--- product_id: 29733327 title: "Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works" price: "1788CFA" currency: XOF in_stock: false reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.sn/products/29733327-playing-to-win-how-strategy-really-works store_origin: SN region: Senegal --- # Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works **Price:** 1788CFA **Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works - **How much does it cost?** 1788CFA with free shipping - **Is it available?** Currently out of stock - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sn](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/29733327-playing-to-win-how-strategy-really-works) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works: 9781491528792: Lafley, A. G., Martin, Roger L., Ganser, L.J.: Books Review: Well Worth Reading - Clients, colleagues, and students often ask me to recommend business books that have helped me as a consultant and educator. Playing to Win--How Strategy Really Works by A.G. Lafley and Roger. L. Martin is a book I've been recommending recently for a couple of reasons. First, it provides the reader with a simple definition of "strategy" which is made even clearer by the authors' explanation of what is not "strategy." Second, the authors take the reader through a rigorous and replicable journey that elucidates how strategy is conceived. Lafley and Martin demonstrate that: * "Strategy is about making specific choices to win in the marketplace," and decisions related to "Where to play?" and "How to win?" are critical in this respect. * Strategy is conceived through an iterative, narrowing down process that determines "an integrated set of choices [a winning aspiration, where to play, how to win, core capabilities, and management systems] that uniquely positions the firm in its industry so as to create sustainable advantage and superior value [for customers and shareholders] relative to its competition." The authors' stated intent is to provide the reader with "a do-it-yourself" guide to strategy and they achieve this admirably. This is largely due to the "playbook" they've presented for "crafting strategy" in an organization. This "playbook" includes: * The strategic choice cascade: explaining "the nature of the [five] choices to be made" in conceiving strategy. * The strategy logic flow: "a framework designed to helpfully direct your thinking to the key analyses that inform your five strategy choices." * Reverse engineering: "a specific methodology for making sense of conflicting strategic options" through exploring the question: "What would have to be true?" for each "strategic possibility to be a potentially winning choice." Their five strategic choices, framework, and process for conceiving strategy are easily comprehended through the numerous well-chosen examples. And, the replicable nature of this "playbook" to guide you in conceiving strategy quickly becomes apparent. Playing to Win--How Strategy Really Works adds a valuable perspective to the practice of strategy and is well worth reading. If "making specific choices to win" is at the heart of strategy, this is one book that provides you with a winning "playbook" to improve your odds of success in the marketplace. Review: If you can, do. If you did extremely well, teach! - Ten years after this book was published in 2013, it has proven to be a timeless, business classic. Here are just a few of the many, many very valuable takeaways: 1. The book was written by strategic experts: The former chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble, who helped his company grow by leaps and bounds, and the consultant who acted as his thinking partner. Both were influenced by the famous business strategist Michael Porter. Adding on a number of the authors’ own well-acclaimed ideas, the book is essentially “Porter in Action” and in interesting story form. 2. Here is the authors’ definition of strategy: “Strategy is an integrated set of choices that uniquely positions the firm in its industry so as to create sustainable advantage and superior value relative to the competition.” 3. Strategy is the answer to these five interrelated questions (leading to the choices you make): a. “What is your winning aspiration [strongly desired goal or objective] (the purpose of your enterprise, its motivation aspiration)?” b. “Where will you play (a playing field where you can achieve that aspiration)?” c. “How will you win (the way you will win on the chosen playing field)?” [b & c are key!] d. “What [core] capabilities must be in place (the set and configuration of capabilities required to win in the chosen way)?” e. “What management systems are required (the systems and measures that enable the capabilities and support the choices)?” 4. The book was written in case study form, typical of a Harvard Business School approach. It looks at a number of key, well-known P&G products the authors strategized about, going through each strategy in detail, and showing you the myriad considerations (what to do and what not to do) for each. 5. Look for synergy, “reinforcing rods,” etc. in all the parts of your strategy. 6. Run true experiments, testing, and measuring the results of your actions. Importantly, start with a prediction or hypothesis and see if it proves true, and if not, why not. Learn! 7. Of critical importance, ask the right question: “What would have to be true [for the strategy to work] (what came to be the heart of the consultant author’s practice)? 8. Strategizing is an endless practice! Bottom-line: The authors show you the strategic principles of exactly how they played and won big, techniques scalable from a giant company like Proctor and Gamble down to your own small business proprietorship. Highly recommended! Of possible interest, a book on winning strategies used throughout history by 87 other master strategists Strategic Advantage: How to Win in War, Business, and Life ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #5,277,647 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #8 in Strategic Business Planning #47 in Systems & Planning #74 in Business Management (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 3,032 Reviews | ## Images ![Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61FptiXlA+L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Well Worth Reading *by A***N on March 19, 2013* Clients, colleagues, and students often ask me to recommend business books that have helped me as a consultant and educator. Playing to Win--How Strategy Really Works by