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StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad: Using Strategic Thinking to Defeat Bad Strategy and Save Your Plan
A Business Graphic Novel on Strategic Thinking
All over the world, strategies are dying. Thousands of businesses face bankruptcy. People’s jobs are at stake. But what is the nefarious force killing them off? And who can save them? Strategist Rich Horwath combines strategy and superheroes to answer these questions and provide a groundbreaking approach to helping managers develop a common language and understanding of strategy to move from tactical to strategic thinkers.
New research shows that the No. 1 most important leadership capability for executives is strategic thinking. Yet, only 3 out of every 10 people are strategic. With the leading cause of business failure being bad strategy, it’s critical that you and your team are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and tools to think strategically.
In StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad, you’ll learn how to:
• Develop a common language for strategy
• Create a shared understanding of strategy
• Design a practical toolkit for strategy
• Think strategically on a daily basis
• Infuse innovation into your strategies
• Facilitate strategy conversations
• Lead strategic meetings
• Set clear strategic direction
• Profitably grow your business
• Create competitive advantage
The Battle of Good vs. Bad Strategy
In this graphic novel, Technobody—maker of wearable technologies—is under attack. Its strategic plan is slowly being killed by the top 20 strategy challenges (villains) that every company faces: bad meetings (Meeting Menace), fire drills (Fire Driller), silos (Silo-Clops), and too many priorities (Dr. Yes), to name just a few. They are members of the Anti-Strategy Squad, a gang whose mission is to cause mass strategycide and global bankruption. But, Technobody will not fail without a fight. Led by their fearless managers and three superheroes—StrategyMan, Innovatara and Purposeidon—they will summon all of their strategic thinking powers to wage one final war against bad strategy and save their plan.
All over the world, strategies are dying. Thousands of businesses face bankruptcy. People’s jobs are at stake. But what is the nefarious force killing them off? And who can save them? Strategist Rich Horwath combines strategy and superheroes to answer these questions and provide a groundbreaking approach to helping managers develop a common language and understanding of strategy to move from tactical to strategic thinkers.
New research shows that the No. 1 most important leadership capability for executives is strategic thinking. Yet, only 3 out of every 10 people are strategic. With the leading cause of business failure being bad strategy, it’s critical that you and your team are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and tools to think strategically.
In StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad, you’ll learn how to:
• Develop a common language for strategy
• Create a shared understanding of strategy
• Design a practical toolkit for strategy
• Think strategically on a daily basis
• Infuse innovation into your strategies
• Facilitate strategy conversations
• Lead strategic meetings
• Set clear strategic direction
• Profitably grow your business
• Create competitive advantage
The Battle of Good vs. Bad Strategy
In this graphic novel, Technobody—maker of wearable technologies—is under attack. Its strategic plan is slowly being killed by the top 20 strategy challenges (villains) that every company faces: bad meetings (Meeting Menace), fire drills (Fire Driller), silos (Silo-Clops), and too many priorities (Dr. Yes), to name just a few. They are members of the Anti-Strategy Squad, a gang whose mission is to cause mass strategycide and global bankruption. But, Technobody will not fail without a fight. Led by their fearless managers and three superheroes—StrategyMan, Innovatara and Purposeidon—they will summon all of their strategic thinking powers to wage one final war against bad strategy and save their plan.
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 11, 2018
45 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
Rich Horwath
17 books20 followersRich Horwath is the CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute, and has helped more than 100,000 managers around the world develop their strategic thinking skills. He is the author of seven books, including StrategyMan vs. The Anti-Strategy Squad: Using Strategic Thinking to Defeat Bad Strategy and Save Your Plan. He is a former Chief Strategy Officer and professor of strategy at the graduate level, and has spoken to managers at companies such as Google, Intel, FedEx, Bank of America, and L’Oreal.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 30, 2018
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Imagine if someone made a PowerPoint presentation about how to achieve your goals and then imagine if someone crafted a "story" around that presentation. I promise it's not 1/100th as interesting as I made it sound.
