From Napoleon through Jack Welch, great leaders have always "borrowed" great ideas from others. The Art of What Works cuts against the grain of today's one-size-fits-all strategic gurus to argue that there are no intrinsically good or bad strategies — just flexible strategies that work best in given situations. Welch's appropriation of Six Sigma from Motorola, and use of its best features to revitalize GE, is a recent example of this approach.

In this insightful and practical guide, leading strategist William Duggan lays the groundwork for building new strategic frameworks by observing what works — and what doesn't — in the real world. The Art of What Works shows business professionals how to:

* Recognize and adopt great ideas and strategies
* Modify strategically sound ideas to their own benefit
* Decide on a course of action — then modify it when necessary