Great American Leaders

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From Chicago Defender's Robert Abbott to Totino's Pizza's Rose Totino to Herman's Miller's Michael Volkema, these great American leaders are featured in a database that was compiled in an effort to identify and chronicle the lives of 20th century men and women whose (global) business leadership shaped the ways that people live, work, and interact. 

Visit:  20th Century American Leaders Database

Expand Globally and Become a True Multinational

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In light of our current economic crisis and recent corporate scandals with a couple of Indian companies, do you think, in general, Indian companies will adapt and emerge globally?

The global economic crisis has slowed India’s growth, but it has not curbed the potential of its strongest homegrown companies. So says Nirmalya Kumar, coauthor of India’s Global Powerhouses: How They Are Taking On the World (with Pradipta K. Mohapatra and Suj Chandrasekhar; Harvard Business School Press, 2009). Kumar believes that many of India’s largest companies are poised to expand into international markets and become true multinationals.

Read all about it here:

strategy + business
For Indian Companies, It's Globalization as Usual

Posted by: The Global Small Business Blog

Operation China

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How do you go from idea stage to strategy to doing business in China? Well a good portion of those answers can be found here.

Although Operation China focuses on multinational corporations, you can still, even as a global small business, pick up good insights (for example, as the authors note: even the best strategies are only as good as their execution) and winning tips on how to do business in China.

Co-authors Hexter and Woetzel have been consultants in McKinsey's offices in Greater China for more than fifteen years and are considered experts on the subject matter. Check it out. Take full advantage of what this book has to offer.

Dragons at Your Door

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This is an amazing book about how Chinese cost innovation is disrupting global competition and fundamentally changing the global competitive landscape.

To date, few authors have zeroed in on one of the driving forces of China's recent achievements: its companies (e.g., Haier, Philips, Lenovo and IBM). The secret driver of success is the strategy -- cost innovation -- of using Chinese cost advantage in radically new ways to offer customers around the world dramatically more for less.

How should executives prepare? Start by reading this book. At the very least, you will develop an understanding of the three faces of innovation and find your place (or role) in the global economy to survive and prosper.

About the authors:

Ming Zeng is Professor of Strategy at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business China. He is currently on leave from the School and serves as president of Yahoo China.

Peter J. Williamson is Professor of International Management and Asian Business at INSEAD, the international business school in France and Singapore, and the author of Winning in Asia.

The book was just released and can be ordered here.

[Note to Michelle at Harvard Business School Press ... much appreciation for sending me a copy to review.]