Every company must navigate a changing business landscape, but not all changes are equal. Some will require only minor adaptations, while others will turn your industry upside down. Andrew Grove's Only the Paranoid Survive provides a practical guide for business leaders struggling to navigate a major disruption to their industry. The quality guru W. Edwards Deming advocated stamping out fear in corporations. I have trouble with the simplemindedness of this dictum. The most important role of managers is to create an environment where people are passionately dedicated to winning in the marketplace. Fear plays a major role in creating and maintaining such passion. Fear of competition, fear of bankruptcy, fear of being wrong and fear of losing can all be powerful motivators." [32] Constructive Confrontation [ edit ] Work addiction is real and pervasive. If you find yourself constantly thinking about your never-ending to-do list or prioritizing non-urgent tasks over rest, you may be a work addict. Set yourself up for success by planning out your priorities each day. Tasks on this list should be specific, realistic, and achievable within your eight-hour work day. Strive to finish this set of projects, but always leave at an appropriate hour. To perform at a high level, you’ll need adequate downtime. Your work will always be waiting for you tomorrow. 9“How well we communicate is determined not by how well we say things but how well we are understood.”

Grove popularized the concept of the "strategic inflection point," a crucial time that demands a major change in strategy due to shifts in the business environment. A company's growth depends on recognizing and effectively navigating these points. [27]Complementers : This is the sixth force that Grove added. Toys need batteries. Smartphones need apps to extend their functionalities. You’ll be in trouble if your complementers decide to offer what you offer, possibly forcing you out of business.

The lessons of dealing with strategic inflection points are similar whether you're dealing with a company or your own career. Business success contains the seeds of its own destruction. Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive. Create a culture in your team/company so that people are open to you (or their supervisors) without any inhibition of being reprimanded/joked/ignored or given a look like it's above your pay grade dude. Create an open and transparent culture. Be open to healthy arguments, in fact encourage healthy arguments. This culture can't be created in days or months, it will take years but it'll be worth it.

Andy explains–with modesty that cannot conceal his brilliance, how he has led Intel through changes and challenges that many companies could not cope with…The country will benefit from his vision."