Businesses often find themselves trapped in a competitive dogfight, scratching and clawing for market share with products consumers view as largely undifferentiated. Conventional wisdom suggests that dogfights are to be expected as marketplaces mature, giving rise to the notion that there are "bad" industries where it is unlikely that any company can succeed.

But there are notable exceptions in which enlightened executives have changed the rules to grasp the holy grail of business: long-term profitable growth. Rather than joining the dogfights raging within their industry, companies such as Apple, FedEx, and Starbucks have chosen to become metaphorical cats, continuously renewing their distinctive strategies to compete on their own terms.

In If You're in a Dogfight, Become a Cat, Leonard Sherman draws on four decades of experience in management consulting, venture capital, and teaching business strategy at Columbia Business School to share practical advice on two of the most vexing issues facing business executives: why is it so hard to achieve long-term profitable growth, and what can companies do to break away from the pack?

Sherman takes the reader on a provocative journey through the building blocks of business strategy by challenging conventional wisdom on a number of questions that will redefine management best practices:

-What should be the overarching purpose of your business?
-Do you really know what your strategy is?
-Is there such a thing as a bad industry?
-Where do great ideas come from and how do I find them?
-What makes products meaningfully different?
-What makes and breaks great brands?
-How and when should I disrupt my own company?
-What are the imperatives to achieving long-term profitable growth?

Filled with dozens of illustrative examples of inspiring successes and dispiriting falls from grace, this book provides deep insights on how to become the cat in a dogfight, whether you are a CEO, mid-level manager, aspiring business school student, or curious observer interested in achieving sustained profitable growth.

"Named one of the 13 best business books of 2017" - CNBC.com

"Named one of the top 10 business books of 2017." - Inc.

"Named one of the best business books of 2017, best strategy book." - Toronto Globe and Mail

"A Top Shelf Pick, Best Business Books 2017: Strategy
"The most compelling business book on strategy this year....An expertly trimmed tree of knowledge that brilliantly summarizes and integrates what's been learned about strategy over the last 60 years."" - Strategy + Business

"Challenges readers to avoid the "copycat syndrome" because its a losing battle." - Small Business Trends

"Sherman and others suggest six specific strategies for breaking away and staying ahead of the pack, and I believe every business owner should implement at least one of these on a quarterly basis." - Inc

"In the most compelling book on strategy this year, If You're in a Dogfight Become a Cat, Leonard Sherman assembles a convincing brief that slowdowns companies face as they become successful and attract imitrators." - Strategy + Business