Book Summary Preview : The Advantage-Makers

The Big Idea

Some leaders are more capable than others. They consistently see possibilities that others miss. They learn more, but more than that, they learn faster – and transform their insights into breakaway strategies that lead to success. They collaborate more effectively and influence more powerfully, handle adversity far better, and are dramatically more successful at execution.

They, in short, are Advantage-Makers.

These skills aren’t innate; they can be both taught and learned. And leaders who have managed to learn these skills have gone on to transform their organizations.

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WHY YOU NEED THIS BOOK

The Advantage-Makers points out every skill would-be Advantage-Makers need to master, and then helps readers master each and every one of them. Readers aren’t just exhorted to think different; they’re actually taught how to do so. Readers also learn how to find the “commanding vantage point” in their situations – and use this high ground to spot and maximize every opportunity.

STRATEGIC SHIFTING: HOW TO SEE WHAT OTHERS MISS

How to Shift the Odds In Your Favor in the Best of Times and the Worst of Times

Would-be Advantage-Makers must first learn how to develop strategic shifting and find commanding vantage points to see what others miss.

• Advantage-Makers turn everything to their best possible advantage. They create superior outcomes.

• Their skills include:

• An increased means of accomplishing their aims by getting the most out of what they have, spotting opportunities others don’t know exist, and influencing situations to achieve superior outcomes
• Superior effectiveness in the midst of constraints that allows them to make hard decisions, learn more and faster, course-correct from mistakes quicker, and design successful structures

• Harness people’s ingenuity by providing tactical structures to resolve conflicts, collaboration for breakaway strategies, and the power to persuade difficult people

• They are able to design choices that others don’t even know exist.

• If you are not an Advantage-Maker, odds are you will lose to someone who is.

• Strategic shifting is adopting the right angle, and allows you to maximize opportunity and shift odds in your favor.

• A commanding vantage point is like a strategic hill from which to look at situations and see reality clearly. These can be dynamic and can provide a definite edge.

Breaking the Secret Code of the Advantage-Makers

There are a set of operating principles unique to Advantage-Makers – their time orientation, perceptions and mindsets, how they interact with people and challenges, and how they spot opportunities, create advantages and influence outcomes.

• Advantage-making is constantly creating superior outcomes in a timely manner by leveraging assets in the face of constraints and doing so simply and directly.

• Constraints are a fact of business life; they are the opposite of leverage. They should be seen as part of advantage-making materials and, as such, put to best use.

• Shifting time generates possibilities; shifting perception creates winners; shifting interactions transforms the game; shifting structure creates behavior.

• Advantage-Makers strategically shift time, interactions, perceptions, and structures.

• Timing is the fundamental sense for Advantage-Makers.

• Interactions determine the relationships between business, organizations, teams and people.

• Perception separates the winners from the losers: winners see options; losers only complain.

• Structure shapes behavior.

• The Code of the Advantage-Maker lets you spot opportunities, create advantages and influence outcomes.

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