Imagine if someone made a PowerPoint presentation about how to achieve your goals and then imagine if someone crafted a "story" around that presentation. I promise it's not 1/100th as interesting as I made it sound.
September 27, 2018
Fun Business Book
I have read a number of business books and have sat through many more strategy meetings. This book was a fun way to cover the material.
I have read a number of business books and have sat through many more strategy meetings. This book was a fun way to cover the material.
October 25, 2018
Disclaimer: I received a download of this book through a Goodreads giveaway to facilitate writing this review. No other compensation was requested or offered.
Technobody is in trouble. This manufacturer of wearable technology is soon to release “Project Elon”, a revolutionary new cybersuit. But a mysterious competitor has engaged the Anti-Strategy Squad, supervillains who cripple and destroy corporate strategies, to make sure that Technobody goes bankrupt and the suit falls into the wrong hands. Only Strategyman and his teammates can save the day by using sound business principles!
This edutainment comic book was written by the CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute to assist business people in learning principles of business strategy. Presumably this is meant for the subsection of managers who don’t have long blocks of time to read text and aren’t comfortable with audiobooks.
Strategyman, who gained his strategizing powers through a lemonade experiment gone horribly right, is joined by teammates Purposeidon, Innovatara and Rich Horwath (one of those irritating characters in superhero comics who seems to think he’s above having a code name or wearing a gaudy costume.) They battle such villains as Culturello and the Decision Demon while lecturing the management of Technobody on strategy.
The good: There’s some genuinely useful information and suggestions in here, especially for the beginning business strategists.
Some of the villain designs are excellent: I especially like Fire Driller, who uses giant drills and spouts fire, and Dr. Yes, a James Bond-type villain who likes petting an animal while scheming, but has adopted a porcupine instead of a cat. The art in general is serviceable, and it’s fairly easy to tell the characters apart.
Less good: There’s way too much business jargon and buzzword usage. A lot of this material comes across as “management fad of the month.” On the Kindle especially, there’s what I call “Powerpoint overcrowding” where too many words are stuffed into a small space. Combined with a black and white screen which makes some colored sections muddy, it causes a lot of squinting.
A number of the characters get short shrift due to so many needing to get space, and characterization is thin on the ground in any case. Too-large portions of the story are taken up by “as you know, Bob” sequences where the heroes tell each other things they’re already aware of during their down time as a way of cluing in the readers.
Recommended primarily to young business majors looking for a slightly more fun way of absorbing the material, and gamers who can mine the book for character ideas.
Technobody is in trouble. This manufacturer of wearable technology is soon to release “Project Elon”, a revolutionary new cybersuit. But a mysterious competitor has engaged the Anti-Strategy Squad, supervillains who cripple and destroy corporate strategies, to make sure that Technobody goes bankrupt and the suit falls into the wrong hands. Only Strategyman and his teammates can save the day by using sound business principles!
This edutainment comic book was written by the CEO of the Strategic Thinking Institute to assist business people in learning principles of business strategy. Presumably this is meant for the subsection of managers who don’t have long blocks of time to read text and aren’t comfortable with audiobooks.
Strategyman, who gained his strategizing powers through a lemonade experiment gone horribly right, is joined by teammates Purposeidon, Innovatara and Rich Horwath (one of those irritating characters in superhero comics who seems to think he’s above having a code name or wearing a gaudy costume.) They battle such villains as Culturello and the Decision Demon while lecturing the management of Technobody on strategy.
The good: There’s some genuinely useful information and suggestions in here, especially for the beginning business strategists.
Some of the villain designs are excellent: I especially like Fire Driller, who uses giant drills and spouts fire, and Dr. Yes, a James Bond-type villain who likes petting an animal while scheming, but has adopted a porcupine instead of a cat. The art in general is serviceable, and it’s fairly easy to tell the characters apart.
Less good: There’s way too much business jargon and buzzword usage. A lot of this material comes across as “management fad of the month.” On the Kindle especially, there’s what I call “Powerpoint overcrowding” where too many words are stuffed into a small space. Combined with a black and white screen which makes some colored sections muddy, it causes a lot of squinting.
