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The Art of Action: How Leaders Close the Gaps between Plans, Actions and Results Hardcover – 22 December 2010

by Stephen Bungay (Author)

4.6 444 ratings

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What do you want me to do? This question is the enduring management issue, a perennial problem that Stephen Bungay shows has an old solution that is counter-intuitive and yet common sense. The Art of Action is a thought-provoking and fresh look at how managers can turn planning into execution, and execution into results.

Drawing on his experience as a consultant, senior manager and a highly respected military historian, Stephen Bungay takes a close look at the nineteenth-century Prussian Army, which built its agility on the initiative of its highly empowered junior officers, to show business leaders how they can build more effective, productive organizations. Based on a theoretical framework which has been tested in practice over 150 years, Bungay shows how the approach known as 'mission command' has been applied in businesses as diverse as pharmaceuticals and F1 racing today.

The Art of Action is scholarly but engaging, rigorous but pragmatic, and shows how common sense can sometimes be surprising.

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Review

Stephen Bungay has something genuinely interesting to tell us. His book is not one of those vacuous essays in 'leadership qualities' of the 'how would Napoleon/MacArthur/Alexander the Great have turned around General Motors' variety ... What makes this book worth reading is the way in which Mr. Bungay calls time on an entire culture of gobbledygook. You don't succeed in warfare by having vague objectives and issuing ambiguous orders. And you shouldn't expect to succeed in business that way, either. -- Laurence Eyton ― The Wall Street Journal

What do you get if you cross a military historian with a management consultant? You get this fascinating book by Stephen Bungay - Bungay is a comfortable with management as he is with history and here cleverly draws on his knowledge of the latter to influence his thinking - A must-read for any would-be strategist. ― Director

We live in an age of strategic failure across the board - in international relations and economic affairs, on the battlefield as well as in the marketplace. Inventively and incisively, Stephen Bungay draws on Clausewitz's wisdom, military history, business literature, and common sense to develop the notion of 'directed opportunism' for breaking the ominous cycle of frustration. -- Jonathan Stevenson, Professor of Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College

Leadership is an intangible value. What sets Stephen Bungay apart is that he draws upon his deep knowledge of historical military campaigns to highlight key leadership principles and then sets them in the context of modern business with an understanding of the particular challenges faced by each company he works for. The first part greatly entertains and captivates the audience and the second part really brings home the teachings we wish to impart. The results have been very good. -- Tom Glocer, CEO, Thomson Reuters

The Art of Action is a must for anyone in business who takes their leadership responsibilities seriously. Stephen Bungay draws upon his deep understanding of business strategy and military history and describes principles in his book that will have a real impact for those who adopt them. The Art of Action is the strategic handbook for today built on the insights of yesterday. This will be compulsory reading for all of my unit heads. -- Eliot Forster, CEO, Solace Pharmaceuticals

All too often, strategies fail to be implemented because they do not make tough choices between priorities and therefore leave people confused. The eminently pragmatic techniques described in this book are a great way of sharpening up the thinking, the communication and the sense of accountability needed to get an organisation moving. The ideas sound simple, but they are very powerful. -- Martin Bean, Vice Chancellor, The Open University

Stephen Bungay's career as CEO, management consultant and historian enable him to bring a unique clarity to leadership and the art of making strategy happen. His study of the chastened Prussian military machine analysing why it was defeated by Napoleon's peasant army is illuminated with anecdotes from his career in business. It is this blend of evidence from the military to the business environment which makes this book so useful to the modern day practitioner! -- David Roblin, Senior Vice President, Pfizer Global R&D

This is not just another book about strategy. The Art of Action does not only present a radical, counter-cultural solution to the impasse business is facing today but it is grounded in real strategic execution in a fascinating organisation. It is the 're-engineering the corporation' of the 21st century. I intend to send a copy to all my clients. -- Aidan Walsh, Partner, Ernst & Young

Bungay takes a very surgical knife to some of today's sacred cows, contrasting organisational activity as opposed to action and deftly eviscerating the idea of slavish adherence to the Balanced Scorecard concept. If ever you needed a case against the idea that ticked boxes must inevitably lead to positive results, you have it right here. This is almost certainly the best work-related read I have enjoyed since Paul Kearns' The Value Motive. Indeed Stephen Bungay and Kearns share a clear and uncompromising language which emphasises the logic and clarity of their assertions. My lingering regret about this book is that for some who care to read it, it is already too late: they are in positions of command that they do not merit, and will tiptoe away in the hopes that they are not recognised. This book, nevertheless, should be required reading for anyone who aspires to own or manage any organisation, or part of one. If individuals are imbued with the right stuff this read will fall on very fertile ground indeed. ― HR Zone

Review

Stephen Bungay has something genuinely interesting to tell us. His book is not one of those vacuous essays in 'leadership qualities' of the 'how would Napoleon/MacArthur/Alexander the Great have turned around General Motors' variety ... What makes this book worth reading is the way in which Mr. Bungay calls time on an entire culture of gobbledygook. You don't succeed in warfare by having vague objectives and issuing ambiguous orders. And you shouldn't expect to succeed in business that way, either. - The Wall Street Journal

What do you get if you cross a military historian with a management consultant? You get this fascinating book by Stephen Bungay - Bungay is a comfortable with management as he is with history and here cleverly draws on his knowledge of the latter to influence his thinking - A must-read for any would-be strategist. - Director

