Cesare R. Mainardi

Paul Leinwand

How to close the gap between strategy and execution

Two-thirds of executives say their organizations don’t have the capabilities to support their strategy. In Strategy That Works, Paul Leinwand and Cesare Mainardi explain why. They identify conventional business practices that unintentionally create a gap between strategy and execution. And they show how some of the best companies in the world consistently leap ahead of their competitors. Based on new research, the authors reveal five practices for connecting strategy and execution used by highly successful enterprises such as IKEA, Natura, Danaher, Haier, and Lego. These companies:

• Commit to what they do best instead of chasing multiple opportunities
• Build their own unique winning capabilities instead of copying others
• Put their culture to work instead of struggling to change it
• Invest where it matters instead of going lean across the board
• Shape the future instead of reacting to it

Packed with tools you can use for building these five practices into your organization and supported by in-depth profiles of companies that are known for making their strategy work, this is your guide for reconnecting strategy to execution.