Beyond Great: Nine Strategies for Thriving in an Era of Social Tension, Economic Nationalism, and Technological Revolution - Hardcover

by Arindam Bhattacharya (Author), Nikolaus Lang (Author), Jim Hemerling (Author)

Great is no longer good enough. Beyond Great delivers a powerful new playbook of 9 core strategies to thrive in a post-COVID world where all the rules of the game are being re-written.

Beyond Great answers to two fundamental questions which face business leaders today in a world shaped by daunting and disruptive technological, economic, and social change. First, what is outstanding performance in this new volatile era? Second, how do we build competitive advantage in a world with new and often uncertain rules? Supported by years of research and hands-on consulting practice, this book presents a comprehensive framework for building a high performing, resilient, adaptive, and socially responsible global company.

The book begins by taking an incisive look at these disruptive forces transforming globalization, including economic nationalism; the boom in data flows and digital commerce; the rise of China; heightened public concerns about capitalism and the environment; and the emergence of borderless communities of digitally connected consumers. Distilled from the study of hundreds of companies and interviews with dozens of business leaders, the authors have distilled nine core strategies - the new winning playbook of the 21st century.

Beyond Great argues that business leaders today must lead with a new kind of openness, flexibility and light-footedness, constantly layering in new strategies and operational norms atop existing ones to allow for "always-on" transformation. Leaders must master a whole new set of rules about what it takes to be "global," becoming shapeshifters adept at handling contradiction, multiplicity, and nuance. This book will show them how.

Author Biography

Dr. Arindam Bhattacharya is Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group's New Delhi office. He has been the head of BCG India, is the co-founder and Fellow of Henderson Institute, BCG's thought leadership arm, and is a member of leadership team of Global Advantage practice. He has been researching, writing consulting on the subject of globalization and global business models, and has given a TED talk on the topic. He has co-authored the book Globality: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything, named by the Economist to its Best of the Year list.

Dr. Nikolaus Lang is Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group's Munich office and Global Leader of BCG's Global Advantage practice, supporting clients on an array of globalization-related topics, ranging from geopolitics & trade to joint ventures & digital ecosystems. Dr. Lang is BCG's foremost expert on mobility, connectivity, and self-driving vehicles. For the past years, he has led BCG's collaboration with the World Economic Forum on the future of mobility, helping oversee the piloting and launch of autonomous vehicles in the City of Boston.

Jim Hemerling is Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group's San Francisco office and a leader in the firm's People & Organization and Transformation Practices. He has been the leader of BCG Greater China and is a Fellow of BCG Henderson Institute. His work with clients and his research focuses on holistic human-centric approaches to organizational transformation. He speaks often on the topic, and has given a widely viewed TED talk entitled "5 Ways to Lead in an Era of Constant Change."