Playing to Win

Playing to Win
Author: Alan G. Lafley
Publisher: Harvard Business Press
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2013
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 142218739X

Explains how companies must pinpoint business strategies to a few critically important choices, identifying common blunders while outlining simple exercises and questions that can guide day-to-day and long-term decisions.

Compete, Play, Win

Compete, Play, Win
Author: David Apostolico
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing Inc.
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2009-10-13
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 160239718X

Told from the viewpoint of a self-described competition junkie, Compete, Play, Win is a look at the psychology behind the competitive drive, a look at the sociological ramifications of acting on competitive impulses, and a book of advice on how to channel those impulses for personal gain in business, sport, and in life. In a chapter called?Sperm Wars,? author David Apostolico pinpoints conception as the beginning of our competitive nature, and discusses the competition for a mate that precedes that, setting up the idea that competition is a biological necessity, and evolution has embraced and modified that drive. In a later chapter called?Competitive Nation,? Apostolico uses himself as a test subject, entering a far-flung variety of contests (including competitive eating contests, dog shows, and drag races), in order to test how far he, as a competitive junkie, is willing to go for victory. At the end of each event, he answers a list of ten questions, concluding with,?Can a competitive junkie ever feel truly satisfied?? Along this personal journey, Apostolico draws parallels between personal competition and competition in the business world, and imparts his firsthand knowledge of how to use the competitive drive to win at everything you do.

Playing to Win

Playing to Win
Author: David Sirlin
Publisher: Lulu.com
Total Pages: 144
Release: 2006-04-01
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 1411666798

Winning at competitive games requires a results-oriented mindset that many players are simply not willing to adopt. This book walks players through the entire process: how to choose a game and learn basic proficiency, how to break through the mental barriers that hold most players back, and how to handle the issues that top players face. It also includes a complete analysis of Sun Tzu's book The Art of War and its applications to games of today. These foundational concepts apply to virtually all competitive games, and even have some application to "real life." Trade paperback. 142 pages.

Playing to Win

Playing to Win
Author: Hilary Levey Friedman
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2013-08-03
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0520276752

"Many parents work more hours outside of the home and their lives are crowded with more obligations than ever before; many children spend their evenings and weekends trying out for all-star teams, traveling to regional and national tournaments, and eating dinner in the car while being shuttled between activities. In this vivid ethnography, based on almost 200 interviews with parents, children, coaches and teachers, Hilary Levey probes the increase in children's participation in activities outside of the home, structured and monitored by their parents, when family time is so scarce. As the parental "second shift" continues to grow, alongside it a second shift for children has emerged--especially among the middle- and upper-middle classes--which is suffused with competition rather than mere participation. What motivates these particular parents to get their children involved in competitive activities? Parents' primary concern is their children's access to high quality educational credentials--the biggest bottleneck standing in the way of, or facilitating entry into, membership in the upper-middle class. Competitive activities, like sports and the arts, are seen as the essential proving ground that will clear their children's paths to the Ivy League or other similar institutions by helping them to develop a competitive habitus. This belief, motivated both by reality and by perception, and shaped by gender and class, affects how parents envision their children's futures; it also shapes the structure of children's daily lives, what the children themselves think about their lives, and the competitive landscapes of the activities themselves"--

Win Forever

Win Forever
Author: Pete Carroll
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2011-08-02
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1101548398

"I know that I'll be evaluated in Seattle with wins and losses, as that is the nature of my profession for the last thirty-five years. But our record will not be what motivates me. Years ago I was asked, 'Pete, which is better: winning or competing?' My response was instantaneous: 'Competing. . . because it lasts longer.'" Pete Carroll is one of the most successful coaches in football today. As the head coach at USC, he brought the Trojans back to national prominence, amassing a 97-19 record over nine seasons. Now he shares the championship-winning philosophy that led USC to seven straight Pac-10 titles. This same mind-set and culture will shape his program as he returns to the NFL to coach the Seattle Seahawks. Carroll developed his unique coaching style by trial and error over his career. He learned that you get better results by teaching instead of screaming, and by helping players grow as people, not just on the field. He learned that an upbeat, energetic atmosphere in the locker room can coexist with an unstoppable competitive drive. He learned why you should stop worrying about your opponents, why you should always act as if the whole world is watching, and many other contrarian insights. Carroll shows us how the Win Forever philosophy really works, both in NCAA Division I competition and in the NFL. He reveals how his recruiting strategies, training routines, and game-day rituals preserve a team's culture year after year, during championship seasons and disappointing seasons alike. Win Forever is about more than winning football games; it's about maximizing your potential in every aspect of your life. Carroll has taught business leaders facing tough challenges. He has helped troubled kids on the streets of Los Angeles through his foundation A Better LA. His words are true in any situation: "If you want to win forever, always compete."

