Reviews
Advance praise for Playing to Win Daniel H. Pink, author, Drive and A Whole New Mind -- "Reading Playing to Win is like having prime seats at the Super Bowl of strategy. You'll learn the strategies consumer goods powerhouse Procter & Gamble uses to get its innovative products into millions of homes--plus tested methods for winning your own marketplace contests. If you're a marketer or a leader, you need to read this book." Sir Terry Leahy, former CEO, Tesco-- "This is the best book on strategy I have ever read. Lafley and Martin get to the heart of what's important: how to make choices in order to control events rather than allowing events to control your choices. Everyone wants to win; this book sets down with calm authority the steps you must take to turn aspiration into reality." Clayton M. Christensen, Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School; author, The Innovator's Dilemma -- "Lafley and Martin teach us how to develop and then how to deploy strategy. Their recommendations apply at every level--corporation, business units, products, and teams. This is a great book." Chip Heath, coauthor, Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work -- "Most authors conduct research before they write a book. Lafley and Martin went out and did something. They used their simple, subtle framework--Where will we play? How will we win?--to double the value of one of the world's greatest businesses. And now they're showing you how to do the same. Read this book. . . before your competitors find it." Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO, Lego Group-- " Playing to Win is a rare combination of depth of thinking and ease of use. It clearly explains what business strategy is and isn't, and how to develop it. Lafley and Martin distill their hard-won experiences and offer insights, practical hands-on tools, and tips that will inspire and allow you to think strategically in new ways about your own business." Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO, General Electric-- "A great CEO and a renowned educator join forces to create a must-read for anyone thinking about strategy." Scott Cook, cofounder and Chairman of the Executive Committee, Intuit-- "Here is business strategy through the eyes of the man who led Procter & Gamble's stunning turnaround and success in the 2000s and the strategist who advised and worked with him. Lush with insights that show the "what" and the "how" of two master strategists." James P. Hackett, President and CEO, Steelcase Inc.-- "Lafley and Martin have invested their respective careers in understanding the complexity of strategy. What has emerged in this seminal work is a simple and rich framework that can help business leaders think through strategic choices. It is an eminently helpful guide to choice making, which is the most essential part of leadership." Jim McNerney, President, CEO, and Chairman, Boeing-- " Playing to Win is an insightful do-it-yourself guide that demystifies what it takes to craft, implement, and continuously improve effective business strategies. Using relevant, real-world examples, Lafley and Martin offer proven techniques for competing and winning in today's challenging global business environment." Thomas Tull, founder and CEO, Legendary Pictures-- "I love this book; it is thought provoking and acts as a catalyst to ask questions--about ourselves and our business life course. In a day and age when information and instant communication are relentless components of business and our lifestyle, A. G. Lafley and Roger Martin suggest we take an important pause to actually question our strategic road maps and the associated plans we need in order to succeed in this marketplace.", Advance praise for Playing to Win : Daniel H. Pink, author, Drive and A Whole New Mind -- "Reading Playing to Win is like having prime seats at the Super Bowl of strategy. You'll learn the strategies consumer goods powerhouse Procter & Gamble uses to get its innovative products into millions of homes--plus tested methods for winning your own marketplace contests. If you're a marketer or a leader, you need to read this book." Sir Terry Leahy, former CEO, Tesco-- "This is the best book on strategy I have ever read. Lafley and Martin get to the heart of what's important: how to make choices in order to control events rather than allowing events to control your choices. Everyone wants to win; this book sets down with calm authority the steps you must take to turn aspiration into reality." Clayton M. Christensen, Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School; author, The Innovator's Dilemma -- "Lafley and Martin teach us how to develop and then how to deploy strategy. Their recommendations apply at every level--corporation, business units, products, and teams. This is a great book." Chip Heath, coauthor, Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work -- "Most authors conduct research before they write a book. Lafley and Martin went out and did something. They used their simple, subtle framework--Where will we play? How will we win?--to double the value of one of the world's greatest businesses. And now they're showing you how to do the same. Read this book. . . before your competitors find it." Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO, Lego Group-- " Playing to Win is a rare combination of depth of thinking and ease of use. It clearly explains what business strategy is and isn't, and how to develop it. Lafley and Martin distill their hard-won experiences and offer insights, practical hands-on tools, and tips that will inspire and allow you to think strategically in new ways about your own business." Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO, General Electric-- "A great CEO and a renowned educator join forces to create a must-read for anyone thinking about strategy." Scott Cook, cofounder and Chairman of the Executive Committee, Intuit-- "Here is business strategy through the eyes of the man who led Procter & Gamble's stunning turnaround and success in the 2000s and the strategist who advised and worked with him. Lush with insights that show the "what" and the "how" of two master strategists." James P. Hackett, President and CEO, Steelcase Inc.-- "Lafley and Martin have invested their respective careers in understanding the complexity of strategy. What has emerged in this seminal work is a simple and rich framework that can help business leaders think through strategic choices. It is an eminently helpful guide to choice making, which is the most essential part of leadership." Jim McNerney, President, CEO, and Chairman, Boeing-- " Playing to Win is an insightful do-it-yourself guide that demystifies what it takes to craft, implement, and continuously improve effective business strategies. Using relevant, real-world examples, Lafley and Martin offer proven techniques for competing and winning in today's challenging global business environment." Thomas Tull, founder and CEO, Legendary Pictures-- "I love this book; it is thought provoking and acts as a catalyst to ask questions--about ourselves and our business life course. In a day and age when information and instant communication are relentless components of business and our lifestyle, A. G. Lafley and Roger Martin suggest we take an important pause to actually question our strategic road maps and the associated plans we need in order to succeed in this marketplace."
