Microsoft Executive Leadership Series: Series Foreword
Chapter 1. Responsiveness Trumps Efficiency
The World Behaves Like a Stock Market
Efficiency Is Only Half of the Equation
Traditional Business Models Are Coming Up Short
Efficiency without Responsiveness Will Kill Your Company
Customer Relationships Are the Most Valuable Asset
The Value-Added Paper Cup
A Most Amazing Innovation
Using Information Technology to Make Money
All Products and Services Have Two Components
Chapter 2. Generating Alpha
Value-Added Services and Entrepreneurial Employees Generate Alpha
Escape from the Trap of Commoditized Jobs
Welcome to the First World-Now Your Labor Rates Are Too High
New Opportunities to Create Value
Responsiveness Enables a Higher Standard of Living
Profit Potential of the Self-Adjusting Feedback Loop
Toward a Responsive Business Operating Strategy
Use People and Computers Each for Their Strengths
Chapter 3. Principles of the Responsive Organization
More Coordination, Less Control
End of Control As We Know It-The Dynamics of Swarming
Leadership for the Responsive Organization
Dynamics of the Responsive Organization
Structure of the Responsive Organization
Chapter 4. Speed, Simplicity, and Boldness
Five Themes from The Art of War
Insights from People Who Have Been There
Observe-Orient-Decide-Act
Chapter 5. Strategically Focused, Tactically Responsive
Awareness Drives Effective Strategy (Loop 1)
Balancing Means Continuous Improvement (Loop 2)
Agility Means Move It or Lose (Loop 3)
Reinforcing Feedback for Creating Something New
A Formula to Measure Business Responsiveness
Thoughts on a Formula for Business Responsiveness
Chapter 6. Thriving in a Competitive, Fast-Paced World
Leadership in the Old World and the New
Agility and Innovation Are Related to Leadership Practices
Three Applications with Great Potential
Principle of Combined Arms Applied to Business
Agile Systems for Responsive Operations
IT Agility Enables Business Innovation
Chapter 7. Ya Gotta Wanna
We Are Capable of Great Things
Executive Behavior Defines the Workplace
Thoughts on the Practice of Agility
The 30-Day Blitz: IT Agility in Action
Agility Means Simple Things Done Well Not Complex Things Done Fast
Agility Has a Tempo that Ebbs and Flows
Chapter 8. The Essence of Innovation
The Challenge of Making Something New
Art, Sports, and Business All Blend Together
Innovation is a Constant Mixing of Ideas
Picture of a Responsive Company
Five Key Characteristics of the Responsive Organization
Appendix A. Executive Checklist for Monitoring Development Projects
1. Goodness of System Design
2. Progress Made Developing the System
3. Competence and Confidence of People on the Project
Appendix B. Seven Strategic Guidelines for Designing Systems
