Overview

IN BUSINESS - IN SPORTS - IN POLITICS - IN SCIENCE - IN LIFE - THROUGHOUT HISTORY

At the elite levels, the difference-between victory and defeat, winning and losing, glory and anonymity, fortune and famine-is razor thin.

The Power of Incremental Advantage documents how one bullet, one vote, one second, one word, and one inch have shaped history and changed the world.

The Power of Incremental Advantage is replete with strategies, tactics and practical leadership lessons to help you stay one step ahead of your closest competitors.

The Power of Incremental Advantage reflects more than 15 years of research and interviews with leading executives from every industry, ranging from advertising agencies to water utilities.

Testimonials

The Power of Incremental Advantage has received dozens of glowing testimonials from around the world. Here are a few samples:

"After reading The Power of Incremental Advantage, I am convinced that small improvements can yield enormous results. Wanetick provides great insight into managing your time, team and career. The examples of incremental advantages throughout history are unparalleled."

• The Honorable Bruce Lehman, former Commissioner of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office

"By giving us 100's of examples, David Wanetick reminds us that good timing and attention to detail are two of the great secrets to success in business. . . This book should be required reading for all leaders!"

• Bruce E. Hawley, Senior Vice President, Senior Underwriting Counsel and Manager Stewart Title Guaranty Company

"Fascinating facts tied to useful lessons, anecdotes, and strategies. More than just incrementally interesting."

• Marc Sandy Block, Consulting Attorney, Intellectual Property Law, IBM

"The Power of Incremental Advantage draws very interesting comparisons from many different areas-sports to politics to business-and the importance of paying attention to details. Reading The Power of Incremental Advantage will give you an advantage over your competition. A great read and some great advice!"

• Michael Kruklinski, Strategic Planning, Siemens Corporation

"Very thought-provoking. Well done."

• Gus Orphanides, Director of Licensing, Air Products and Chemicals

"In its vivid illustration of how success and failure turn on the seemingly insignificant, this book provides ample fodder to motivate teams to pursue relentlessly that extra effort, that extra edge, that extra advantage. With thorough research and thoughtful synthesis, David carries his theme of incremental advantage to outline key, common attributes of successful leaders."

• Donald McLellan, SVP, Motorola

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

Part 1: The Impact of Incremental Differences Throughout History and in a Wide Variety of Walks of Life

Chapter 1: In the World of Sport

Every Second Counts . 2006 Winter Olympics, Torino, Italy . Inches and Seconds are Critical . Being the First to Champion an Invention or Break a Barrier is an Advantage

Chapter 2: In the World of Investment

Price Movements are Geometrically More Dramatic Than They Appear . A Penny Difference in Earnings-Per-Share Can Destroy Hundreds of Millions of Dollars of Shareholder Value . Volatility in the Stock Market

Chapter 3: In the World of Entertainment

On the Chess Board, First Movers Have a Major Advantage . One Capricious Animal Can Inflict Significant Financial Damage

Chapter 4: In the World of Industry

One Clause in a Contract Can Create an Industry Behemoth . Serendipitous Events Lead to Retailer's Success . Every Movement Matters in Manufacturing . Knocking on the Next Door Can Change a Life and an Industry . Being in the Top One Percent is Not Enough

Chapter 5: In the World of Science and Invention

The Genetics Differentiating Men from Mice are Seemingly Marginal . The Incidence of Organ Donation Varies Dramatically . Washing Hands Saves Lives . Inventors Secure Valuable Patents Just Hours Before Their Competitors . Key Patents are Bought for a Song . Insects Cause Nearly Incalculable Damage . Revolutionary Inventions Narrowly Avert Failure . The Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Almost Failed . Apollo 11 Was Nearly Stranded on the Moon

Chapter 6: In the World of Retail

Everything Matters in Retail . Seconds are Worth Major Investments in the Fast Food Industry . Sending Letters Boosts Revenues Substantially

