Here's a startling concept for anyone who knows anything about business: "For successful companies, competition is irrelevant." Flying in the face of the conventional wisdom of most senior management today, the internationally noted business consultant Michel Robert explains why gigantically successful businesses ignore their competitors...and reap huge profits! How does it work? A number of CEOs who have used Robert's unique strategic thinking process--and are now true believers--recall in these pages how he enabled them to choose the right strategy for success in today's changing business environment.

Unlike most other consultants, Robert and his staff go to corporate "war rooms"--not the business school library--to develop and hone the strategic thinking process. In more than 400 frank, intensive working sessions with CEOs and their management teams, Robert has tested and validated his methods.

THE POWER OF STRATEGIC THINKING sums up his original and effective strategy of making anyone's competitors irrelevant: Obsession with your competitors leads to "imitation strategy," the common and disastrous mistake of letting the other side set the rules. Result: The house always wins! Imitators lose. The answer: Learn from major companies like Intel, Wal-Mart, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs--corporate success stories that Robert explains in fascinating detail--how to develop your own "distinctive strategy" and race ahead of the competition.

Learn from the mistakes of copycat companies like Chrysler, Officemax, and all three original TV networks: Robert shows you how imitation strategies will put companies in virtually any field on a suicidal path. From military history, as Robert points out, comes the idea of "ultimate strategy," a proactive, offensive strategy that continually keeps the competition off-balance even as they become more and more irrelevant. Ultimate strategy is achieved when a company controls and/or influences the terms of play for an industry.

Learn from THE POWER OF STRATEGIC THINKING how to set the rules for your own sandbox...or how to find another sandbox where you can! In THE POWER OF STRATEGIC THINKING you can learn how to become a winning company by formulating and implementing a proactive, offensive strategy that will have your own company signature. You will also find out how to widen your competitive advantages. Best of all, your ultimate strategy for success will develop from the power of your own strategic thinking!

Strategy Pure & Simple II: How Winning Companies Dominate Their Competitors by Robert Michel
Product Innovation Strategy, Pure and Simple: How Winning Companies Outpace Their Competitors by Robert, Michel
The Wisdom of Teams : Creating the High-Performance Organization by Katzenbach, Jon

Good ideas but too much hype
Michel Robert does a very good job of structuring and focusing the process of strategy development. At the very root is simplicity, focus and integrity. The most valuable concepts of the book are: (1) the driving force - what makes your business move forward and what with an `invisible hand' structures your organization, (2) business concept and (3) zones of excellence. All these concepts are clearly and well explained. They are also thought provoking, insightful and energizing.

But going further through the book becomes more and more exasperating. There too much annoying hype almost on every page and especially in business cases. Often they sound all alike. "We had problems and didn't know what to do. Then we called Robert and guys from DPI opened our eyes. And we started to use DPI Strategic Process â„¢ and DPI Decision Making â„¢ and DPI Keep It Simple Stupid â„¢ and made a lot of money. And we also lost 20 pounds in three weeks. Just call 1-800-Robert..." The author definitely has all rights to promote his company any way he likes but if he believes that his books are read not only by neurotic losers then he should cool down a bit. There is definitely a conflict between content and realization.

Probably as a result of all that hype the book is often repetitive. I believe it is based on a standard promotion presentation. This belief is supported by many silly pictures definitely copied and pasted from PowerPoint. The book is also structured as a presentation: "Tell them what we want to tell. Tell them. Tell them what you told them." All the promotion presentation tricks are also there, namely: (1) Leave many important things behind, just mention them, (2) Give them an impression that without you they wouldn't really make it, (3) Position yourself as a unique consultant - don't forget to mention that other consultants (incl. BSG, McKinsey, etc.) are not good.

To put it short, "The Power of Strategic Thinking" is a book based on DPI promotion presentation. Some really good ideas about business strategy are thickly dressed with hype.

The results have been very satisfying as the company has launch two entirely new products, in new industries, that we never touched before.

The power and simplicity of the process is incredible. In fact, if I had a complaint, it would be that the thinking can be so radical that some executives might have a hard time grasping the long term impact of decisions made during a single engagement. It is heady stuff!

This process is not for everyone. I wonder how many companies are really ready to examine their position in their marketplace and actually do something about it.

Overall, I was very pleased with the process and the result.

Although by itself the book was good and I recommend it, I was disappointed that Robert didn't provide much new information over his previous book Strategy Pure and Simple II. In fact, Robert used many of the same case studies (already three years old in some cases) and the chapters were very similar to his previous book. I also got the sense that the complete methodology he proposes was missing, and his real intention was to have readers call his company for the missing links. For instance, one case study mentions their use of a decision analysis, and potential problem analysis taught by Robert. These seem to be valuable tools that anyone using his method would want to know. He also suggests taking a survey to test your strategic IQ but recommends you send the results to his company for an objective assessment. Great way to generate new business, but he could have been more complete.

I still think it's a good book because it gets you going in the right direction, and helps you organize your thoughts using a proven process. Unfortunately, you will only truly benefit from his process by hiring his firm.