Book Review by Taylor Berrett
What if you had a game plan to navigate disruption?
Disruption. It’s become one of the most popular buzzwords in the world of tech, start-ups, and investing. It’s been the subject of countless books, podcasts, investor pitches, keynote speeches, company game plans, powerpoint presentations, and conversations in Silicon Valley and beyond.
So, it begs the question— is there anything new to say about disruption?
Ruth Murray-Webster and Eleanor Winton certainly think so, as evidenced by their new book The Disruption Game Plan: New Rules for Connected Thinking on Innovation and Risk.
Let’s start with the authors, who certainly have the chops to back up the claim implicit in this book’s existence that they have something worth saying on the subject. Winton is an experienced consultant and keynote speaker on innovation and disruption, having spent the last 16 years helping hundreds of organizations identify disruptive trends and make plans to address them in their decision-making and business strategies. Meanwhile, Murray-Webster has been a leader in project-based organizational change and risk management for over 30 years.
So what do they have to say in The Disruption Game Plan? Despite my initial skepticism, it turns out that they have a whole lot to say— and a great deal of it is genuinely valuable.
Disruption is Everywhere
The authors present a tried and tested framework designed to help senior executives think differently about disruption and risk, helping them both time their own potential disruptions and get ahead of other industry disruptions that could derail their businesses. The book is filled with insights on innovation, sustainability, strategy, and risk that make it a valuable tool for any business leader (or hopeful future executive.)
By revealing the steps that great leaders take to deal with changing business environments, the authors show readers how to go beyond short-term, reactionary responses to crises in business and instead start bending the future to their vision.
Plus, I highly recommend checking out the large library of bonus content that accompanies the book, which in this case truly augments the experience. You’ll find videos, models, tips, blogs that expand on key points and more at the book’s website, disruptiongameplan.com.
The Bottom Line
While Winton and Murray-Webster’s book may not ultimately be quite as groundbreaking as its authors’ ambitions, it still delivers quite well on its title— offering a true game plan to follow for individuals, innovators, entrepreneurs, and businesses who want to win the game of disruption. And even if The Disruption Game Plan may not turn out to be a major disruption itself in the world of business writing, it has plenty to offer to everyone from the beginner to the experienced entrepreneur, executive, leader, or investor who wants a more concrete path to follow when looking for their next game-changing innovation.
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Taylor Berrett is a Contributing Writer at Soundview. He is also a freelance writer, editor, and host of the podcast Alone in a Room. His other book reviews can be found here.