Above all else

As I head into the conclusion of the AMP, I find myself contemplating what they call "re-entry": how to apply the learnings from the past 2 months to help the company succeed.  It would be a very bad idea to come back and start pompously spouting - "In Harvard, this is what we would have done..."!  But on the other hand, just going back to life-as-it-was would be a waste! One thing that has been swimming in my consciousness is the idea of winning . Are we playing to win ?  Or are we content to keep up with the pack? Clearly, it's not possible to win in every sphere.  Most people will agree that it's generally unlikely that a steel mill can simultaneously succeed as an advertising agency.  Putting it more narrowly, it remains true that a luxury handbag maker is unlikely to be able to simultaneously succeed as a budget brand.  So the idea is not to play everywhere and try to be all things to all men, but to win convincingly in ...

Will be back in about 3 weeks, so I guess I should give a sense of what a day over here looks like before it's too late!  M asked me to bring along his unicorn pencil case - so the pencil case has actually attended AMP twice now :D ===== Bzzz... bzzz... bzzz... bzzz... It's barely light out, and I reluctantly pry open my sleep-encrusted eyes.  Outside, I hear the muted sounds of activity, as one or two hardy souls head out to their morning spinning class.  I roll over and tap the snooze button. Bzzz... bzzz... bzzz... bzzz... Rats.  Really time to wake up now.  Brush teeth, gather files, take the lift down and walk to class.  Breakfast?  Who's got time?!  Though if I'm really peckish, I can grab a banana and a coffee... Here I am in class.  The blackboard is still pristine, but in a short while, 9 banks of dense text will populate the boards which the professors raise and lower at the push of a button.  T...