Strategies of the Serengeti: Where Having the Right Strategy is a Matter of Life and Death - Hardcover

This is the first strategy book I have read that held my interest past the prologue (which, incidentally, is very entertaining). The link to animal behaviour makes the subject come alive in a way that really worked for me. The chapters were full of examples of real companies' strategies told in a style that did not either patronise the reader or assume huge knowledge. The diagrams were clear and relevant, the animal fact files were an interesting aside and the illustrations wonderful. All in all a very informative and useful book, with the advantage of being really nice to look at!! --D.Mason L&D professional UK

This is a must have for Executives, Directors, managers, consultants, students and those doing an MBA, here for the first time, a user friendly book on business strategy, which dispels all the myths. This book draws the wonderful and memorable comparison from real animals on the Serengeti plains of Africa and the simple strategies they use to get what they want, with business strategies and how any business can use these to achieve its goals and objectives without a degree in management speak. There are case studies of businesses to prove the points made and anecdotes from life to stress the simplicity. It is funny, easy to read, easy to understand, and makes sense. I have been a management consultant and HR specialist for over 20 years and every technique in this book works, and what s more you can pick and mix from its chapters, you don t have use the whole book, you can use different bits to suit your business need. A must read for anyone with even a vague interest in this area. --Stephen Elkins-Jarrett HR Director

It s a lot more than a book - it s a whole business model --Irina Sergeeva Mexico

This is a must have for Executives, Directors, managers, consultants, students and those doing an MBA, here for the first time, a user friendly book on business strategy, which dispels all the myths. This book draws the wonderful and memorable comparison from real animals on the Serengeti plains of Africa and the simple strategies they use to get what they want, with business strategies and how any business can use these to achieve its goals and objectives without a degree in management speak. There are case studies of businesses to prove the points made and anecdotes from life to stress the simplicity. It is funny, easy to read, easy to understand, and makes sense. I have been a management consultant and HR specialist for over 20 years and every technique in this book works, and what s more you can pick and mix from its chapters, you don t have use the whole book, you can use different bits to suit your business need. A must read for anyone with even a vague interest in this area. --Stephen Elkins-Jarrett HR Director

It s a lot more than a book - it s a whole business model --Irina Sergeeva Mexico

This is a must have for Executives, Directors, managers, consultants, students and those doing an MBA, here for the first time, a user friendly book on business strategy, which dispels all the myths. This book draws the wonderful and memorable comparison from real animals on the Serengeti plains of Africa and the simple strategies they use to get what they want, with business strategies and how any business can use these to achieve its goals and objectives without a degree in management speak. There are case studies of businesses to prove the points made and anecdotes from life to stress the simplicity. It is funny, easy to read, easy to understand, and makes sense. I have been a management consultant and HR specialist for over 20 years and every technique in this book works, and what s more you can pick and mix from its chapters, you don t have use the whole book, you can use different bits to suit your business need. A must read for anyone with even a vague interest in this area. --Stephen Elkins-Jarrett HR Director

It s a lot more than a book - it s a whole business model --Irina Sergeeva Mexico

Strategies of the Serengeti makes the complex area of organisational strategy accessible and memorable. It uses the analogy of some of the worlds greatest strategy experts - the animals of the vast plains of the African Serengeti. These experts have enacted strategies which have been successful for centuries, possibly thousands of years and have much to teach us about how we could thrive and survive in our own business Serengetis. The book is about the animals, but it is primarily about the application of their strategies to business life - the speed of the cheetah, the knowledge of the elephant, the vision of the giraffe, the stealth of the crocodile and the bluff of the ostrich are all considered, with copious examples from real business and principles to emulate in all organisations. The first edition of the book sold out and translations have been made in several languages. The English edition has been sent to over 100 different countries. This second edition updates some of the examples, makes a few additions and removes a few examples of the first edition, but is about 85% the same content as the highly recommended original. The following statement from the back cover explains the principles of the book: In the 1980 s we went in search of excellence . Today, many of the companies heralded as excellent have floundered or died. In the 1990 s we looked for businesses which were built to last many have not lasted. In the early part of the 21st century we sought to move from good to great . Just a few years later many of the mighty had fallen. By contrast, the Serengeti is a landscape with an ecosystem which has thrived for thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of years. It has lasted. It has endured climatic and human change. The animals on these great grass plains are supremely adapted for excellence in their highly competitive environment. Strategies of the Serengeti seeks to learn from the strategy experts the animals of the Serengeti. Their strategies have outlived the fads and fashions of business schools. They have survived the recessions of drought and the dynamism of their competitive environment. Some use speed, others stealth. Some take advantage of great vision, others use co-ordination and yet others use raw power. The key to strategic success on the Serengeti is using the right strategy at the right time. This book explores a range of strategies used by the inhabitants of this, the most competitive of all environments and gives a range of possibilities for every business from the global giants to the sole trader.