A number of the characters get short shrift due to so many needing to get space, and characterization is thin on the ground in any case. Too-large portions of the story are taken up by “as you know, Bob” sequences where the heroes tell each other things they’re already aware of during their down time as a way of cluing in the readers.
Recommended primarily to young business majors looking for a slightly more fun way of absorbing the material, and gamers who can mine the book for character ideas.
August 14, 2019
Businesses are failing, facing bankruptcy. Who's behind it? The Anti-Strategy squad! Who are they going after next? Technobody. They want to add this company to their list of strategycides!
Whilst this book is definitely a little corny in places (you might smile and/or groan in places) it is an EXCELLENT read and should be helpful to ALL business owners. In fact, with the information/statistics provided on current business practices this should be a MUST READ! Technobody is obviously a fictional company HOWEVER many of the examples provided of company successes and failures are of actual companies that you will recognize. You may have even wondered how a certain company failed. This book will inform you.
A list of characters, both baddies and superheroes, would have been nice at the beginning but you soon get to know the major ones. Is it Superman to the rescue? NO! It's StrategyMan. "The goal is what. The strategy is how."
What does Twister do? I bet you'll recognize his tactics! Are your team meetings like one of the ones illustrated here? 90% presentation (boring), 10% conversation? Can you defeat the Meeting Menace? Will the folks at Technobody solve Innovatora's riddle in time?
"What's there, but you can't see it, can help you or hurt you, and typically still acts like a birthday?" Any ideas?!
Has your company ever had SWOT meetings? Have they been a Serious Waste Of Time? Of course, if done correctly SWOT analysis works well:
Strengths * Weaknesses * Opportunities * Threats
I trust by the above, very brief, overview that you have got the idea that this book could REALLY help your business. Even if your business is successful and performing as you want it to there is ALWAYS room for improvement. This is the kind of book that once you have read it through once, you will want to keep it for future reference. I know we will. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. That has not influenced my review. I was very impressed with this book. Thanks, Liz
Whilst this book is definitely a little corny in places (you might smile and/or groan in places) it is an EXCELLENT read and should be helpful to ALL business owners. In fact, with the information/statistics provided on current business practices this should be a MUST READ! Technobody is obviously a fictional company HOWEVER many of the examples provided of company successes and failures are of actual companies that you will recognize. You may have even wondered how a certain company failed. This book will inform you.
A list of characters, both baddies and superheroes, would have been nice at the beginning but you soon get to know the major ones. Is it Superman to the rescue? NO! It's StrategyMan. "The goal is what. The strategy is how."
What does Twister do? I bet you'll recognize his tactics! Are your team meetings like one of the ones illustrated here? 90% presentation (boring), 10% conversation? Can you defeat the Meeting Menace? Will the folks at Technobody solve Innovatora's riddle in time?
"What's there, but you can't see it, can help you or hurt you, and typically still acts like a birthday?" Any ideas?!
Has your company ever had SWOT meetings? Have they been a Serious Waste Of Time? Of course, if done correctly SWOT analysis works well:
Strengths * Weaknesses * Opportunities * Threats
I trust by the above, very brief, overview that you have got the idea that this book could REALLY help your business. Even if your business is successful and performing as you want it to there is ALWAYS room for improvement. This is the kind of book that once you have read it through once, you will want to keep it for future reference. I know we will. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. That has not influenced my review. I was very impressed with this book. Thanks, Liz
October 16, 2019
Are you brave enough to carry a comic book to work? Yeah, it's worth it.
When I was gifted this book, I admit that it sat on my desk for a couple of weeks before I finally picked it up and started reading it. I hadn't read a comic book since grade school. I typically read at lunch in public places and I didn't know how it would look for a guy in a suit to be reading a comic book. When I finally let go of my ego and got into it, I was pleasantly surprised at the insight and instruction.
