The Greatest Business Decisions of All Time

Decision-making is not about consensus. Harnish, a management consultant, presents 18 business cases, including major players such as Apple, General Electric, and Ford, whose leaders made extraordinary decisions to change the status quo, leading their companies to overwhelming results. Harnish argues that picking the best business decisions is "more art than science". He and his co-authors proceed by sharing a conceptual framework with four parts: people, strategy, execution, and cash. But Harnish says great timing and "good old-fashioned dumb luck" also play a role in making great decisions. The "counterintuitive" decisions discussed in each chapter will surely spark debate. Each story offers a look at the processes leading up to the groundbreaking moments. Readers will learn what made Apple bring back Steve Jobs to the company, and how General Electric's first-class training center set the tone for thousands of other corporate universities. This book will encourage business leaders to consider how to apply those strategies in their own organizations. (Oct.)