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Liked It “This is really a terrific business book. Frankly, I find so many hard to read. Often there is one idea that is pounded mercilessly until the perfunctory 250 pages are full. Breakthrough Company is different--filled with a lot of relevant and inspiring ideas that make you want to go out and...” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“This is really a terrific business book. Frankly, I find so many hard to read. Often there is one idea that is pounded mercilessly until the perfunctory 250 pages are full. Breakthrough Company is different--filled with a lot of relevant and inspiring ideas that make you want to go out and change your company right away.
Bill A wrote this review Friday, June 13 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Very easy to read and full of real-world examples.”
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MikeySmiley wrote this review Sunday, February 24 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This is an interesting book. The author examines why do some companies go from successful companies to very successful companies, while the majority never grow to become great companies. This book is based on 5 years of research that the author carried out on 7,000 companies. 9 companies in particular were selected for detailed examination. These 9 companies had achieved what the author describes as breakthrough performance. These companies had achieved huge levels of success from their initial start-up, & had maintained & built on this success over a prolonged period.
The majority of business books focus on how to run your business if it is a small start-up, or how to run your business like a multi-national company. The question this book asks, is how do you make that jump across from start up to a real player in your industry. As always there is no secret formula, but the author sets out to try & find common traits between these breakthrough companies.
This books examines how the nine selected companies succeeded in their own particular industry. There is a good range of diversity in the companies selected, from IT to clothing, to manufacturing, to consulting. Being from the European side of the Atlantic pond, some of the companies are familiar, while some are not. The companies selected include Chico's FAS, Express Personnel, The Staubach Company, Intuit, Polaris & Paychex.
The majority of the book focuses on the main traits that have driven these companies forward. The author & his team examined these companies from a number of different perspectives. Their financial performance, their competitive environment, their CEO style & their corporate culture.
Each chapter focuses on one of these traits. Some of the common traits are: making the company sovereign, upping the Ante & ensuring the appropriate company scaffolding. Some good practical ideas are contained within each chapter. For example the role of insultants (internal consultants), importance of a strong independent board & the useful of local business networks.
Have to say this book is an enjoyable read, or in my case an enjoyable listen (unabridged audiobook from audiobooks.com). The author spent time with each of these companies, got to know their CEO & talked to people on the ground. Each company was very different, but each had managed to focus on a segment of its chosen market & had achieved extraordinary success. Working for a relatively new start-up company myself I have to say I read this book looking for signposts & tips on how to structure a growing company. What ethos is required to lead the market? The book is quite entertaining with excellent quotes throughout, like Quicken 47th mover advantage when they entered the personal finance market.
A lot of the ideas presented are far from original, but when they are presented together, they are quite powerful. Small companies need to be nimble, but also very focused. They need to really lead the markets they are in. While watching careful for opportunities to expand into other markets. They must be willing to take calculated chances, & must be willing to fail. They need to have a strong, open-door management team that leads from the front. Additionally it helps if you choose a market which is growing, & can enter it & develop as the market matures.
Issues like company character are discussed. The role of the company is to hire ordinary people & facilitate them to do extraordinary things. Not to try & hire extraordinary people as most companies try to do. Have to say, that this rooted in reality sentiment runs through the book.
I would recommend this book to almost anybody working for a company, particularly a new / expanding company.
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