Clausewitz on Strategy: Inspiration and Insight from a Master Strategist (Hardcover)

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Product Description
Think about strategy and sharpen judgment in an unpredictable environment
Carl von Clausewitz is widely acknowledged as one of the most important of the major strategic theorists; he′s been read by Eisenhower, Kissinger, Patton, Chairman Mao, and numerous other leaders. In Clausewitz on Strategy, the Boston Consulting Group′s Strategy Institute has excerpted those passages most relevant to business strategy from Clausewitz′s classic text On War, the most general, applicable, and enduring work of strategy in the modern West and a source of insight into the nature of conflict, whether on the battlefield or in the boardroom. This book offers Clausewitz′s framework for self–education––a way to train the reader′s thinking. Clausewitz speaks the mind of the executive, revealing logic that those interested in strategic thinking and practice will find invaluable. He presents unique ideas, such as the idea that friction––unexpected interference––is an intrinsic part of strategy.
The Boston Consulting Group is one of the world′s leading management consulting firms whose clients include many of the world′s industry leaders. Tiha von Ghyczy (Charlottesville, VA) has been a faculty member and Director of Business Projects at the Darden School of Business since 1996. While with The Boston Consulting Group, he assumed responsibility for the practice groups in manufacturing/time–based competition and high technology. He has published numerous articles and books on vision and strategy. Bolko von Oetinger (Munich, Germany) is a Senior Vice President of BCG. Christopher Bassford (Washington, DC) is presently a Professor of Strategy at the National War College in Washington, DC, and the author of several books, including Clausewitz in English: The Reception of Clausewitz in Britain and America, 1815–1945.

From the Inside Flap
What can a nineteenth–century Prussian general teach a twenty–first–century executive or entrepreneur about business strategy? Everything! When alliances are made, broken, and reconstituted at dizzying speed; when experience is left helpless in the face of unprecedented events; and when rules, principles, and how–to prescriptions no longer apply–these, says Carl von Clausewitz, are the times during which the true strategist thrives. Certainly present in times of war, these conditions are virtually endemic to today′s economy.

Clausewitz on Strategy speaks loudly and clearly to both reflective practitioners of business and emerging strategists about how to proceed during periods of instability, uncertainty, and rapid change.

With a fresh translation and editing that carefully selects one–sixth of the original material, these highly focused selections from Clausewitz′s classic On War present a philosophy of strategy that fuses logical analysis, classical dialectics, historical understanding, psychological insight, and sociological comprehension into an encompassing exposition of strategic thought and behavior.

Clausewitz expounds on the nature of strategic genius, strategy as an outgrowth of the clash of wills, tactics and strategy, offensive and defensive strategies, the elements and dynamics of strategy, the virtues of the commander, and more. His purpose is to prepare leaders for fundamental insights into the nature and characteristics of strategic interaction.

Supplemented with a thoughtful critical essay by The Strategy Institute of The Boston Consulting Group, historical notes, and related excerpts from the writings of other notable thinkers, this challenging and rewarding volume is important reading for anyone interested in understanding the fundamentals of strategy in any field involving competition and uncertainty.

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One might rightly be taken aback that a woman would dare write a preface for such a work as this. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover

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3 Reviews 5 star:  (3) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   7 of 7 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Clausewitz Made Accessible, 10 May 2004 By  Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)       Like many who are interested in strategy, I have attempted to read his classic book, On War. I found it to be hard going, and of limited benefit to my interest in business strategy. Clausewitz on Strategy is an extremely well-done book that takes the key points of On War, polishes them until they shine brightly, sets them amid many commentaries that elaborate on the same points, and uses a thoughtful introduction to connect the ideas to business strategy. The book's structure reminded me of a fine necklace, with the major gem stones set amidst complementary smaller gems. For me, this was the perfect approach, and I liked the book very much. After having read the book, I must say that Clausewitz's ideas are still not terribly relevant to business strategy. As the introduction points out, the circumstances of war and battle are simply different than in business. Making a connection with the customer is more important than wiping out a competitor. Also, you may be cooperating with a competitor in one case, and competing in another. The principles that carry over are that strategy must be developed in the context of what the organization's objectives are, and tactics must be pursued in ways that effectively take advantage of the strategy. In all circumstances, surprise is the element that we should expect, and quickly shift our focus to turn it to our advantage. Moral force is important in business as it is in war. Keeping attack and defense in your mind at the same time is also important. Many of the lessons about how attacks will usually fail are well taken, except for the potential of technology or new business models to make a difference. Clausewitz assumed a more static state of affairs with regard to technology and military innovation than actually occurs now. I can even more heartily endorse this book for people who want to learn from what Clausewitz had to say about war. That subject is over 90 percent of the book's contents. I rate the book at over 5 stars for that purpose. You will probably be fascinated, as I was, by the opening section in which Clausewitz plays a role as a secret negotiator to cause the withdrawal of the Prussians from both French and Russian armies during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. After you finish reading this book, think about Clausewitz's assumption that war is a constant state of affairs. Should we be assuming today that fierce business competition is the norm? Or should we be assuming that a race to innovate is the nature of the task? Or should both views be held? To the extent that innovation is the battlefield today in business, then perhaps we need to also consider those who think and write about how to be more effective and rapid innovators. Those lessons are different from the ones described here. Look for ways to improve the value of what you do . . . always! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, 15 Jun 2004 By  Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    Though the editors freely admit that business and war are different, and that mapping one to the other is a mistake, this book seems to be based on exactly that idea. After September 11, 2001, business-as-war metaphors seem overblown. Many in business have stopped looking at competition as a death struggle. Instead, they treat it as a mutual effort to foster growth in their sectors so everyone then benefits from the resulting synergies. That said, this compilation, which condenses sections of Prussian General Carl von Clausewitz's major work, On War, is well worth reading, though dense and sometimes difficult to follow. Clausewitz, a fascinating thinker, approaches his subject with wit and clarity. By his own description, his real contribution isn't his analysis, but the analytical method he applies to problems. We find his approach clearly relevant to anyone struggling against an intelligent and resourceful opponent, in business, politics or government, as well as to those pondering ways to go to war. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, 15 Jun 2004 By  Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    Though the editors freely admit that business and war are different, and that mapping one to the other is a mistake, this book seems to be based on exactly that idea. After September 11, 2001, business-as-war metaphors seem overblown. Many in business have stopped looking at competition as a death struggle. Instead, they treat it as a mutual effort to foster growth in their sectors so everyone then benefits from the resulting synergies. That said, this compilation, which condenses sections of Prussian General Carl von Clausewitz's major work, On War, is well worth reading, though dense and sometimes difficult to follow. Clausewitz, a fascinating thinker, approaches his subject with wit and clarity. By his own description, his real contribution isn't his analysis, but the analytical method he applies to problems. We find his approach clearly relevant to anyone struggling against an intelligent and resourceful opponent, in business, politics or government, as well as to those pondering ways to go to war. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 3 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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