An answer to the ultimate business question

In every sector there’s an outlier. In the pharmaceutical industry, it’s Merck. In discount retail, it’s Family Dollar. What are they doing differently? What can we learn from them? 

Michael E. Raynor and Mumtaz Ahmed have analyzed data on more than 25,000 companies spanning forty-five years. In collaboration with teams of researchers they then put a carefully chosen sample of twenty-seven companies under the microscope to uncover what made the standout performers different. 

They found that exceptional companies, when faced with difficult decisions, follow three rules: Better before cheaper; Revenue before cost; and There are no other rules. The Three Rules is built on a powerful combination of large-scale data analysis and in depth case studies.

Reading it will increase the chance that your organization becomes truly exceptional.