Strategic Management in a Nutshell

Strategic management is now more relevant than ever. We are living in a fast paced world. The enormous advances in the field of communication through Internet and mobile devices have made sure that we are constantly and almost always available everywhere – also for business affairs. The increased degree of mobility ensures that managers can make appointments in Boston, Shanghai and Berlin in the same week. This increase in busyness, of course, has long since been transferred to companies. What is good today and generates high sales may be out again tomorrow and bring a business to the edge of disaster. At such times, responsible leadership is important. For companies, this means that clear visions and strategies must be developed to ensure sustained success on rapidly changing markets.

The Internet is full of literature on strategic management. However, one rarely finds the information available very useful for the daily management. It is either too high-level (that often happens when one simply puts some terms and phrases into an online search engine and follows the first results) or much too detailed (why should someone read a 200 pages chapter on one specific topic when one already knows in the beginning that 80% of what is written is of no use at all). That was the birth of this book. The author wanted to write a book that can be used on a daily basis. Every time one thinks about a new problem and is looking for a suitable solution, this book should provide guidance in applying the right principles, thinking into the right direction and not thinking in the wrong direction at all (which is of equal importance). This is quite a burden for a small book like that, but it is a try at least.

This book is not meant to be a bible for strategic management. How can one book claim to be that? It also lays no claim to being exhaustive. Rather, it is to be regarded as a collection of the most important tools that every manager should know.