A.G. Lafley: How Strategy Really Works

Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works

A.G. Lafley

Former CEO of Procter & Gamble (2000–2009)

“Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works”

The biggest shortcoming among today’s CEOs is that they don’t think they need a strategy. They think they have a hot product or hot service. They think benchmarking, best practices and copying what the rest of the industry does is a strategy. They try to be all things to all people.

If you’re not clear about which customers you’re going to serve, how to serve them in a unique and better way that creates real value for them, and your core competencies, you’re just not going to have as much of a chance to win. You cannot grow if you don’t end up making a meaningful difference in consumers’ lives.