As a business coach I constantly work with clients struggling with strategic planning and clarity. It's a problem. This is one of the simplest and funnest books on business strategy I've found. Typically they are dry, full of boring case studies, and the vocabulary requires you to read it with a dictionary at your side.
I was very skeptical but Richard Horwath has pulled it off. Good content, beneficial and simple. You can keep the reminder flash cards in your desk to refer to when implementation of the strategy could use a boost. It's really well put together.
And in complete fairness, it's still a book on business strategy. I'm not going to hang a poster of StrategyMan or Innovatara on the inside of my business office door but I learned a ton and had fun doing it. I ended up with 13 pages of notes for future client meetings and strategy sessions.
When I was gifted this book, I admit that it sat on my desk for a couple of weeks before I finally picked it up and started reading it. I hadn't read a comic book since grade school. I typically read at lunch in public places and I didn't know how it would look for a guy in a suit to be reading a comic book. When I finally let go of my ego and got into it, I was pleasantly surprised at the insight and instruction.
As a business coach I constantly work with clients struggling with strategic planning and clarity. It's a problem. This is one of the simplest and funnest books on business strategy I've found. Typically they are dry, full of boring case studies, and the vocabulary requires you to read it with a dictionary at your side.
I was very skeptical but Richard Horwath has pulled it off. Good content, beneficial and simple. You can keep the reminder flash cards in your desk to refer to when implementation of the strategy could use a boost. It's really well put together.
And in complete fairness, it's still a book on business strategy. I'm not going to hang a poster of StrategyMan or Innovatara on the inside of my business office door but I learned a ton and had fun doing it. I ended up with 13 pages of notes for future client meetings and strategy sessions.
October 17, 2018
Won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.
Ok, a graphic novel on business strategy and contrary thinking. Either this book was going to be brilliant or a dud.
Unfortunately, it turned out to the later. The book is ripe with dialog/comments like the following:
{Character looking like like the Greek God Poseidon} "Without real purpose your organization will flounder like a rudderless ship in a sea of mediocrity
{character} Who are you? Zeus? In our water cooler?
{Poseidon looking character} "I am Purposeidon My colleague Strategyman Said you may be looking for some guidance I carry the trident of Purpose, representing the three elements of mission, vision, and values." (emphasis in text)
I was hoping it would be good, but it was over the top cheesy. I don't know how long I endured, but I kept thinking, "I won this is a giveaway, I need to give it a chance."
I give it two stars because the idea is creative, just the delivery failed.
Ok, a graphic novel on business strategy and contrary thinking. Either this book was going to be brilliant or a dud.
Unfortunately, it turned out to the later. The book is ripe with dialog/comments like the following:
{Character looking like like the Greek God Poseidon} "Without real purpose your organization will flounder like a rudderless ship in a sea of mediocrity
{character} Who are you? Zeus? In our water cooler?
{Poseidon looking character} "I am Purposeidon My colleague Strategyman Said you may be looking for some guidance I carry the trident of Purpose, representing the three elements of mission, vision, and values." (emphasis in text)
I was hoping it would be good, but it was over the top cheesy. I don't know how long I endured, but I kept thinking, "I won this is a giveaway, I need to give it a chance."
I give it two stars because the idea is creative, just the delivery failed.
dnf
October 25, 2024I'm pretty sure if you want to learn how to get things done in a business you should just be reading Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time. Or The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else In Business. Or Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't.
November 7, 2019
I received a digital copy through a Goodreads Giveaway.
I started this book shortly before moving, and my kindle ended up in a box for several months. When I got my kindle back, I tried to pick it up again and couldn't. It does seem like there's useful information in here, but the superhero schtick both helps and hinders its execution. It does make it something different than the dry recitation of information, but it also causes the author to take what is already a coded corporate jargon and then further remove it from everyday language with puns and catchphrases.
If I actually held a corporate position, maybe I would have been able to come back to it, but it's speaking a language that I'm not familiar with and don't think I'll be needing any time soon. That coupled with the layoff from the move was too much for the book to overcome.
