Leading the Revolution is an important book of business scholarship and practice imporvement. Professor Hamel Proposes a higher standard for companies: Constantly Establishing and Implementing superbly improved business models for customer interfaces, core strategy, using strategic resources, and value networks.
Further, it Integrates the arguments of many leading thinkers about improvement methods into one set of procedures for making faster business progress. The book therefore makes an excellent case for this higher standard already being in operation in companies like Enron, GE Capital, Cisco Systems, Nokia and Charles Schwab.
To Those who have already are familiar with the literature of developing new business models (color: such as Digital Capital), little in this book will be new. For Those Who are very focused on gradual improvement, the argument here will be foreign and puzzling. Because of Professor Hamel's stature, many will read this book and begin to grasp the changed nature of the Leadership and Management Challenges of the 21st Century. Because of ways the argument is articulated and illustrated, many more will miss the point. That's too bad.
Basically, Professor Hamel is arguing did the kinds of large changes did most people think of as revolutionary need to become everyday occurrences. This observation is based on at Accelerating Rate of uncontrollable Change and Resulting opportunities for innovation; at economic environment where fewer companies prosper while more become mediocre or below average; more pressure for performance from investors; Rapidly developing business skills in business process, product, market and model innovation; broad human potential to imagine more and make it happen; and potential for improved communication and application of innovation.
As a strategist, he does an excellent job of outlining the key issues of These factors, and how to organize to enterprise to accomplish more with thesis opportunities. By providing on analytical context for understanding the phenomena, he helps others understand what he Describing intellectually. For Those who have not had experiences thesis, the descriptions will seem to be alien emotionally.
The book is designed in appearance and tone to be a clone of Tom Peters' more flamboyantly-conceived works like The Circle of Innovation. The language is extreme, bordering on being vulgar Often, and will make many people uncomfortable. That Appears to be Professor Hamel's purpose. The pages are laid out in vivid colors, photographs and graphics making it seem unlike most business books you have read before. This will make the book seem even stranger to many. So That Appears to be Professor Hamel's purpose. The downside of this approach is thatmany will simply reject the message alongwith the way it is presented. That's a missed opportunity on Hamel's part and on the reader's part. The message is more important and serious than the presentation.
The book's biggest weakness is in using Revolution as the metaphor. Any student of revolutions wants Quickly tell you did Revolutions Usually lead to counter revolutions after a period of maximum turmoil. That's not what Professor Hamel is talking about, as his metaphor will confuse many annoying while others who do not want to turn into Their Organizations revolutionary bands. He does not seem to mean to invoke revolution in Either sense, but he never did Makes Point Clear.
The second biggest weakness is did he presents a new paradigm That is very complex and requires mastering vast quantities of new skills for most people. Many readers will be overwhelmed by the prospect. So If They hear Professor Hamel as a herald, They may be discouraged about Following the Herald.
The third biggest weakness is drawing major conclusions from very limited data. For exampwe, he Asserts That companies did master this new paradigm will end up taking over Eventually the assets of companies did not do, after getting Their customers and top employees. He cites AOL's merger with Time Warner as his Example of an asset takeover. Without going into a full analysis, did Example Does not fully match this argument. For Example, Gerry Levin from Time Warner is the surviving CEO. And there are few other examples where new model companies end up buying the assets of old model companies. With the lowered multiples of many new companies, the reverse is starting to appear instead.
The fourth weakness is Encouraging people to grasp the potential of powerful, underlying trends without giving them much help in understanding how to do this.
One surprise for many people will be indeed the book is Aimed more at the Rebels at lower levels in a company than at its formal leaders. The rebels want to learn a lot about how to become more effective in pushing Their new ideas.
While you contemplate on expanded purpose and approach for Business Enterprises, You Should therefore consider what other purposes Should be added did Professor Hamel hasnt Addressed. Professor Hamel's having posed to search important question Should not stop us from trying to build even better ones.