Hardball

Hardball
Author: George Stalk
Publisher: Harvard Business Press
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2004
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1591391679

Classic Strategies for Unapologetic Winners “It” is a strategy so powerful and an execution-driven mind-set so relentless that companies use it to gain more than just competitive advantage ¿ they achieve an industry dominance that is virtually unassailable and that competitors often try to explain away as unfair. In their “hardball manifesto,” authors George Stalk and Rob Lachenauer of the leading strategy consulting firm The Boston Consulting Group show how hardball competitors can build or maintain an enviable competitive edge by pursuing one or more of the classic “hardball strategies”: unleash massive and overwhelming force, exploit anomalies, devastate profit sanctuaries, raise competitors’ costs, and break compromises. Based on twenty-five years of experience advising and observing a range of companies, the authors argue that hardball competitors can gain extreme competitive advantage ¿ neutralizing, marginalizing, or even destroying competitors ¿ without violating their contracts with customers or employees, and without breaking the rules. A clear-eyed paean to the timeless strategies that have driven the world’s winning companies, Hardball Strategy redefines and reinterprets the meaning of competition for a new generation of business players.

Winning the Right Game

Winning the Right Game
Author: Ron Adner
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 279
Release: 2023-01-03
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0262546000

How to succeed in an era of ecosystem-based disruption: strategies and tools for offense, defense, timing, and leadership in a changing competitive landscape. The basis of competition is changing. Are you prepared? Rivalry is shifting from well-defined industries to broader ecosystems: automobiles to mobility platforms; banking to fintech; television broadcasting to video streaming. Your competitors are coming from new directions and pursuing different goals from those of your familiar rivals. In this world, succeeding with the old rules can mean losing the new game. Winning the Right Game introduces the concepts, tools, and frameworks necessary to confront the threat of ecosystem disruption and to develop the strategies that will let your organization play ecosystem offense. To succeed in this world, you need to change your perspective on competition, growth, and leadership. In this book, strategy expert Ron Adner offers a new way of thinking, illustrating breakthrough ideas with compelling cases. How did a strategy of ecosystem defense save Wayfair and Spotify from being crushed by giants Amazon and Apple? How did Oprah Winfrey redraw industry boundaries to transition from television host to multimedia mogul? How did a shift to an alignment mindset enable Microsoft's cloud-based revival? Each was rooted in a new approach to competitors, partners, and timing that you can apply to your own organization. For today's leaders the difference between success and failure is no longer simply winning, but rather being sure that you are winning the right game.

No Contest

No Contest
Author: Alfie Kohn
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 340
Release: 1992
Genre: Aggressiveness
ISBN: 9780395631256

Argues that competition is inherently destructive and that competitive behavior is culturally induced, counter-productive, and causes anxiety, selfishness, self-doubt, and poor communication.

Man, Play, and Games

Man, Play, and Games
Author: Roger Caillois
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2001
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 9780252070334

According to Roger Caillois, play is an occasion of pure waste. In spite of this - or because of it - play constitutes an essential element of human social and spiritual development. In this study, the author defines play as a free and voluntary activity that occurs in a pure space, isolated and protected from the rest of life.

Winning The Game Scientists Play

Winning The Game Scientists Play
Author: Carl J Sindermann
Publisher: Basic Books
Total Pages: 308
Release: 2008-01-04
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0465011624

In this inspiring book of personal insight and sound advice, veteran scientist Carl J. Sindermann gives an insider's look at the competitive world of science and reveals the best strategies for attaining prominence and success. Taking apart the many different roles scientists must play during their careers, Sindermann compares common mistakes scientists make with what the best strategists do-whether they are publishing papers, presenting data, chairing meetings, or coping with government or academic bureaucracy. In the end, he maintains, well-honed interpersonal skills, a savvy eye on one's competitors, and excellent science are the keys to a satisfying and successful career.