Risky Strategy
Understanding Risk to Improve Strategic Decisions
Published on 25. August 2016
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-4729-2604-3 (ISBN)
Description
What is risk? Is it a real danger or just an opportunity in disguise? Can it be out-manoeuvred or is it something to be embraced and worked with?
When companies are developing their business strategies, risk may be mentioned in passing (and even then, frequently misunderstood) but is rarely seen as a key component of the strategic decision-making process. This can lead to unforeseen complications - strategy is all about making decisions that concern an uncertain future and so risk should play a significant role in that process.
The handling or understanding of risk is often delegated to specialists and much of what is written about risk is, due to its complexity, inaccessible to the majority of senior managers. Risky Strategy aims to make the consideration of risk more accessible and understandable and, in doing so, develop a common language and understanding for recognising and handling it.
Based on research carried out by Ashridge Business School, as well as case studies of the strategic decision-making process in action, Jamie MacAlister takes the subject out of the textbooks and brings it engagingly to life. Drawing on lessons from Apple to Procter & Gamble, from Napoleon to Nelson, from Roger Federer to Sir Alex Ferguson, and from Pythagorus to Sir Isaac Newton, Risky Strategy provides a new and dynamic perspective on risk, demonstrating how and when to take the right risk, and knowing how to recognise the common risks that can derail even the most well-planned projects.
When companies are developing their business strategies, risk may be mentioned in passing (and even then, frequently misunderstood) but is rarely seen as a key component of the strategic decision-making process. This can lead to unforeseen complications - strategy is all about making decisions that concern an uncertain future and so risk should play a significant role in that process.
The handling or understanding of risk is often delegated to specialists and much of what is written about risk is, due to its complexity, inaccessible to the majority of senior managers. Risky Strategy aims to make the consideration of risk more accessible and understandable and, in doing so, develop a common language and understanding for recognising and handling it.
Based on research carried out by Ashridge Business School, as well as case studies of the strategic decision-making process in action, Jamie MacAlister takes the subject out of the textbooks and brings it engagingly to life. Drawing on lessons from Apple to Procter & Gamble, from Napoleon to Nelson, from Roger Federer to Sir Alex Ferguson, and from Pythagorus to Sir Isaac Newton, Risky Strategy provides a new and dynamic perspective on risk, demonstrating how and when to take the right risk, and knowing how to recognise the common risks that can derail even the most well-planned projects.
Reviews / Votes
An important and stimulating read for any leader faced with deciding between a bold 'knock-out' strategy and one that is less risky but less ambitious. -- Vic Luck * Director of The Foundation for Leadership through Sport; previously Senior Partner, PwC Consulting * A breath of fresh air ... combines analogies from the Greco-Roman world and military strategy, along with real-life examples from Jamie's time as a management consultant and senior manager, to re-interpret a variety of strategic tools. -- Kriss Akabussi MBE * former Olympic athlete, and CEO of The Akabusi Company * MacAlister has a knack for making you think differently about risk and encouraging an open mind... a risk, some may say, in itself. -- Martin Reason * Chief Executive, Melton Mowbray Building Society * With lots of good stories, anecdotes and explanations - from Captain Scott to Napoleon, from sport to game theory - this book provides absorbable, practical advice on how to use risk to improve strategic planning and decision making for your business ... An incredibly helpful and clear book that gets to the heart of what strategy is all about -- Francesca Brosan * Chairman and Co-Founder of digital agency Omobono * An engaging romp through a wide range of risk and strategy issues. [The] book tackles these well-trodden topics, cleverly interweaving them in a way that is novel and at times extremely engaging. -- Kevin McCarten * Partner, Oliver Wyman * It is refreshing to read a practical and stimulating book tackling the heavyweight subjects of risk and strategy and the healthy tensions that can exist between the two. The book is littered with powerful examples, from a rich variety of sources, including business, science and sport - as well as offering intriguing insights into the behavioural aspects of this area, both from an individual and organisational perspective. -- Simon Griffiths * Director, Risk Connect Limited * MacAlister explores and unpacks a weighty subject ... A must-read for those aspiring to lead an organisation. -- Philippe Duleyrie * Senior Advisor, The Rye Group LLC; former CEO Polar Electro Inc. * Jamie has turned a potentially very dry subject into an interesting link to leadership and individual psychology. -- Laurence Medina * Head of Learning, Development and Process Improvement, Scania UK * An approach and style that deliberately avoids too much 'academese'. -- Cath Bishop * World Silver medallist 1998, World Champion 2003, Olympic silver medallist 2004 * An interesting range of non-business examples. -- Stephen Bungay * author of "The Art of Action: How Leaders Close the Gaps between Plans, Actions and Results" *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Weight
510 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4729-2604-3 (9781472926043)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
08/2016
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Business
€27.49
Available for download
E-Book
08/2016
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Business
€27.49
Available for download
Person
Jamie MacAlister teaches at Hult International Business School and Ashridge Executive Education, and is an experienced commercial manager, strategist, facilitator and executive coach. He specialises in risk in strategy and commercial management.
Previously, he worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a management consultant and has held management roles with Procter & Gamble, Comco and RM Education.
Previously, he worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a management consultant and has held management roles with Procter & Gamble, Comco and RM Education.
Content
1. Introduction: the context
2. Where strategy meets risk
3. Strategic decision making
4. The essence of risk
5. When winning is risky
6. Mitigating risk
7. Individual risk
8. Group risk
9. Corporate risk
10. Risk in information
11. Risk in relationships
12. Taking the right risk
13. Conclusion
2. Where strategy meets risk
3. Strategic decision making
4. The essence of risk
5. When winning is risky
6. Mitigating risk
7. Individual risk
8. Group risk
9. Corporate risk
10. Risk in information
11. Risk in relationships
12. Taking the right risk
13. Conclusion