Chapter 8. The Vicious Cycle

If you've read this far and your company is struggling, by now you probably recognize the symptoms of a lack of consensus, a loss of focus, a loss of nerve, or inconsistency within your organization. You may, in fact, be struggling with two, three, or even all four of these issues. If so, it wouldn't be surprising.

Remember Zippo, which ran into market tectonics that caused its growth to stall? In Chapter 4 I quoted the company's chairman, George Duke, discussing the first problem, saying, "It was difficult to come to a consensus in a timely manner. It was very hard to embark on a strategy." But a lack of consensus was not the only problem with which the company struggled.

As Inc. highlighted in its corporate profile, ...

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