The no-introduction-needed intro

Citation

Randall, R.M. (2004), "The no-introduction-needed intro", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 32 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/sl.2004.26132eaa.001

The no-introduction-needed intro

By the time I produced an authoritative count of all the books written by the authors appearing in this issue of Strategy & Leadership, several of them would likely have published a few more, making my data outdated. So, because I've got more important things to do than undertake such a feckless research project, I'm just going to guesstimate. Hmmm. By my rough count they've authored about 55 books, a number of them business classics. Of course if you aren't satisfied with my estimate you can do your own research by sifting through some 15,000 to 20,000 entries on Amazon.com for Philip Kotler, Robert S. Kaplan, David P. Norton, David Nadler, Jay Lorsch, Michael Raynor, and Sam Rovit. Before you do, keep in mind that the accuracy of my estimate was improved because the most prolific of the bunch, marketing guru and noted professor Phil Kotler, let me know that he has published 35 books.

As a result of their literary output – their books, their thousands of articles, their conference speeches, and their lectures – you are likely to already be well acquainted with the S&L authors in this issue. Without committing a fraud I could invoke one of the clichés of the business conference circuit: "The speaker needs no introduction". But in truth, there's just not enough space in this "Editor's letter" to do justice to their outpouring and achievements, so I'll only update you on what they have to say new in this volume:

• •

  Phil Kotler offers CEOs his three-part plan to upgrade their marketing department for new challenges;

• •

  Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton explain how to use their balanced scorecard and strategy map concept to explicitly address the mobilization and alignment of a corporation's intangible assets with its strategic objectives;

• •

  Sam Rovit and his associates at Bain have modeled the best practices of the most successful acquirers by studying 1,693 major US, Japanese and EU firms that made 11,049 deals;

• •

  David A. Nadler, Mercer Delta's CEO, offers a plan that enables corporate leaders to effectively engage their boards in strategic work, but doesn't result in directors usurping essential management functions;

• •

  Jay Lorsch, Harvard professor and consultant to boards, provides an overview of the failure of corporate oversight and suggests a reform agenda that addresses board composition, processes, and design; and

• •

  Michael E. Raynor, Director of Deloitte Research, in a "CEO advisory", recommends a three-stage process whereby a company can both develop strategy and control strategic risk, with the relative influence of management and board varying according to the requirements of each stage.

Good reading.

Robert M. RandallEditor