Oct 12, 2004 in their hardball manifesto, authors george stalk and rob lachenauer of the leading strategy consulting firm the boston consulting group show how hardball competitors can build or maintain an enviable competitive edge by pursuing one or more of the classic hardball strategies. One bad point of this book is its single tone that makes it quite boring to read. There are many companies who enjoyed a robust competitive advantage in the past, but with the passage of time, it was wiped out. When it comes to competitive advantage, playing hardball is not an option, it is a requirement for winning, according to george stalk jr. Hardballs aim is to help deliver decisive strategies to businesses in order to gain a competitive advantage in a difficult business world. It is, in effect, extreme competitive advantage, which is the ultimate endgame. In a company playing hardball, it is the leaders main role to keep alive the quest for competitive advantage and engage everyone else in that quest, constantly maintaining total focus on what stalk and lachenauer refer to as the heart of the matter a very. Based on 25 years of experience advising and observing a range of companies, the authors argue that hardball competitors can gain extreme competitive advantageneutralizing, marginalizing, or even destroying competitorswithout violating their contracts with customers or employees and without breaking the rules. The authors emphasize that hardball players operate within the law at all times and must do so.
According to the hardball manifesto that opens the book, the. In a company playing hardball, it is the leaders main role to keep alive the quest for competitive advantage and engage everyone else in that quest, constantly maintaining. The authors, who are completing a book on hardball strategies, have had consulting. Using numerous corporate examples, the authors show that hardball business is. The greater the advantage, the faster a company can grow, the more profitable it can be, and the greater value it can create. Hardball by george stalk, rob lachenauer waterstones. George stalk joined boston consulting group in 1978.
When they achieve competitive advantage they attract more customers, gain market share, boost profits, reward their employees, and. He coauthored the bestselling books on timebased competition. The impact of marketing innovation and creativity festus m epetimehin joseph ayo babalola university, ikeji. Using numerous corporate examples, the authors show that hardball business is savvy business. The goal of every competitive strategy is to achieve sustainable competitive advantage coyne, 1986. In our book, we describe six classic hardball strategies that have proved, over the. They must not take short cuts that would cross the line. When they achieve competitive advantage they attract more customers, gain market share, boost profits, reward their employees, and weaken their competitors positions. Hardball georges stalk and rob lachenauer ebook by. Instead, they work hard to create a virtuous cycle that will take them far beyond the reach of their competitors.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Utilizing infinite bandwidth in a world of infinite bandwidth, companies that know how to take advantage of it become more productive, efficient, and profitable, and create entirely new businesses along the way. In their hardball manifesto, authors george stalk and rob lachenauer of the leading strategy consulting firm. Although hardball players prefer the indirect attack, they sometimes surprise and overcome their competitors with a full frontal assault. For many years, he was a senior partner at the boston consulting group, where he advised family and nonfamily enterprises on developing business strategies. Stalk has made several contributions to hbr, including his first article.
In their hardball manifesto, authors george stalk and rob lachenauer of the leading strategy consulting firm the boston consulting group. Hardball strategies turn into business advantages columbus. Feb 22, 2020 throw your competitors out of the g ame with hardball strategy. The impact of marketing innovation and creativity festus m epetimehin joseph ayo babalola university, ikeji, arakeji. These companies often play rough, and they dont apologize for it. Hardball s aim is to help deliver decisive strategies to businesses in order to gain a competitive advantage in a difficult business world. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. A couple of years ago, i coauthored with rob lachenauer an article called hardball. They are most helpful in helping businesses develop types of competitive advantage. Hardball players pursue with a singleminded focus competitive advantage and the benefits. Achieving competitive advantage in insurance industry. For them, this book states what is already obvious to them. Softball books accounted for probably four out of five of the titles on the. Aug 31, 2004 hardballs aim is to help deliver decisive strategies to businesses in order to gain a competitive advantage in a difficult business world.
In our book, we describe six classic hardball strategies that have proved, over the decades, to be particularly effective in generating competitive advantage. Jun 30, 2008 the recipient of the wells prize in economics, the adam smith award, three mckinsey awards, and honorary doctorates from the stockholm school of economics and six other universities, porter is the author of fourteen books, among them competitive strategy, the competitive advantage of nations, and cases in competitive strategy, all published by. Although a lot of companies talk about competitive advantage, few are able to put a finger on. In their hardball manifesto, authors george stalk and rob lachenauer of the. Study 43 terms bus 195 chapter 8 flashcards quizlet. Five killer strategies for trouncing the competition. For example, if they start earning more than you, hardball strategy commands the players to destroy their profits to every inch. This innovative thought leadership has helped countless companies find new ways to create sustainable competitive advantage. Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors.