Chapter 7: In the World of Aviation

The Margin of Error in Aviation is Miniscule . Birds Can be a Deadly Force for Pilots

Chapter 8: Throughout History

The History of the World Has Been Decided in Mere Seconds . The History of the World Has Hinged on Mere Inches . President Lincoln Was Almost Assassinated Before the Civil War Concluded . Adolf Hitler Barely Escaped Assassination on July 20, 1944 . Alaska's Gaining Statehood Was Almost a Miracle . The Bullet That Almost Struck Ronald Reagan's Heart . President Andrew Jackson Was Almost Killed in a Duel . Seemingly Meaningless Words Impact the World's Most Volatile Geographies . Rumors Caused the Berlin Wall to Come Tumbling Down . The United States Almost Missed Gaining Rights to the Panama Canal . Robert E. Lee Almost Became the Commander of the Union Forces . Failed Haberdasher was Instrumental in the US Recognizing the Creation of the State of Israel . The Hungarian Revolt of 1956 Was Ill-Timed . Attacking the Enemy on Saturday Nights Yielded an Incremental Advantage . The Power Keg of World War I Was Almost Not Lit . A Lit Cigarette Could Have Averted World War I . Small Sparks Can Have a Massive Impact . Putting on Glasses Averted a Coup D'Etat . World Leaders Narrowly Escape Death . The Cuban Missile Crisis Brought the World Minutes from Nuclear Armageddon . A Nuclear War Was Almost Ignited in the Mediterranean Ocean . Israel Almost Unleashed a Nuclear Attack During the Yom Kippur War . The US Would Only Have a Few Minutes to Respond to a Nuclear Attack . Winston Churchill Was Nearly Killed in 1909 . Winston Churchill Narrowly Escaped Death During World War I . How Would History Have Changed if President Truman Was Assassinated . President-Elected Franklin Roosevelt was Almost Assassinated . You Never Know Who the Next President Will Be . The Titanic Almost Avoided Catastrophe

Chapter 9: In the World of Politics

Minutes Decided the Credit for the Release of the American Hostage in Iran . Hitler's Name Could Easily Have Been Schnickelgruber . Could One Blond Have Prevented the Holocaust . Dog Saves Presidential Candidate's Career . Inappropriately Placed Scotch Tape Toppled a President . Humor is a Weapon

Chapter 10: In the World of Elections and Voting

World Leaders are Elected by a Handful of Voters . Importance of One Vote . Vice-Presidents Break Hundreds of Ties with One Vote . One Vote Could Have Cost America its Sovereignty . 4,000 Votes Determined the Fate of World War I . One Vote May Have Decided World War II . National Sovereignty is Determined by a Few Voters . Every Last Vote Counted in the Presidential Primaries of 1960 . Reagan Nearly Won Minnesota in 1984

Part II: Common Denominators of the World's Most Successful People

Preface to Part II

Chapter 1: Enhance Your Strengths

Be Who You Are . Choose Your Battles Wisely . Focus on What You Do Best . Questions to Ask Yourself Periodically

Chapter 2: Location, Location, Location

Knowledge of Terrain Was a Major Advantage for the Confederate Forces During the Civil War . Be Where Your Chances of Success are Greatest . Geography is a Determinant of the Pace of Life . Home Team Advantage . Seating Arrangements . Vendor Evaluation

Chapter 3: The Brain is the Engine of Imagination

Treat Your Brain as a Microprocessor Not as Random Access Memory . Seeing Opportunity in What Already Exists . Thinking Creatively . Seizing Opportunities . Critical Thinking . Recognizing Hidden Agendas . Validate Your Vision with Numerical Scrutiny . Be Cautious About From Whom You Receive Advice

Chapter 4: Be Confident

Be Decisive About the Easy Decisions . Confidence Must be Pervasive Throughout the Organization . Paying Attention to Detail Gives Confidence . Superstitions Boost Confidence. Proper Application of Perfectionism . When Burning Bridges is a Good Idea . The Best Managers Have Near-Term Focus. Don't Recklessly Give Away a Percentage Point in a Negotiation . Attention to Colors is Important

