The Crux

How Leaders Become Strategists

By: Richard P. Rumelt

Narrated by: Richard P. Rumelt, Charles Constant

Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

The paradigm-busting theory for doing strategy.

What passes for strategy in too many businesses, government agencies, and military operations is a toxic mix of wishful thinking and a jumble of incoherent policies. Richard P. Rumelt’s breakthrough concept is that leaders become effective strategists when they focus on challenges rather than goals, pinpointing the crux of their pivotal challenge—the aspect that is both surmountable and promises the greatest progress—and taking decisive, coherent action to overcome it.

Rumelt defines the essence of the strategist’s skill with vivid storytelling, from how Elon Musk found the crux that propelled the success of SpaceX to how the American military came to grips with the weaknesses of its battle strategy. Musk’s core challenge, for example, was rocket reusability. His intense focus on the soft landing of SpaceX’s rockets enabled them to be used again—radically reducing the cost of putting a pound in orbit. Musk’s strategy was not based on how value is created or how to position SpaceX in its industry. It was a design foraction, the mental maneuver that focuses energy on what really made a difference through understanding the crux and creating an effective response that led to breakthrough.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Richard P. Rumelt (P)2022 PublicAffairs

Excellent

I confess that I consider Author’s first book, “Good Strategy, Bad Strategy” to be one of the best business books - period. So I was thrilled for this new work. It does not disappoint but builds on his core beliefs on what is strategy and how it is different than goals, mission statements, objectives and most corporate double speak. Essential reading for corporate leaders.

Another great book from this Author

Read good strategy bad strategy then this and you will build a stronger plan for your business.

Rumelt is the best

I couldn’t wait to read this when I saw Richard Rumelt had come out with a new book. It is just as good as I hoped and I’m ready to start my second listen through. I have gone through good strategy bad strategy many times and yet this is still very valuable.

A logical approach to strategy that I can follow

If you like to think independently and logically, you will like this book. Author provides a solid framework on how to evaluate and select a strategy that will work for your situation.

Another must read from Rumelt for those trying to understand what real strategy is

Rumelt’s use of easily understandable examples to illustrates the dos and fonts of strategy was genius. He not only covers what are good and bad examples of strategy. And towards the end of the book provides a great guide on setting up strategy workshops he calls foundries

Great book for folks looking to not only understand good and bad strategy through examples but the process through which a good strategy can be born

A great read but a poor listen

Unless the choosing of this narrator was a strategy of increasing the sales of the hard copy of the book, switching from an amazing Sean Runnette that narrated Good Strategy / Bad Strategy was a blunder.

The focus from the content gets constantly shifted to gulping individual words that the narrator likes to emphasize over and over. There is a lack of flow, tone variations, emphasis on the key words and points, the whole package. It is really a pity, but the edition is on a border of unlistenable. I find myself lost in the point as I get constantly distracted by the narration and often need to rewind to get the grasp of it again.

Of course, this may come down to the individual taste, but if you compare the two releases, The Crux and Good Strategy / Bad Strategy, it is as clear as a day. Again, a real pity.

But, it does motivate me to buy a hard copy, the author and his content is that good. So if this was the idea, great job!

great read!!!!

it has alot of great information about current revelant companies, a very insightful read!!!! a must read for accurate analysis on real strategy!!!

Insightful and Practical take on Strategy

The last few chapters have all the process information and provide an outstanding recipe for creating strategies that can be implemented and have a high probability of success. The background information had a lot of great nuggets of information and in many instances represented how not to create a useful strategy for a business. I highly recommend this book.

Business strategy

For me this is a really important book for business leaders. Strategy concepts for the competitive market.

A must listen for strategic thinkers in a short-sighted environment

Contrary to the status-quo of the epoch I write this review in - long term strategic analysis is in demand and this book is a great foundation filled with case studies and analysis to provide guidance to seasoned strategists and newly interested parties.