Foreword by Tom Peters

• Preface: A Tale of Transformation--and Lasting Productivity Gains

• A Wellspring of Enduring Innovation: The Soft Edge

• Hard Versus Soft: The Fight for Resources

• Trust: The Force Multiplier of All Things Good

• Smarts: How Fast Can You and Your Company Adapt?

• Teams: Great Things Come to the Lean and Diverse

• Taste: Beauty Made Practical, Magic Made Profitable

• Story: The Power of Story, Ancient and New

• Conclusion: The Sweet Spot of High Performance

• Afterword by Clayton M. Christensen

• Notes

• Acknowledgments

• About the Author

• Index

High performance has always required shrewd strategy and superb execution. These factors remain critical, especially given today’s unprecedented business climate. But Rich Karlgaard-Forbes publisher, entrepreneur, investor and board director-takes a surprising turn and argues that there is now a third element that’s required for competitive advantage. It fosters innovation, it accelerates strategy and execution, and it cannot be copied or bought. It is found in a perhaps surprising place-your company’s values. Karlgaard examined a variety of enduring companies and found that they have one thing in common; all have leveraged their deepest values alongside strategy and execution, allowing them to fuel growth as well as weather hard times.