Guiding growth : how vision keeps companies on course

"Executives Love the Idea of vision. And studies have proven the link between a strong vision and sustained growth. Yet when it comes to taking vision from paper to reality, most companies fail miserably. Organizational expert Mark Lipton argues that this costly disconnect -- between believing in a vision and knowing how to create and live one -- exists because today's fast-paced world demands short-term fixes. Pressured to act quickly, executives often make tactical decisions that create larger strategic problems down the road. Without powerful visions to guide them, companies invariably fall back on past ways of doing things rather than embracing the future -- a fatal mistake in today's grow-or-die marketplace." "Guiding Growth is a step-by-step guide to implementing a vision process successfully. Based on Lipton's extensive research and consulting work with companies experiencing rapid growth across a range of industries, this book introduces a practical Vision Framework that addresses three core principles: the organization's raison d'etre; a strategy for achieving its "higher purpose"; and the values that define what the organization stands for. Through fresh examples of firms that have developed successful visions, such as Oakley, Whole Foods Market, and The Container Store, Lipton shows how any organization -- from startups to established firms, from corporations to nonprofits -- can use the Vision Framework. Guiding Growth moves beyond token "mission statements" toward powerful visions that guide day-to-day behavior and overall company direction, and reveals how organizations can stay the course, even as they grow."