Strategic Navigation: A Systems Approach to Business Strategy

There are many parallels between the business world and the military world: both must always be wary of the competition; both must be able to adapt to rapidly changing conditions; and if either falters the results could be devastating. Yet while military leaders have employed essentially the same strategies for thousands of years, business leaders often feel the need to try the latest fad in an effort to capture lightning in a bottle and lead the company to success. In Strategic Navigation: A Systems Approach to Business Strategy, best-selling author H. William Dettmer explains how sound, proven strategies used by great military leaders from Sun Tzu to Schwarzkopf can also be easily and effectively used in the business world.

Dettmer begins the book by introducing the conceptual framework of military strategy and maneuver warfare, which dates back over 2,300 years to the time of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. He first explains how the time-tested principles of war planning and military execution can be readily applied to non-military uses, such as commercial business, not-for-profit organizations, and government agencies, leading to considerable benefits in coherence and focus. Dettmer then introduces a logical, systematic tool set to help you translate the military strategy ‘template’ into action, which can then be applied to nearly any industry or business type. The system described by Dettmer is quick and easy to use, flexible enough to accommodate changes in the external environment, and supports the creativity of both strategists and executors.

H. William Dettmer has over 25 years of leadership and management experience in operations and logistics environments and is a successful manager of multimillion-dollar projects and contracting activities. Dettmer is a senior partner at Goal Systems International. Formerly an adjunct faculty member at the University of Southern California, he has taught extensively at the graduate level on many topics relating to business management. Dettmer has a B.A. degree from Rutgers University and a M.S. degree from the University of Southern California. Dettmer has authored three previous books, Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints: A Systems Approach to Continuous Improvement (ASQ Quality Press, 1997), Breaking the Constraints to World-Class Performance (ASQ Quality Press, 1998), and Manufacturing at Warp Speed (CRC St. Lucie Press, 2000).