Must-Win Battles brings wisdom from two prominent professors of strategy at Switzerland’s IMD in collaboration with a consultant. The gist of their book is that companies tend to focus on too many competing priorities. The authors found, however, that the key to success is focusing on the three to five key battles that really matter. Their book describes how to narrow your priorities, enlist your colleagues and team members, and start fighting.
Any must-win battle, the authors write, needs five elements: It must make a real difference, be market-focused, create excitement, be specific and tangible, and—of course—be winnable. “One reason the management teams sometimes do choose must-win battles that prove to be unwinnable is that they assume the competition will not react to what they are doing,” they caution.
Chapters cover all stages of combat and advise on leadership skills as well, such as making hard choices and “removing people” who block progress. Case studies on Unilever and other firms help zoom in on abstract concepts. All in all, it’s a realistic and well-formed treatment of competition and leadership.