We live in an age of strategic failure across the board - in international relations and economic affairs, on the battlefield as well as in the marketplace. Inventively and incisively, Stephen Bungay draws on Clausewitz's wisdom, military history, business literature, and common sense to develop the notion of 'directed opportunism' for breaking the ominous cycle of frustration. - Jonathan Stevenson, Professor of Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College

Leadership is an intangible value. What sets Stephen Bungay apart is that he draws upon his deep knowledge of historical military campaigns to highlight key leadership principles and then sets them in the context of modern business with an understanding of the particular challenges faced by each company he works for. The first part greatly entertains and captivates the audience and the second part really brings home the teachings we wish to impart. The results have been very good. - Tom Glocer, CEO, Thomson Reuters

The Art of Action is a must for anyone in business who takes their leadership responsibilities seriously. Stephen Bungay draws upon his deep understanding of business strategy and military history and describes principles in his book that will have a real impact for those who adopt them. The Art of Action is the strategic handbook for today built on the insights of yesterday. This will be compulsory reading for all of my unit heads. - Eliot Forster, CEO, Solace Pharmaceuticals

All too often, strategies fail to be implemented because they do not make tough choices between priorities and therefore leave people confused. The eminently pragmatic techniques described in this book are a great way of sharpening up the thinking, the communication and the sense of accountability needed to get an organisation moving. The ideas sound simple, but they are very powerful. - Martin Bean, Vice Chancellor, The Open University

Book Description

Based on a theoretical framework which has been tested in practice over 150 years, Bungay shows how the approach known as 'mission command' has been applied in businesses as diverse as pharmaceuticals and F1 racing today. The Art of Action is scholarly but engaging, rigorous but pragmatic, and shows how common sense can sometimes be surprising.

From the Publisher

Stephen Bungay is a Director of the Ashridge Strategic Management Centre in London and teaches on several executive programmes at Ashridge Business School. Educated at Oxford and the University of Tubingen, he worked in the London and Munich offices of Boston Consulting Group for 17 years and also ran a division of an insurance company. He now works as an independent consultant, teacher and speaker. An acclaimed military historian, he has published various books, including a new edition of The Most Dangerous Enemy: An Illustrated History of the Battle of Britain and Alamein. He is a frequent contributor to television programmes, appearing on Channel 4, Channel 5, BBC2, BBC4, the History Channel, TV New Zealand and National Geographic.

About the Author

Stephen Bungay is a Director of the Ashridge Strategic Management Centre in London and teaches on several executive programmes at Ashridge Executive Education. After completing his studies at Oxford and the University of Tubingen, he worked in the London and Munich offices of The Boston Consulting Group for 17 years and now works as an independent consultant and teacher and is a sought-after conference speaker. The approach described in The Art of Action has been adopted by a wide range of his clients ranging from mid-cap digital technology companies to major global corporates. An acclaimed military historian, Stephen has published two books in that field, The Most Dangerous Enemy: A History of the Battle of Britain and Alamein, both with Aurum Press, and is a frequent contributor to television programmes, having appeared on Channel 4, Channel 5, BBC2, BBC4, and a range of satellite and cable channels around the world.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Nicholas Brealey Publishing; 1st edition (22 December 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1857885597
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1857885590
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 16.51 x 2.54 x 24.13 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 48,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 139 in History of Military Strategy
- 265 in Strategic Business Planning
- 273 in Business Decision-Making & Problem Solving

Customer Reviews:
4.6 444 ratings

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Jason

Some powerful mental models

Reviewed in Australia on 11 August 2020

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A great book overall. The core concepts come together nicely to provide a very useful mental model for navigating the crazy world of organisations trying to execute on their mission.

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Pablo Silva

This book will help you fix your company

Reviewed in Brazil on 24 April 2021

Verified Purchase

The three gaps are real and probably they exist in all companies. This book is the key to avoid your company to wast time and money without having return.

Phillip Malcho

A highly addictive book

Reviewed in Germany on 30 March 2022

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Having heard Stephen speak, I quickly bought the book.
And it has served as a great reminder in times of chaos as to how to ensure that we as leaders follow through.

If you want to help yourself to a good read that will give you great ideas and great influence on your day. I highly recommend this book.

Jason

A truly brilliant book!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 December 2021

Verified Purchase

An in-depth analysis of, basically, how to get good results in what we do: whether in business, command or just everyday life. If you are in a hole, and need to get out, this book will give you some principles of how to get good “outcomes” from bad situations.
You may find the terminology easier to understand than some management books. In fact, this book is more about leadership, and effective leadership, than management.
There are some chapters which I found more difficult than others. But the military terminology, and the adaptation of strategy, was absolutely spot on. It explains that strategy is something that evolves and cannot always be planned for.
It’s not cheap, but that will reflect the potential value of such a book. It may very well change your life. It’s certainly a clear guide to help deal with the problems that life throws at us.
Invest in this book if you want to be a good leader.

2 people found this helpful

Frebernh

Leadership alla Clausewitz

Reviewed in Italy on 4 July 2021

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Ho letto molti libri sul pensiero militare e su Clausewitz. Non mi aspettavo molte novità da questo testo, invece L autore ha Saputo fare una efficace e avvincente sintesi dei temi fondamentali che riguardano il Comando e la Leadership, rendendoli immediatamente fruibili sul piano pratico. Indispensabile testo di leadership per chi si muove in contesti complessi, incerti, ambigui e volatili

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juventino

importante para hacer estrategia

Reviewed in Mexico on 26 September 2018

Verified Purchase

te da una muy buena idea en generar para realizar estrategias para lo que deseas hacer :)

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