Growth in the Age of Complexity: Steering Your Company to Innovation, Productivity, and Profits in the New Era of Competition

by Andrei Perumal, Stephen A. Wilson

Overview

A new lens on growth and a critical set of strategies for navigating a complex world

Growth is rarely in a straight line. It is tempting to think otherwise, particularly when looking in the rear view mirror, but anyone faced with plotting the coordinates for a company's growth knows the fallacy of this notion. As much as we like to think of corporate leaders executing sure-fire growth strategies, the truth is far messier: it’s more an act of exploration and discovery than a step-by-step process.

In Growth in the Age of Complexity, the authors describe in detail how complexity has impacted businesses and the markets in which they compete, and the strategies, mindsets and skillsets required to grow profitably! New strategies are required to navigate the “Sirens of Growth”: the growth plans borne of Industrial Age mindsets that too frequently lead to complexity vs. scale. In addition, companies need to develop an Explorer’s Mindset and a Navigator’s Skillset to sustain performance. You’ll discover how to:

•Assess where you’re truly making money

•Reignite your core products and services to drive growth

•Incorporate experimentation as a key way to discover new opportunities

•Create an operating model for scale, location, and replication

•Identify new markets where you are positioned to win

•Understand the fundamentals for executing in a distributed organization

This book is an invaluable tool for achieving growth and maintaining a competitive advantage in virtually any business.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780071835541
Publisher:	McGraw Hill LLC
Publication date:	12/01/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Andrei Perumal is managing partner of Wilson Perumal & Company, and co-author of Waging War on Complexity Costs. He is a seasoned advisor to senior leaders in both industry and government and an innovative thinker on complexity, strategy, and operations. Previously he excelled in the US Navy’s nuclear propulsion program, and as a consultant with Bain & Company and George Group Consulting. Andrei holds an aeronautical engineering degree from MIT.

Stephen Wilson is managing partner of Wilson Perumal & Company where he advises CEOs, COOs, and private equity leaders on critical strategy and performance issues. He brings more than 20 years of experience working across industry and is a respected thought-leader on the topics of complexity, innovation and growth. Stephen is co-author of Waging War on Complexity Costs, and Conquering Complexity in your Business. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Killer of Scale v

Part I The New Growth Challenge

Chapter 1 The Paradox of Growth 3

Chapter 2 The Age of Complexity 19

Chapter 3 Rediscovering Scale 39

Call to Action: Diagnose the Complexity in Your Business 57

Part II Charting a Course for Growth

Chapter 4 The Sirens of Growth 61

Chapter 5 Resisting the Siren Song 79

Chapter 6 Explorers and Navigators 99

Call to Action: Assess Your Strategy and Set a Course 115

Part III The Explorer's Mindset

Chapter 7 Be Bold! 119

Chapter 8 Simplify 135

Chapter 9 Accelerate 147

Chapter 10 Improve the Odds 167

Chapter 11 Build, Dismantle, Repeat 187

Call to Action: Assess Your Explorer's Mindset 204

Part IV The Navigator's Skill Set

Chapter 12 Know Where You Really Make Money 209

Chapter 13 Reginite Your Core Brands 233

Chapter 14 Avoid the Pitfalls of M&A and New Market Entry 255

Chapter 15 Transform Your Operating Model 273

Chapter 16 Master Execution in a Complex World 293

Call to Action: Built Out Your Navigator's Skill Set and Become a Growth Leader 317

Acknowledgments 319

Notes 321

Index 333