Top 10 Strategy Books for Business: A curated list of the best strategy for books business professionals and executives provided by Jonathan Donado.
1. Competitive Strategy by Michael Porter
2. Blue Ocean Strategy by Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne
3. Good Strategy / Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt
4. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
5. The Art of War by Sun Tzu
6. Scaling Up by Verne Harnish
7. The Execution Premium by Robert Kaplan and David Norton
8. Good Strategy / Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt
9. Traction by Gino Wickman
10. The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Jim Huling, and Sean Covey
Ranking based on:
A. Simplicity and style of the information: It defines the language and how simple is to understand the content of the book.
B. Practicality: It provides practical or real life examples compared to just theory
C. Usefulness: Indicator of how useful the content can be applied to a real life business organization
Presentation by Jonathan Donado
Connect with me on Twitter @donadosays
Strategy / Strategic Planning / SWOT / Business
2. Best Strategy Book # #2
10
7 8 7
Simple
Practical
Useful
• This book not only offers…the ‘what’ but also ‘how’
effective strategy execution is achieved. It shares
numerous examples of companies that have done
just that, not once, but over and over again.
• Insightful with hundreds of thousands of
employees and large companies to unveil the
essential disciplines proven to help businesses and
individuals realize their most important goals.
The 4 Disciplines of Execution, by
McChesney, Covey & Hyling . 2011. 296 pages
3. Best Strategy Book # #2
9
9 7 7
Simple
Practical
Useful
• Don't let common problems run you and your
business. Get a grip and gain control with Wickman’s
Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS).
• You’ll discover simple yet powerful ways to run your
company with more focus, growth and enjoyment.
Based on years of real-world implementation, the
EOS is a practical method for achieving the business
success you have always envisioned.
Traction, by Gino Wickman. 2010.
274 Pages
4. Best Strategy Book # #2
Good Strategy / Bad Strategy, by
Richard Rumelt. 2011. 336 Pages
• McKinsey Quarterly described Rumelt as 'a giant in
the field of strategy' and 'strategy's strategist‘.
• Rumelt tackles this problem head-on in a jargon-
free explanation of how to develop and take action
on strategy, in business, politics and beyond
• Rumelt dispels popular misconceptions about
strategy - such as confusing it with visions or
financial goals
8
8 9 7
Simple
Practical
Useful
5. Best Strategy Book # #2
The Execution Premium, by Robert
Kaplan and David Norton. 2008. 416 Pages
• Kaplan, the Harvard Business School professor, who
invented the Balance Scorecard, describes a
multistage system that enables you to gain
measurable benefits from formulated strategy.
• It shows you how to Develop an effective strategy,
Plan execution, Put your strategy into action and
Test and update a strategy
• It presents a proven framework for achieving the
financial results promised by a strategy
7
9 10 7
Simple
Practical
Useful
6. Best Strategy Book # #2
Scaling Up, by Verne Harnish. 2011.
256 Pages
• Scaling Up is the winner of the 2015 International
Book Awards for General Business
• This book is written so everyone -- from frontline
employees to senior executives. Scaling Up focuses
on the four major decision areas every company
must get right: People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash
• It includes one-page tools which more than 40,000
firms used to scale their companies successfully
6
9 8 9
Simple
Practical
Useful
7. Best Strategy Book # #2
The Art of War, by Sun Tzu. Circa 500 BC.
273 Pages
• The Art of War, written more than two thousand
years ago by a mysterious warrior-philosopher, is still
perhaps the most prestigious and influential book of
strategy in the world, as eagerly studied by modern
politicians and executives
• It applies to competition and conflict in general, on
every level from the interpersonal to the
international.
5
10 9 8
Simple
Practical
Useful
8. Best Strategy Book # #2
The Lean Startup, by Eric Ries. 2011.
299 Pages
• Inspired by lessons from lean manufacturing, Ries
relies on “validated learning” to build successful firms
• Rather than wasting time creating elaborate business
plans, The Lean Startup offers entrepreneurs - in
companies of all sizes - a way to test their vision
continuously.
• It provides a scientific approach to creating and
managing successful firms in a age of uncertainty.
4
9 9 10
Simple
Practical
Useful
9. Best Strategy Book # #2
Good Strategy / Bad Strategy, by
Richard Rumelt. 2001. 336 Pages
• The findings of the Good to Great study will surprise
many readers and shed light on virtually every area of
management strategy and practice.
• It aims to describe how companies transition from
being average firms to great companies and how
corporations can fail to make the transition.
• Collins studied "6,000 articles, did over 2,000
interviews in a five-year project to write the book”.
3
10 9 9
Simple
Practical
Useful
10. Best Strategy Book # #2
Blue Ocean Strategy, by Chan Kim &
Renee Mauborgne. 2005. 256 Pages
• Blue Ocean Strategy takes you beyond the sea,
where innovative products prove relatively safe from
competition in markets that never before existed.
• The INSEAD professors offer a breakthrough strategic
manual. a “strategy canvas,” a graphic representation
of your and your competitors’ products.
• The key is finding the blue ocean market – and
avoiding the common, cutthroat, bloody “red ocean”
2
10 9 10
Simple
Practical
Useful
11. Best Strategy Book # #2
Competitive Strategy, by Michael
Porter. 1998. 432 Pages
• Michael Porter, a Harvard Business School professor,
is considered the father of Business strategy.
• In its simplicity—like all great breakthroughs—
Porter’s analysis of industries captures the
complexity of industry competition in 5 forces.
• Porter introduces one of the most powerful tools
developed: his 3 generic strategies— lowest cost,
differentiation, and focus.
1
10 10 10
Simple
Practical
Useful
12. top10 RANKING
Strategy Books
Jd’s
6
8
7
9
1
2
3
4
5
10
Good to
Great
Competitive
Strategy
Blue Ocean
Strategy
The Lean
Startup
The Art
of War
Scaling
UP
The Execution
Premium
Good Strategy
Bad Strategy
Traction
The 4 Disciplines
of Execution
13. 10
10
10
Simple
Practical
Useful
top10 CRITERIA
Strategy Books
Jd’s
It defines the language and how simple is
to understand the content of the book.
It provides practical or real life
examples compared to just theory
Indicator of how useful the content
can be applied to a real life business
organization