I started this book shortly before moving, and my kindle ended up in a box for several months. When I got my kindle back, I tried to pick it up again and couldn't. It does seem like there's useful information in here, but the superhero schtick both helps and hinders its execution. It does make it something different than the dry recitation of information, but it also causes the author to take what is already a coded corporate jargon and then further remove it from everyday language with puns and catchphrases.
If I actually held a corporate position, maybe I would have been able to come back to it, but it's speaking a language that I'm not familiar with and don't think I'll be needing any time soon. That coupled with the layoff from the move was too much for the book to overcome.
October 19, 2018
I want to figure out how to lend this to some management people at work. Oh my gosh. So much to learn here.
I guffawed so hard at the part where the anti-strategy squad worked to destroy the business by getting everyone lots & lots of top (equally critical) priorities. I have lived that at work.
This was some food for thought. If you don't have a good solid strategy then how will you differentiate your business from someone else's? How will you ever succeed? We have to make decisions, focus on the trade-offs at hand, and resist the status quo.
I received an ARC and I'm grateful for that.
I guffawed so hard at the part where the anti-strategy squad worked to destroy the business by getting everyone lots & lots of top (equally critical) priorities. I have lived that at work.
This was some food for thought. If you don't have a good solid strategy then how will you differentiate your business from someone else's? How will you ever succeed? We have to make decisions, focus on the trade-offs at hand, and resist the status quo.
I received an ARC and I'm grateful for that.
October 22, 2018
I won this book through Goodreads giveaway. I am not a business person. But I was curious how the business aspects are explain in the form of graphic novel. I thought it may be easier to understand how business works.
This graphic novel is fun and innovative. Such a great idea to use graphic novel to talk business. You can actually learn from it, while enjoying awesome illustrations. I love the business superheroes! This is brilliant idea. I am not saying I am an expert now, but it for sure made some of the business aspects more clear to me. There were many descriptions and technical talks in the story that made me lost but overall I think it's awesome book and idea.
This graphic novel is fun and innovative. Such a great idea to use graphic novel to talk business. You can actually learn from it, while enjoying awesome illustrations. I love the business superheroes! This is brilliant idea. I am not saying I am an expert now, but it for sure made some of the business aspects more clear to me. There were many descriptions and technical talks in the story that made me lost but overall I think it's awesome book and idea.
October 11, 2018
Honestly, I didn't think that a book about business could be so interesting and easy to understand. Things get a bit muddled a bit before the end, but it still made sense. Great introduction to strategic thinking, I'm pretty sure I'll be applying this knowledge soon. The art was really nice and I thought it was funny how the author wrote himself in. Glad I won this giveaway!
November 13, 2018
This is an interesting take on a business help book by turning it into a comic book. The themes are what all businesses and management should focus on a pitfalls to avoid when strengthening a business. The concept is fun albeit a bit cheesy.
December 23, 2018
The information contained in here was awesome. It was a little too wordy for comic book format. It might have gotten five stars otherwise. Maybe divide the information between two comics and spread out the verbiage
June 29, 2019
Fun read. This is the first time I have read comics about strategy. Very unusual way to deliver business information. It kept me engaged like a kid who got a fresh comics in the shop and "swallows" it in one evening.
November 7, 2019
Interesting book for beginners to strategy
This book will capture the interest of non-frequent readers. I gave it 4 stars because some graphics have too much text that are hard to read. But other than this, this is a good strategy for beginners book
This book will capture the interest of non-frequent readers. I gave it 4 stars because some graphics have too much text that are hard to read. But other than this, this is a good strategy for beginners book
October 21, 2018
An innovative look at a vital but usually dull topic. A good Strategy plan is crucial to any business, but can be a tedious chore. This book makes this chore interesting and efficient.
December 30, 2018
Good ideas
This is an interesting way to describe ways to have a successful business. It could also be used for personal goals as well.
This is an interesting way to describe ways to have a successful business. It could also be used for personal goals as well.
June 24, 2024
Nice book
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews