Strategic Intuition: The Creative Spark in Human Achievement (Columbia Business School) (Hardcover)

~ William Duggan PhD (Author) "It's an open secret that good ideas come to you as flashes of insight, often when you don't expect them..." (more)
Key Phrases: strategic planning workbook, strategic intuition, intelligent memory works, New York, Thomas Kuhn, Grameen Bank (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book will be the first to introduce formally, authoritatively, and convincingly the notion of strategic intuition to the business and finance communities. All strategic leaders can benefit immensely from it. -- Douglas C. Lovelace, Senior National Security Strategist

Whether finding the next great game designer or the next great entrepreneur, I always try to find those special few who have made the 'giant leap' to the next big idea. William Duggan finally explains how the mind forms great leaps and how throughout time individuals have used strategic intuition to change the world. Strategic Intuition should be required reading for anyone in the venture capital business. -- Gilman Louie, partner, Alsop Louie Partners and former CEO of In-Q-Tel

Whether the subject is art, science, or business, William Duggan takes us on a fascinating exploration into how the human brain connects experience and knowledge to create entirely new ideas in momentary flashes of insight. A definitely important read for anyone charged with bringing innovation to strategic leadership. -- Robin Harper, vice president, marketing and community development, Linden Lab, creator of Second Life

William Duggan's book is really on point. His work has enormous implications for the teaching of strategy. -- Glenn Hubbard, Dean, Columbia Business School

Review

"The best strategy book of the year." -- David Newkirk, Strategy+Business

"A concise and entertaining treatise on human achievement." -- William Easterly, Wall Street Journal

"This book might just change how you look at human thought and strategy, and influence how you organize yourself and your team strategically." -- Jack Covert, 800-CEO-Read

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (September 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231142684
• ISBN-13: 978-0231142687
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #246,875 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It answers a very particular question, April 14, 2008

By	Gregory Fung (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been looking for a book that answers the question "How do I go from my SWOT analysis (a chart that puts on one page strengths, weaknesses, external opportunities and threats) to a plan that really works?" Most of the books I've read recommend that a manager work up their analysis and then use it to write their plan. But I've noticed that going from analysis to an awesome game-winning plan is extremely hard to do, and is something I and my managers do with less success than I would like.

This book addresses my very specific but important question by describing what the right person needs to do to set the right conditions to have the right flash of insight, and how our usual planning techniques actually go against this natural process. Duggan makes a clear and non-technical argument and, for what it's worth, seems to match my experience.

The few shortcomings of the book, in my mind, are that it is difficult to clearly apply this approach to an organizational setting. His one example using the GE "What Works" matrix is a bit thin and without clear results, making me wonder why he could not find a better example with real results, and why GE ultimately discontinued the method. Secondly, this book does not help someone become more able to have flashes of insight. Setting the right conditions is great, but it is no guarantee of brilliance. Perhaps this would be a question for his next book.

Overall, I loved this book because it gave a solid framework for an important and longstanding question I've had, but I only gave 4 stars because of the shortcomings mentioned above.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone doing strategy, March 6, 2008

By	James E. Schrager "jimschrager" (Mishawaka, IN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I teach strategy in graduate business school and have done so for over twenty years. I routinely judge strategy books to be without much practical use. This book takes an entirely different approach from most others and is thoroughly successful. Rather than simply tell stories or provide backward looking analytical tools, Prof. Duggan takes you inside great strategy decisions and shows how they were made. The first one he details is amazing, but it takes several before you really understand what it is all about. The more the better, as each example shows the thoughtful reader yet another way the concepts work. A must read for anyone who wants to work on making better decisions, rather than just analyzing those from the past. This book has the potential to change the way we think about strategic decisions. Many students who have read it have reported to me they are unable to put it down.

2.0 out of 5 stars It is more recreational than educational, November 8, 2009

By	L. Zhong (Michigan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

I first learned about professor Duggan through another professor, for whom I had a lot of respect. Professor Duggan came highly recommended by my professor, so naturally, I picked up his book.

I have to say I was disappointed by the book. It might have to do with the high expectation I was having when I started the read. I read about 40% of the book and could not finish it. While the book is not bad by any means, it simply is NOT a critical read when you have other things to do or books to read. It is more a book for vacation rather than a book to change your career.

So, don't expect you'd learn something breath taking thru this book. It is recreational.