Summary of Fewer, Bigger, Bolder
From Mindless Expansion to Focused Growth
Focus on what you do best and seek related opportunities – or those not related at all.
Recommendation
Growth for growth’s sake is a manifestation of a form of madness that often goes unquestioned in the workplace. Organizations with the discipline to reject opportunities outside their strategy – or to drop waning products and markets despite emotional attachments – win at the end of the day. Kellogg School of Management professors and consultants Sanjay Khosla and Mohanbir Sawhney suggest a thoughtful approach to “focused growth” in commerce and all aspects of society. They offer a way forward in business that provides a structured process for targeted expansion, sustainability and enduring profits. They reveal the dangers of a mindless pursuit of growth for organizations large and small. They argue that their alternative – knowledgeable, strategic growth – proves a saner, more sustainable and faster path to profits. Khosla and Mohanbir’s “Focus7” strategic process limns a no-nonsense strategy for choosing your best bets and making them happen. Their writing style may not inspire, but their message is sound and workable. getAbstract recommends their short, practical regimen to corporate managers, executives, entrepreneurs and small-business owners, no matter what their industry.
In this summary, you will learn
- How simplicity and focus build a business for the long term and;
- How to apply the spiraling, seven-stage “Focus7” process to achieve sustained growth.
Summary
About the Authors
Sanjay Khosla and Mohanbir Sawhney apply the “Focus7” approach in their global consulting practices. Khosla was president of Kraft Foods’ developing markets division. Since 2013, he has been serving as a management consultant, a senior fellow at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a senior adviser at BCG. Sawhney has written six other books.
