The Lords of Strategy: The Secret Intellectual History of the New Corporate World

Essentially, this book examines the arguments about the value of business strategy though the lense of management history. The author follows the progression of strategic thinking to the present. The work of consultants and academics building theory is all here. I have been familiar with the strategic models and literature for a number of yours, but this volume puts a real face on the entire process. Troubling is the influence of a handful of academics and consultants on contemporary business thinking. I just had not thought of the evolution of strategic thought in this context.

This is a great book, well written and expertly read by Robertson Dean. Anyone who works in business will benefit by listening to this one with one caveat. If you are familiar with the basic strategic planning models (Five Forces, BCG Matrix, etc) you will do fine. If not, you will benefit, perhaps,l more by reading the paper copy.

The book is a rather linear history of business strategy. It starts with roughly a chapter for each of the great contributors to the field (i.e., each of the ???lords of strategy???). But as the time-line progresses the story becomes more fractured with fewer ???Lords??? and many lesser contestants in the market place of ideas. Presumably this is corresponds to the real world, but the result is that the book undergoes a gradual change in style, ending with a very different style than it starts.

The book argues that the big Boston consulting firms were at the heart of this story. This simultaneously seems truer than I had realized and somewhat biased (e.g., where does Stanford and Silicon Valley fit in to this story).

Some of the history was not well known to me and I suspect is not widely known.

Readers looking for context will rate this book higher (e.g., 5 stars). Reader looking for more than context will probably rate the book lower (e.g., 3 stars).

This is an intelligent, very well-researched analysis of the evolution of strategy as it has been practiced by the major consulting firms in the US, such as BCG, Bain and Co, and McKinsey. The book has a biographical style, but the reader learns as much about strategy as the people who practiced.

The evolution of modern business strategy.

Synopsized the best ideas of leaders in the field of strategy.

Bruce Henderson founder of Boston Consulting Group.

It made me realize my own strengths and unique insights on the subject while also refining other areas that were the strengths of the "lords" throughout the book.

Management Consulting Insights

Bill Bain,for his innovation

Great read/listen - entertaining, intellectually stimulating with knowledge and lessons vital for the understanding and practice of modern management consulting.

The author has done a wonderful job of outlining the development and evolution of corporate strategy firms and how they influenced the businesses they worked with. The book is engaging and very well written, moving quickly through 50 years of history.
In addition, Robertson Dean does a wonderful job of narrating the book.
Thoroughly recommended.

The author spends too much time name dropping of other people and promoting their books. Too much back and forth. Take too long to get to the point of the book. Would not recommend.