Chapter 5: Take the Initiative

The Importance of Preparation . Getting Started . Clean Up Your Workspace . The Cost of Procrastination . Taking Charge . Denial is Not a Strategy . Know the Competition and the Market Intimately Well . When You Detect Danger Don't Seek Consensus, Take Action . When Your Back is Against the Wall, You Must Make a Dramatic Move

Chapter 6: Be Persistent

Nothing Can Replace Hard Work . Determination Paid Off for Albert Einstein . Franklin Delano Roosevelt Conquered Despite His Polio . Martin Luther King Persevered Despite Fatal Risks . When You Have a Good Idea Don't Let Rejection Stop You

Chapter 7: Respect the Power of Momentum

Momentum Seems to Operate Under Powerful Forces of Nature . Movement Facilitates Rapid Response . Motivation is Fed by Constant Reminders

Chapter 8: Assemble, Leverage and Motivate Your Team

Enlisting Others . When Hiring Go for Intelligence . Be Careful About Hiring Superstars . The Importance of Delegating Responsibility . Leaders Must be Optimists . Leaders Respect, Admire and are Motivated by Greatness . Look Forward Not Backwards . Positive Reinforcement . When Employees Fail . Leaders are Energized by Minimizing their Risks . Personality is Not a Determinant of a Leader's Success . The Most Successful CEOs are Modest . No Matter Who You Are, You Must Still Respect Your Clients and Superiors . Providing a Sense of Mission . Loyalty to Your Comrades is Commendable . Where Loyalty Should Stop . Do Not Micromanage the Incentivization of Your Team Members . Manage the Stress Level . People Expect Change . Run a Financially Tight Ship . Don't Be Penny-Wide and Pound-Foolish

Chapter 9: Manage Your Time Ruthlessly

Time is Money . The Importance of Deadlines . Diamonds are Made Under Pressure . Multi-Tasking is Counter-Productive . Knowing Your Commitments Enables You to Make More Judicious Commitments . Benefits of Responsiveness . Meeting Management . The Importance of Punctuality . Make Your Meetings More Efficient . Meet for Breakfast . Don't Fall into the Networking Quagmire . Writing Emails . Tips for Getting Dressed Quickly . Stay in the Flow . Focus Produces Results . You Can't Train Someone to Manage Their Time .

Chapter 10: Keep Your Mind Sharp

Don't Watch the News . Know How to Ask Intelligent Questions . Asking Intelligent Questions in the Context of Sales . Respect the Power of Words . Naming Events Can Spur Revolutionary Fervor . Churchill's Mastery of the English Language Was a Powerful Weapon . The Importance of Naming Yourself . How Words are Used is Vitally Important . Words Boost Sales . Traits of Lucky People . Interacting with Others . Everyone Suffers Defeat, The Key is Rebounding . Provide Your Clients with a Sound Value Proposition . Guard Your Reputation . You Must Respond to the Perceptions that Others Have of You . Managers Must be Honest and Ethical . Don't Be Afraid of Being Inconsistent or Contradictory . Honoring Commitments Releases Energy

Chapter 11: Leverage Your Expertise Through the Media

Leaders are Often Articulate Orators . Even the Most Important Presentations Should be Brief

Chapter 12: Realize that Physical Appearance, Presentation, Imagery and Framing Matter

Body Language is Powerful and Revealing . Stay Physically Fit . Loose Weight . Being Clean-Shaven Can Save Your Life . Posture is Important . Pete Sampras's Sleeping Habits . The Color of a Suit Decides the Presidency . What is the Secret of Einstein's Fame . Gestures Shape World Events . Gesturing Can Define Military Success . Why Slights Sting More Than Being the Subject of a Harangue . The Imagery of War is Sometimes Decisive . Bill Clinton's Picture with President Kennedy . When Being the Last is the Best . Image is Important, But Not All Important

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The Power of Incremental Advantage
Author: David Wanetick

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