Own the Future: 50 Ways to Win from The Boston Consulting Group

Introduction

Own the future.

This is a statement of purpose. If leaders are to win, if they are to put their stamp on tomorrow, they must decide to do so today.

It is also a statement of priorities. To own the future, leaders must do two things.

First, and very fundamentally, they need to win in the marketplace. This is the competitive imperative. Simply put, they need to own—or control—more business than their rivals. In doing so, they will earn the right to wield greater economic power and gain access to more opportunities for growth and value creation.

Second, they need to be accountable for their actions. This is the social imperative. A core tenet of ownership is that with rights come responsibilities. In practice, this means that leaders can't carry out a slash-and-burn strategy in pursuit of a quick buck. Instead, they must commit to the long view, to building a sustainable business.

Resolving to “own the future” is one thing. Doing so is quite another—and altogether more challenging.

How can you own the future?

This question triggered the creation of our book. As part of the effort to mark the fiftieth anniversary of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), we've gathered together 50 chapters on how to turn today's major challenges—many of which have been simmering for some time—into opportunities. This body of work is based not on ivory tower musings but on our close collaboration ...