Winning Companies: Winning People

Have you ever wondered why some companies expand, while others that appear to be in a similar situation plateau and contract? Why do some people achieve while others fail? Are there certain business and management practices that lead on the one hand to growth and development, and on the other hand to stagnation and decline? Do the most successful operators know things that others are not aware of? Do they adopt different approaches?

In many sectors of the economy, competing companies appear to be offering similar products and services, and using the same or equivalent technologies, processes and systems. They recruit similar people, often from the same universities and business schools, employ the services of the same or similar consultants, and they invariably fall for the same management fashions and fads. Yet over time some businesses prosper while others wither. Why is this? What do the leaders of successful companies - or winners - do differently from losers who struggle and fail?

Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas has been at the forefront of this continuing research programme for over 20 years. The study examines areas that are critical to competing and winning such as improving performance, managing change, competitive bidding, building customer relationships and creating and exploiting know-how. The purpose of this research is to determine what boards and management teams need to do - and also what they should not do - to lead, innovate, pioneer, discover, compete and win.

This book provides an overview of the major findings to date in areas critical to business success. It presents a compendium of concise summaries of research findings into the differing approaches of successful and unsuccessful companies for students, directors, managers and entrepreneurs with ambitions to build successful businesses and realize their full potential.

The author’s intention is to provide an authoritative, positive, realistic and inspiring ‘go for it’ book for ambitious directors, managers, business school students, entrepreneurs, and all those who want to achieve both commercial success and the personal fulfilment that comes from competing and winning.