Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works

Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works by A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin is one of the most practical and illuminating business strategy books ever written. Lafley, the legendary CEO who doubled Procter & Gamble's revenues and restored the company to greatness, and Martin, the award-winning management thinker and former dean of Rotman School of Management, distil decades of strategic experience into a rigorous, actionable framework that any leader can apply.

At the heart of the book is a deceptively simple proposition: strategy is not about aspirations or plans — it is about making specific, integrated choices about where to play and how to win. The authors walk through their five-choice strategic cascade — winning aspiration, where to play, how to win, core capabilities, and management systems — using P&G's transformation of brands like Olay, Gillette, and Pampers as vivid, detailed case studies.

Unlike abstract frameworks that look compelling on whiteboards but fail in practice, Playing to Win is grounded in the messy realities of real businesses and real markets. It is candid about the failures and pivots along the way, and honest about what makes strategy hard. For leaders who want to move beyond vague mission statements and actually build a sustainable competitive advantage, this is one of the most valuable strategy books available.

Product Details

Author: A.G. Lafley & Roger L. Martin
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
Dimensions: Approx. 23 × 15 × 2 cm
Weight: Approx. 0.35 kg
Delivery Time: 3–5 Business Days