Summary of Playing to Win

Playing To Win: How Strategy Really Works is a book by Harvard Business School professor A.G. Lafley and strategy consultant Roger L. Martin that discusses the five basic components of successful corporate strategy. The book outlines a set of Primer Principles for each component, and provides examples to explore the choices associated with each. The authors contend that in order for companies to be successful, their strategy needs to be concrete and specific. Through case studies of successful companies, they illustrate the application of their five basic components through which strategy is made up of: choice, focus, energize, measure, and learn. Using these components, the authors explain how to maximize resources and create value through better use of current assets. The book also offers direction on how to assess and develop the strategy to suit the core competencies of the organization and the ever-changing market. By studying successful companies of the past, the authors give useful information for readers to understand how to formulate winning strategies for their own businesses.