Which of the following is not one of their suggested strategies. As for softballers, this book can serve as a reality check. They pick their shots, seek out competitive encounters, set the pace of innovation, and test the edges of the possible. Hout and the aforementioned hardball as well as his various articles that. He joined bcg in 1978 and has worked in its boston, chicago, tokyo and toronto offices. Competitive advantage is a fleeting concept at best you need to take your. In the book hardball, george stalk notes that when an industry imposes a compromise on its customers, the company that breaks the compromise stands to gain a significant competitive advantage. Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors ebook written by michael e. I expect this book to generate a great deal of discussion because stalk and lachenauer take a hardball attitude toward their reader.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read competitive strategy. The book is full of examples of both hardball players and the softball alternatives. John butman annotation based on 25 years of advising companies, the authors redefine and reinterpret the meaning of competition for a new generation of business players. Sustained competitive advantage a competitive advantage that will. It is a strategy so powerful and an executiondriven mindset so relentless that companies use it to gain more than just competitive advantagethey achieve an industry dominance that is virtually unassailable and. Highfliers crash when a competitor notices they dont have it. The author of a previous book titled, competing against time, stalk. Buy books, tools, case studies, and articles on leadership, strategy, innovation. Throw your competitors out of the g ame with hardball strategy. Oct 11, 2004 hardball deals with swift decisiveness that translates into sustainable competitive advantage. They singlemindedly pursue competitive advantage and the benefits it offers. The author of a previous book titled, competing against time, stalk recently cowrote, hardball. Competitive advantage can be fleeting thats why hardball players seek. It enables you to go beyond the bounds of their possibility to reach your level.
Reputation is key to attracting future business and this book makes no bones about the tactics. Bcg authors stalk and lachenauer published a book in which. Hardball strategy give your competitors a hardend business. Youd think that all the products and services we use every day just sprang, fully formed, from the brain of a ceo. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. They realize that when i have the advantage, you are forced to accept defeat or find a way. His latest book, five future strategies you need right now. With many detailed examples from companies that have put timebased strategies in. He leads banyans strategy practice, which focuses on creating unassailable competitive advantage in family enterprises. Stalk and lachenauer reveal how hardball competitors achieve decisive victories without bending the law and without compromising their obligations to customers and stakeholders. In a company playing hardball, it is the leaders main role to keep alive the quest for competitive advantage and engage everyone else in that quest, constantly maintaining total focus on what stalk and lachenauer refer to as the heart of the matter a very small set of vital issues whose resolution will determine the future of the organization. By framing strategy in terms of a competitive mindset, and distilling it through the lens of competition, they have produce a. Learn this competitive strategy to beat your competitors and destroy their cash.
Hardball players pursue with a singleminded focus competitive advantage and the benefits it offersleading market share, great margins, rapid growth, and all the intangibles of being in command. When companies play hardball it means they use every legitimate resource and strategy available to them to gain advantage over their competitors. Aug 09, 2019 jardball their hardball manifesto, authors george stalk and rob lachenauer of the leading strategy consulting firm the boston consulting group show how hardball competitors can build or maintain an enviable competitive edge by pursuing one or more of the classic hardball strategies. When to play hardball hbs working knowledge harvard. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read competitive advantage of nations. They pick their shots, seek out competitive encounters, set the pace of innovation, test the edges of the possible. But with examples from a few leadingedge companies, stalk shows that embracing complexity can achieve competitive advantage.
I frequently find that the book has no reference to anything having to do with the human factor. Any strategy that provides a decisive competitive advantage is a hardball strategy. He leads banyans strategy practice, which focuses on creating unassailable competitive. I didnt apply the test when i sat down to read a muchdiscussed new book, hardball, by george stalk and rob lachenauer.
We believe that a management team that can provide a hardball strategy and push the organization to use it to gain competitive advantage 2. The book does a good job at detailing, with real life examples, strategies one can use to get an edge over competition. Hardball by george stalk and rob lachenauer youtube. On the contrary, hardball players are bent on increasing the performance gap between themselves and their rivals. To hard ball players, theres something far more important than competitive advantage. If you think it is mere competitive advantage, youre setting up your company to lose. Although hardball players prefer the indirect attack, they. Hardball deals with swift decisiveness that translates into sustainable competitive advantage. Companies that play business hardball arent content with just having a competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is a fleeting concept at best you need to take your business to the point where you enjoy decisive advantage. Creating and sustaining superior performance ebook written by michael e. He became a senior partner and managing director and was a longtime member of the firms strategy, consumer, organization, and operations practices. The winners in business play hardball, and they dont apologize for it. Stalk and lachenauer are two of the baddest of badasses.
Hardball strategy focuses on gaining an intense competitive advantage over your competitors. Bcg authors stalk and lachenauer published a book in which they listed competitive strategy for winning against incumbent. Hardball competitors strive to convert competitive advantage into decisive. First edition by george stalk, rob lachenauer, john butman isbn. They pick their shots, seek out competitive en counters, set the pace of innovation, test the edges of the possible. In this pathbreaking book based upon ten years of research, the authors argue that the ways leading companies manage timein production, in new product development, and in sales and distributionrepresent the most powerful new sources of competitive advantage.
In their hardball manifesto, authors george stalk and rob lachenauer of the leading strategy consulting firm the boston consulting group show how hardball competitors can build or maintain an enviable competitive edge by pursuing one or more of the classic hardball strategies. Strategy has always been about allocating resources to stimulate customer demand and create competitive advantage. Unlike plain old competitive advantage, which can be fleeting, this is something that puts you out of the reach of your com petitors. Hardball players pursue with a singleminded focus competitive advantage and the benefits it offersleading market share, great mar gins, rapid growth, and all the intangibles of being in com mand.