August 2013 Read

Title: Ninja Innovation: The Ten Killer Strategies of the World’s Most Successful Businesses

Author: Shapiro, Gary

Call Number: 650.1 S529N 2013

Subjects: Success in Business

ISBN: 9780062242327

Book Description:

            In order to stay in front of the pace of innovation, Shapiro observes, top companies must operate as an elite strike force-just like the legendary medieval warriors known as ninjas. Ninjas weren’t called upon to do the ordinary; they had to perform truly extraordinary tasks, while risking everything. As a highly trained martial-arts black belt himself, Shapiro mines the valuable insights of these centuries-old warriors to spotlight the secrets of agility, creativity, decisiveness, and reinvention that are essential for twenty-first-century leaders seeking breakthrough success.

My Read:

            The following comes from page 14 and page 15 of the book.

            In brief, the Ten Killer Strategies include:

1-Your Goal is Victory: The goal of a ninja is to defeat the enemy and complete the job. Likewise, the goal of an enterprise is to be better than the competition. The ultimate goal of the business strategy was clearly defined as victory.

2-Your Strike Force: Ninjas often operated as a team. More important, they were a team of professionals, not amateurs. One of the first steps toward success in any enterprise is to build the right team.

3-In War, Risk Is Unavoidable: Ninjas, and successful leaders, approach their assignments as a way of life, not merely as a “day job.” If you don’t take risks, you won’t be successful.

4-Prepare for the Battle: A ninja’s behavior is grounded in a specific mental attitude. We can call this discipline. To succeed, you must mentally steel yourself for trials ahead. You will fail, often spectacularly. But never take your eyes off your goal.

5-The Art of War: Successful strategy is an art, not a science. Often you will not know all you should know to achieve success. That’s ok. A successful strategy is a living strategy; it must be executed in a way that allows for a change in tactics. Your competition is fierce and smart, and they won’t willingly let you defeat them. Expect surprises and adjust accordingly.

6-The Ninja Code: No matter the goal, all actions are “informed” by a martial code of conduct, a.k.a. business ethics. Ninjas create chaos because they don’t follow the normal rules; that’s how they succeed. But even ninjas follow a cod of ethics.

7-Ninjas Break the Rules: Unlike their feudal counterpart, the samurai, ninjas were not a aristocratic class. They succeeded because they were the best. Likewise, an organization won’t succeed if its hiring principles are hereditary, hierarchical and closed to mavericks. The last ninja standing is the enterprise or individual that not only employed the best people but also pursued the most innovative approach to success.

8-Innovate or Die: The ancient ninja always confronted obstacles that forced him to alter his approach. It’s the same with today’s enterprise Life isn’t predictable. But too often dying organizations turn to third parties (usually government) to save them without having the courage to change their mode of business. Be creative; be daring; be willing to take a different course. Otherwise, your failure will be fatal.

9-An Army of Ninjas: Today’s ninjas are part of something larger than themselves. As they build, they also defend. Technology allows for all of us to participate in innovation.

10-The Shadow Warrior: the ninja’s best skill was stealth. He was able to deceive his enemies through invisibility and disguise. Great ninja companies do this as well, but this is the one ninja trick that isn’t part of the innovator code.