, for which we should be truly grateful." -- The Financial Times

"A rare animal--a management book that is lucid, interesting and honest." -- The Economist

About the Author

Joan Magretta has worked with Michael Porter for over two decades. She is a Senior Associate at the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School, a McKinsey Award winner, and author of the bestselling books Understanding Michael Porter and What Management Is, which was a top pick by The Economist when it was first published. Previously, she was a Bain partner and a strategy editor at Harvard Business Review. Emile Holmewood is an award-winning illustrator and animator based in Tokyo. His background in graphic design informs his illustration work, where he enjoys the challenge of transforming complex ideas into humorous images. You can find Emile Holmewood at: bloodbros.co/. Heinrich Zimmermann is a partner at a strategy consultancy based in Frankfurt and Tel Aviv. He was a founding partner of the Institute for New Communication, an interdisciplinary think tank and design lab based in Germany. He originated the concept for this book and assembled the team to turn his vision into reality.