A.G. Lafley and Roger. L. Martin is a book I've been recommending recently for a couple of reasons. First, it provides the reader with a simple definition of "strategy" which is made even clearer by the authors' explanation of what is not "strategy." Second, the authors take the reader through a rigorous and replicable journey that elucidates how strategy is conceived. Lafley and Martin demonstrate that: * "Strategy is about making specific choices to win in the marketplace," and decisions related to "Where to play?" and "How to win?" are critical in this respect. * Strategy is conceived through an iterative, narrowing down process that determines "an integrated set of choices [a winning aspiration, where to play, how to win, core capabilities, and management systems] that uniquely positions the firm in its industry so as to create sustainable advantage and superior value [for customers and shareholders] relative to its competition." The authors' stated intent is to provide the reader with "a do-it-yourself" guide to strategy and they achieve this admirably. This is largely due to the "playbook" they've presented for "crafting strategy" in an organization. This "playbook" includes: * The strategic choice cascade: explaining "the nature of the [five] choices to be made" in conceiving strategy. * The strategy logic flow: "a framework designed to helpfully direct your thinking to the key analyses that inform your five strategy choices." * Reverse engineering: "a specific methodology for making sense of conflicting strategic options" through exploring the question: "What would have to be true?" for each "strategic possibility to be a potentially winning choice." Their five strategic choices, framework, and process for conceiving strategy are easily comprehended through the numerous well-chosen examples. And, the replicable nature of this "playbook" to guide you in conceiving strategy quickly becomes apparent. Playing to Win--How Strategy Really Works adds a valuable perspective to the practice of strategy and is well worth reading. If "making specific choices to win" is at the heart of strategy, this is one book that provides you with a winning "playbook" to improve your odds of success in the marketplace. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you can, do. If you did extremely well, teach! *by W***R on April 18, 2023* Ten years after this book was published in 2013, it has proven to be a timeless, business classic. Here are just a few of the many, many very valuable takeaways: 1. The book was written by strategic experts: The former chairman and CEO of Procter & Gamble, who helped his company grow by leaps and bounds, and the consultant who acted as his thinking partner. Both were influenced by the famous business strategist Michael Porter. Adding on a number of the authors’ own well-acclaimed ideas, the book is essentially “Porter in Action” and in interesting story form. 2. Here is the authors’ definition of strategy: “Strategy is an integrated set of choices that uniquely positions the firm in its industry so as to create sustainable advantage and superior value relative to the competition.” 3. Strategy is the answer to these five interrelated questions (leading to the choices you make): a. “What is your winning aspiration [strongly desired goal or objective] (the purpose of your enterprise, its motivation aspiration)?” b. “Where will you play (a playing field where you can achieve that aspiration)?” c. “How will you win (the way you will win on the chosen playing field)?” [b & c are key!] d. “What [core] capabilities must be in place (the set and configuration of capabilities required to win in the chosen way)?” e. “What management systems are required (the systems and measures that enable the capabilities and support the choices)?” 4. The book was written in case study form, typical of a Harvard Business School approach. It looks at a number of key, well-known P&G products the authors strategized about, going through each strategy in detail, and showing you the myriad considerations (what to do and what not to do) for each. 5. Look for synergy, “reinforcing rods,” etc. in all the parts of your strategy. 6. Run true experiments, testing, and measuring the results of your actions. Importantly, start with a prediction or hypothesis and see if it proves true, and if not, why not. Learn! 7. Of critical importance, ask the right question: “What would have to be true [for the strategy to work] (what came to be the heart of the consultant author’s practice)? 8. Strategizing is an endless practice! Bottom-line: The authors show you the strategic principles of exactly how they played and won big, techniques scalable from a giant company like Proctor and Gamble down to your own small business proprietorship. Highly recommended! Of possible interest, a book on winning strategies used throughout history by 87 other master strategists Strategic Advantage: How to Win in War, Business, and Life ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A practical approach to build a winning strategy *by C***N on September 27, 2016* A very good book on strategy for two reasons: - it explains what strategy is, why is needed and how to build one for your company, with frameworks and models to help you throughout the process - it does the above in a concise and simple manner, using plain vocabulary and language everyone can understand, even if you're not into management. I'm a pragmatic person. While I value the theoretical explanations on such topics like this one, I need to see how to put those into action so results can appear. This book contains advice that can be implemented as you go through the process of creating your strategy. It can really help you taking decisions, which is the core of making a strategy and put it in place. Reason for four stars and not five is that all examples taken are from a single company (P&G). While I do appreciate the complexity of its scale and problems, it is also very singular in many aspects. For a methodology to be fully tested and proven, I believe it needs to be put through other scenarios and companies, to then see the different results. That you won't find on this book. But it still is worth reading for anyone wanting to know how to create a strategy. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sn/products/29733327-playing-to-win-how-strategy-really-works](https://www.desertcart.sn/products/29733327-playing-to-win-how-strategy-really-works) --- *Product available on Desertcart Senegal* *Store origin: SN* *Last updated: 2026-05-17*