This work provides entrepreneurs with building blocks to help their companies sustain high performance, play a leadership role in their industries, and remain successful for generations. Readers will discover the five key elements involved in guiding a company to lasting success, a blueprint for managing a thriving company, and plenty of real-world examples.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Best book ever - I recommend most often
Comment: If you are a fan of Good to Great and Built to Last, you will think you found a precious gem. We all know that a vision is the cornerstone to success. If you don't know who you are, what exist for and where you are going - how could you ever be successful. This book spells out why vision is the critical point, in clear language.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Comment: Beyond Entrepreneurship is an excellent book. Why? Most business books cover how to start companies, this book goes further. Collins & Lazier show you how to create a company that has a passion for what it's doing. They give guides on how to build a company from the ground up with ideals, beliefs, and goals. You learn why vision is so important to the overall goals of the company. Some of the things you'll learn in this book: How Sony stays ahead of the curve with its innovations. How 3M allows innovation to drive strategy. How Sam Walton used similar tactics but overtook his competition.

I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to build a great and enduring company.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Nothing new
Comment: The problem with this book, and many books of this type is that it is a clearly organized exposition on intuitive principles. I have read many books that resemble this one. They tend to be motivational and easily conceived, but the downside to the ease with which they are digested is that you don't really learn anything. This does not mean the book should not read, in fact the examples and organization clearly illustrate the basic structure of strategy. However, anyone familiar with the ideas should probably look for something a little more weighty.

All of that being said, this is how the book is organized thematically:

Chapter 1: Leadership Style
Chapter 2: Vision
Chapter 3: Strategy
Chapter 4: Innovation
Chapter 5: Tactical Excellence

The key topics of chapter 1 are the multiplier effect of leadership, the different style of leadership, and the elements of leadership (Ever Forward, Communication, Hard/Soft People Skills, Personal Touch, Focus, Decisiveness, and Authenticity).

Chapter 2 covers the benefits of vision, and the framework for vision (core values and beliefs, purpose, and mission).

Chapter 3 discusses the Four Basic Principles of Setting Effective Strategy, Setting Strategy, Internal Assessment, External Assessment, and the Four Common Key Strategic Issues that Face SMEs.

Chapter 4 is on the Six Elements that make an innovative company, and 8 managerial techniques to stimulate creativity.

Chapter 5 discusses how to take vision to create strategy which can then be used to formulate tactics, how to create an environment where people consistently exhibit tactical excellence, and a six part process to ensure excellence.

This book also periodically presents frameworks, models, and case examples to help illustrate key points.

Overall, it is a quick and easy read, that will illustrate basic tips to run a business. I would recomend anything written by Michael Porter or Peter Drucker for more conceptual ideas. For more books like this, the Harvard Business Review series should be considered.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastisc "Real Business" Book
Comment: This 'easy to read' book is great! It should be the bible for SME companies and entrepreneurs who want to excel in real-life business. It's full of great insights and a 'must have' for anybody who cares about practical business management.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Most Applicable Planning Book I Have Read
Comment: I have read a number of books on strategic planning. They all generally follow a very similar approach. However, Jim Collins has done a masterful job putting the theory into a format that is easily understood and easily applied to solve real problems. I initially used the book to lead the strategic planning process for the technical support department of a major software company. The results were astounding. I have since used the book to help many other organizations and have found the book equally appropriate for each engagement. Using the concepts in this book will dramatically help your organization.

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