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Playing to Win, Expanded with Bonus HBR Articles

How Strategy Really Works
Brief Description
The proven playbook for winning now updated with a new preface and two bonus HBR articles.Strategy is not complex. But it is hard. It's hard because it forces people and organisations to make specific choices about their future something few companies do well.In this contemporary business... Read More
Format: Hardback
$6499
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The proven playbook for winning now updated with a new preface and two bonus HBR articles.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The proven playbook for winning now updated with a new preface and two bonus HBR articles.

Strategy is not complex. But it is hard. It's hard because it forces people and organisations to make specific choices about their future something few companies do well.

In this contemporary business classic, now with a foreword by former Harvard Business Review editor in chief Adi Ignatius and insightful articles from HBR, two of today's most respected business thinkers explain what strategy is for, how to think about it, and how to get it done. And they use one of the most successful corporate turnarounds of the past century, which they achieved together, to prove their point.

A. G. Lafley, former CEO of Procter & Gamble, in close partnership with strategic adviser Roger Martin, doubled P&G's sales, quadrupled its profits, and increased its market value by more than $100 billion in just ten years. Drawing from their experiences, they explain how leaders in any organisation can guide everyday actions with strategic goals built around the essential elements that determine business success where to play and how to win.

The result is a playbook for winning. At its core is a set of five integrated and essential strategic choices:

  • What is our winning aspiration?
  • Where will we play?
  • How will we win?
  • What capabilities must we have in place to win?
  • What management systems are required to support our choices?

The authors tell rich stories of iconic P&G brands, such as Olay, Bounty, Gillette, and more, to clearly illustrate how deciding on a strategic approach and then making the right choices to support it can make the difference between just playing the game and actually winning.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9798892792288

Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 30 September 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: Harvard Business Review Press

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 155.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 320

About the Author

A. G. Lafley is the former Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO of Procter & Gamble, which experienced unprecedented growth and success under his leadership. Today, he consults on business and innovation strategy, advises on CEO succession and executive leadership development, and coaches experienced, new, and potential CEOs.

Roger L. Martin is a professor emeritus at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, where he served as dean from 1998 to 2013. In 2017 he was named the world's number one management thinker by Thinkers50. He is the author of many books and is a trusted strategy adviser to the CEOs of companies worldwide, including Procter & Gamble, Lego, Ford, BHP, and Verizon.

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