Includes bibliographical references (pages 237-243) and index.

INTRODUCTION PART I: STRATEGIC KNOW-HOW Chapter 1 – What is Strategy? What strategy is - and what it isn’t. The Key Elements of Strategy Identifying the Core challenges Coordinated, creative and sustainable actions Creating value Chapter 2 – What is Strategic Thinking? What is thinking? What is strategic thinking? What does it take to think strategically? The Strategic Mind. The strategic thinking process. Chapter 3 - Turning Strategic Thinking into Strategy The Link Between Learning And Strategic Thinking How to Maximise Strategic Learning Chapter 4 – What is Business Strategy? The importance of Competitive advantage How do you create Competitive Advantage? The right ingredients: the sources of competitive advantage A recipe: the value creating options PART II: THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS Chapter 5 – Managing the Invisible Hand What is the invisible hand? Where does it come from? How does it become visible? How can you manage it? Chapter 6 – Assessing the current situation Are you in the right place? Macro Environment Factors Industry-related Factors Do you have a competitive Advantage? Where does superior value creation come from? Value proposition Key activities Resources and competences Value Network Organisational culture Chapter 7 – Identifying the core challenges. How to identify challenges How to validate challenges How to select core challenges - the importance of trade-offs Defining what success will look like – Strategic Objectives and strategic Guidelines Chapter 8 – Solving the core challenges Reducing the complexity of the core challenge Identifying the key constituents of the core challenge Understanding the importance of its constituents Developing potential solutions Lateral thinking Solution shop approach Co-creation workshops Practical tools for generating solutions The Blue Ocean Strategy The 7 degrees of freedom Selecting the best potential solutions Timing the initiatives Chapter 9 -Reducing uncertainty Experimenting to reduce uncertainty Phase 1: Stating the underlying assumptions Phase 2: Testing assumptions about Value Phase 3: Testing assumptions about growth Phase 4: Testing assumptions about sustainability Ongoing testing and learning Chapter 10 – Managing Execution A will to act. A coordinated approach. Setting the scene. Launching and spreading change. Creating a compelling story. Using Role Models. Accelerating the speed of change. Consolidating change. Glossary: Key concepts and definitions

Discover how to become an effective strategic thinker Some people seem to achieve the best results, again and again. Is it luck? Or is it strategy? This book equips you with the skills you need to make the best decisions and develop a powerful strategic mindset. This hands-on guide tackles both the thinking and the doing, helping you develop a coherent strategic plan