The Illusion of Invincibility. Paul Williams

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      The Illusion of

      Invincibility

      Andreas Krebs / Paul Williams

      The Illusion of

      Invincibility

      The Rise and Fall of Organizations—

      Inspired by the Incas of Peru

      Forewords by Nik Gowing and Dr. Peter May

      Copyright © 2019 Andreas Krebs and Paul Williams.

      Published by Mango Publishing Group, a division of Mango Media Inc.

      Originally published by GABAL Verlag GmbH, Offenbach, Germany under the title:

      Die Illusion der Unbesiegbarkeit–Warum Manager nicht klüger sind als die Incas vor 500 Jahren

      Translated from German by Christopher McGinty (www.bgbn.de) and Paul Williams

      Cover design: Martin Zech Design, Bremen

      Set and Layout: The Manufacturing Office, Hamburg

      Cover Photos of the Authors: Birgit Schmuck/Michael Kranz

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      The Illusion of Invincibility: The Rise and Fall of Organizations – Inspired by the Incas of Peru

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication number: 2019944127

      ISBN: (print) 978-1-64250-143-8, (ebook) 978-1-64250-144-5

      BISAC category code BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Leadership

      Printed in the United States of America

      Table of Contents

       Foreword by Nik Gowing

       Foreword by Prof. Dr. Peter May

The Unexpected Outcome of a Trip to Peru

What Goes Up Must Come Down? A Look at the Fortune 500

Remember Nokia?

Rapid Rises, Dramatic Falls

The Logic of Decline

1 A Compelling Vision (or the Pitfalls of Ambition?)

“We Don’t Need a Vision—Just Reliable Delivery!”

On Eagles Flying through Circus Tents

Why Striving for Increased Market Share Is Not a Vision

Anything Is Better than Bullshit Bingo

A Stress Test for Your Vision

2 Talent before Seniority (or the Creeping Danger of Mediocrity?)

What Happens When the Prince Automatically Becomes King?

Dilettantism, Disinterest, and Delegation

       Rule Number 1: No Compromises!

       Prognosis, Not Potential

       A Stress Test for Key Aspects of Your Human Resources Policy

       3 Achieving Results through Others (or the Case of the Leader-Sham?)

       On Rock and Roll Women and Jars of Honey

       Personal Responsibility: The Last Table

       Beyond Delegation: Pull Leadership

       Complete Leadership: More Than a Question of Style

       1:10 or 1:10,000? Leadership ≠ Leadership

       A Stress Test for Leadership

       4 Fair Play (or Just Pretending?)

       Sweet Talk, Empty Promises?

       Undercover Investigation, Bottom-up!

       It Might Be Legal, but Is It Legitimate?

       Different Countries, Different Values

       A Stress Test for Your Values—and Those of Your Company

       5 Tackling the Real Opponent (or Are You Taking Your Eye off the Ball?)

       When Alphas Collide

       When Patriarchs Are Blind to the Future

       When the Problem Is in the System

       Don’t Underestimate the Power of Underestimation!

       The Focused Organization

       A Stress Test for Your Effectiveness

       6 A Farsighted M&A Strategy (or a License to Lose a Fortune?)

       The Usual Merger Mania—and a Positive Example

       A Master Plan—or All Based on Hope?

       Rational? You Must Be Joking!