The Upside

Today,whenyourfortunescanliterallychangeovernight,thenewstrategicimperativeismakingyourmomentofmaximumriskyourmomentofmaximumopportunity.InTheUpside,AdrianSlywotzkyprovidesboldandoriginalideasforgrowthbreakthroughsaswellasthepracticaltoolstouseMondaymorning,suchas:•Howtochangetheoddsforyournextmajorinitiativeandcreatepotentialindustrybreakthroughs,asToyotadidwithitsexpandinguniverseofPriusvehicles.•Shapeandexploitrisk,don’tbeshapedbyit.Becomeaknowledge-intensivebusinessandcontinuallyincreasetheknowledgegapbetweenyourselfandrivals,asCoachandTsutayaofJapanhaveconvincinglydone.•Acategorykillercan’tkillwhat’snotinitscategory.WhenbasketballlegendBillRussellfacedataller,strongerWiltChamberlain,heledtheCelticstovictorybyinventingadifferentgame.ThesamethinkingletsTargetprosperinaWal-Martworld—andcanhelpyououtcompetethe“unbeatable”rivalinyourownindustry.•Whenyoucometoaforkintheroad—takeit!Onlyafractionofcompaniessurvivewhenindustriesexperiencetechnologicalorstrategictransitions.Tobeasurvivor,learnthesecretthatenabledMicrosofttoweathertheadventoftheInternet—theartofthedoublebet.•Stuckinabusinessbox?Findthebiggerbox—andthenthebiggest.Whengrowthstagnates,capturemoreofyourcustomer’sdollarsthroughdemandinnovationandbig-boxthinking,ascompaniesfromContinentalAGandIkeatoProcter&Gamblehavedone.•Yourcompetitorscanalsobeyourgreatestenablersofprofit.Stopcompetingyourselftodeath!Thekeyisknowingwhentocompeteandwhentocollaborate,asApplehasshownwithitsrevolutionaryapproachtothemusicbusiness.Inthe1980sconventionalwisdomwasthatyoucouldhavehighqualityorlowcost,butnotboth—untilJapanesemakersofcarsandelectronicsshowedotherwise.Now,highqualityandlowcostarerequiredjusttoenterthemarketplace.Today,wefaceasimilarparadoxwhenitcomestoriskandreward.Ratherthanshrinkfromthehighrisksointegraltothetumultuousglobaleconomy,AdrianSlywotzkyshowshowitcanbeyourgreatestsourceofgrowthandfuturereward.