Strategy Power Plays - Karen McCreadie, Tim Phillips, Steve Shipside

The book "Strategy Power Plays", written by authors Karen McCreadie, Tim Phillips and Steve Shipside, brings the main concepts of the books "The Prince", "Help yourself" and "The Art of War", in an easy and practice.

The objective is to offer the reader the best knowledge of business plans, through modern analysis of these timeless works.

Continue reading this PocketBook and discover the importance of strategy for the development of a successful career!

About the book "Strategy Power Plays"

The book "Strategy Power Plays" is written by Karen McCreadie, Tim Phillips and Steve Shipside, and was first released in 2009.

It has 230 pages, divided into 100 brief chapters, which seek, in a clear and objective way, to synthesize the teachings of the books:

• "The Art of War", written by Sun Tzu;
• "Help yourself", by author Samuel Smiles;
• "The Prince", written by Niccolo Machiavelli.

About the authors Karen McCreadie, Tim Phillips e Steve Shipside

Karen Mccreadi also wrote the books "Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich" and "Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations", which are interpretations of the books "Think and Grow Rich" and "The Wealth of Nations".

The subjects most addressed by this incredible author are sales, wealth creation and psychological profiles.

Tim Phillips writes about innovation, technology and business. He is also the author of the book "Charles Mackay's Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds".

Steve Shipside wrote the books "Karl Marx's Das Kapital" and "Benjamin Franklin's The Way to Wealth". He prefers to address topics such as computing, business and physical fitness.

To whom is this book indicated?

The content of the book, "Strategy Power Plays", contains several analyzes, tips and advice on leadership, behavior and strategy.

Thus, reading is recommended for people who want to live in high performance and stand out, both professionally and personally.

In addition, we recommend this book also for those who wish to improve their knowledge of strategy to become better leaders or employees.

Main ideas of the book "Strategy Power Plays"

• The main points that a leader should pay attention to;
• What behaviors are expected of a leader;
• The possibility of enjoying power;
• The importance of studying the market and seeking innovation;
• The influence of goals and how to obtain better results;
• The strategy behind the image you get.

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Overview: Characteristics of a leader

For authors Karen McCreadie, Tim Phillips and Steve Shipside, great leaders share some characteristics in common. That is why, in this part of the book, "Strategy Power Plays", they list the most important ones, such as, for example, choosing "All or Nothing".

In their view, leaders must propose a vision of never stopping until the work is done. On the other hand, there is the warning: only start to execute something when you are sure that this work will bring the return on the effort and energy demanded.

Another conclusion brought by the authors is taken from the book "The Prince", by Niccolo Machiavelli:

"Compassion is overrated."

In their view, care must be taken, as a leader must not confuse being compassionate with weakness.

Thus, it is necessary to set goals and expectations with the team. If there is a lower than determined income, during a conversation, you must:

• Explain what needs to happen to achieve the results;
• Explain what will happen if the result is not achieved;
• Set the deadline to achieve better performance.

In addition, they cite a situation not so pleasant for a leader.

Put yourself as a leader (if you are not one) and imagine that you have led your team on a path. The time comes for the result and... you suffer a setback. What is your direction? What do you do?

The authors claim that a powerful leader admits failure and changes strategy as soon as possible.

In their view, saying "I was wrong" is not a bad thing, as long as you confidently demonstrate which way to go after that statement.

Doing a self-analysis, do you already follow these tips to improve your team's performance? If not, what's left to start today?

Overview: Manage the whole

Following the content of the book "Strategy Power Plays", authors Karen McCreadie, Tim Phillips, and Steve Shipside bring conclusions about the management of the team. Right at the beginning, they claim "Use it or Lose it", referring to power.

In their view, power is the ability to change situations. That way, if you have power and don't use it, you will lose it. Whether with demotion or with breaking the authority and confidence of your team.

If you still don't have the power, the authors point out that there are actions you can take today, without having to ask for permission or budget authorization.

So, what is your attitude towards this situation? It is necessary to execute instead of just talking.

As important as looking inside the company, you need to understand the market. For this, the authors emphasize knowledge of Sun Tzu, from the book "The Art of War":

"An army can march great distances without wearing out, as long as it crosses territories where the enemy is not."

Therefore, they advise observing the market and map products and services that are not yet being offered for a given pain. Is your company today solving all, I repeat, all of your customers' problems?

What can you do today so that a new product or service is developed using the same Know-How that you already have?

Of course, if you want to innovate and go to a different market, it is also possible, but know that it will require more effort and energy.

Overview: Get results

How to increase results? In the view of authors Karen McCreadie, Tim Phillips, and Steve Shipside, one of the ways out are "Having High Goals". According to them:

"Difficult goals require more effort to be achieved, but they produce lasting gains. Only the weak seek out easy targets, and the weak always fail in the end."

How are your team's goals? Do you agree with this type of approach?

From another perspective, but also with the aim of increasing the team's results, they suggest, based on the concepts in the book "Smiles", that "leading by example" is the best way to inspire people and keep a team together.

In addition, they claim that "integration is essential". This item is based on the knowledge of Sun Tzu, who says:

"Captured soldiers must be treated well and fed."

Karen, Tim and Steve say in the book, "Strategy Power Plays", that if you are hiring someone (new soldier), he should be quickly integrated into the team.

In this way, they suggest that leaders should designate a new partner for the new soldier within the company, with the aim of breaking down barriers and facilitating the adaptation of this talent.

Overview: Take care of the image you pass

The authors Karen McCreadie, Tim Phillips and Steve Shipside emphasize in the book, "Strategy Power Plays", the importance of the leader to pass a strong image before the whole team. So one of the main pieces of advice is "hide".

Also taken from the book "The Prince", this part suggests that if you have a bad habit, it is better to hide it within your work. If you don't protect a strong image, your power will decrease.

In addition, the authors bring another tip, such as "Choosing the Battles", based on the knowledge of Sun Tzu, who states:

"Fighting and winning all battles is not the ultimate excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."

So, have you chosen the battles you want to face? Are you looking to win in the smartest way or is it only the result that matters?

Therefore, if you look at it, victory is only relevant if the battle is, in fact, inevitable, because engaging in wars without necessity is not thinking strategically.

What do other authors say about it?

In the book "A Whole New Mind", Daniel H. Pink shows that empathy is also related to the universe of persuasion and allows the creation of strategies and direct actions that promote good coexistence with team members.

In "Leadership Gold", John C. Maxwell argues that we need to develop self-awareness to become true leaders. It will illuminate the habits and behaviors that lead us to overcome obstacles.

Finally, in the book "Out Of The Maze", Spencer Johnson shows how to become a winner by winning the mazes that prevent you from reaching bigger goals, understanding your mistakes and what led you to them.

For that, you will see how to get rid of the fear of looking back, understanding your failures to go ahead: achieving victory!

Okay, but how can I apply this to my life?

• Dedicate yourself to be a good leader;
• Know which path and which objective you want to achieve;
• Understand the market in which it operates and seek to innovate;
• Pay attention to goal setting;
• Lead by example;
• Optimize the integration of new talents in the team;
• Avoid battles, be smart.

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