Cover -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Executive Summary -- The Strategic Playbook -- The Commercial Playbook -- The Operational Playbook -- The Financial Playbook -- The Governance Playbook -- The Organizational Playbook -- The Change Management Playbook -- Prototypical Order -- Part I The Strategic Playbook -- Chapter 1 The Investment Case: The Heart of the Merger and Acquisition Leader's Playbook -- What You Want -- What You Are Willing to Give Up -- Which Opportunities to Pursue -- The Path to Value Creation -- Core Focus -- Fundamental Investment Case Model for a Merger or Acquisition -- Tool 1.1 Investment Case -- Chapter 2 Focus: It Drives Everything Else -- Design-Focused -- Production Focused -- Delivery Focused -- Service Focused -- Chapter 3 Plans: Strategy Precedes Execution -- 365-Day Plan Elements -- Financial Reporting Systems -- Tool 3.1 Situation Analysis Checklist -- Tool 3.2 SWOT -- Tool 3.3 Business Planning -- Chapter 4 Innovation: A Fundamental Strategic Choice -- Innovation Tips -- Innovation Strategies -- Creativity -- Systems -- Tool 4.1 BRAVE Innovation -- Part II The Commercial Playbook -- Chapter 5 Organic Revenue Growth: So Valuable -- Marketing, Communications, and Customer Interface -- Sales Model and Organization -- Customer Profitability -- End Market Analysis and Go-to-Market Strategy -- Chapter 6 Customers: From Which All New Value Flows -- Purchasers -- Strategic Sales -- Chapter 7 Marketing and Sales: Which Every Organization Must Do -- Tool 7.1: Purchase and Sales Funnel Management -- Tool 7.2: Marketing Planning -- Why It's Crucial to Align Brand Positioning with the Essence of Your Organization -- Aligning Brand Positioning -- Aspirations -- Tool 7.3: Creative Brief -- Tool 7.4: Strategic Selling -- Part III The Operational Playbook.

Chapter 8 Cost Optimization: To Free Up Resources to Fuel Commercial Growth -- Resource Allocation -- Marketing and Sales -- Design -- Production -- Delivery -- Service -- Chapter 9 Operational Excellence: Supply Chain, Distribution, Continual Improvement -- Action Plans -- Performance Management -- Tool 9.1 Team Charter -- Chapter 10 Technology: Because All Companies Are Technology Companies Today -- Machine Strategy -- Machine Posture -- Machine Culture -- BRAVE Technology -- Part IV The Financial Playbook -- Chapter 11 The Deal and Due Diligence: Iteratively -- The Deal to Be Done -- Due Diligence -- Guest Contributor Karl Bailliez -- Tool 11.1 Culture -- Tool 11.2 Negotiating -- Tool 11.3 Due Diligence Checklist -- Chapter 12 Financing the Deal: The Different Options -- Cash -- Equity -- Seller Funding or Earnout -- Debt -- Guest Contributor Aaron Darr -- Chapter 13 Further M& -- A: Enabling Commercial and Operational Success -- Part V The Governance Playbook -- Chapter 14 Regulatory: And the License to Play -- Guest Contributor Katherine Kirkpatrick -- Chapter 15 Financial Governance: Always Necessary -- Financial -- Business Structure and Operations -- Material Contracts -- Product and Intellectual Property -- Customer Information -- Employee Information -- Infrastructure, Physical Assets, and Real Estate -- Chapter 16 The Board: And Its Multiple Roles -- The Right Way to Divide Responsibilities Between Chair and CEO -- How to Build Mutual Respect, Trust, and Support Between CEOs and Boards per Deloitte -- Part VI The Organizational Playbook -- Chapter 17 Culture: The Underlying Root Cause of Nearly Every Merger's Success or Failure -- Brave Cultures Are Sustainable -- Design: Independence -- Produce: Stability -- Deliver: Interdependence -- Service: Flexibility -- Making It Real -- Attitude Is the Pivot Point -- Evolving Aspirations.

Post-Pandemic Changes -- Identify the Dimensions to Evolve and Choose the Order -- Full Spectrum Creativity -- Implications -- How to Get More Positive Deviance -- Chapter 18 Incentives: Show Me How They're Paid and I'll Tell You What They Do -- Chapter 19 Leadership: Starting with the Core Leadership Team -- Strengths -- Implications for You -- General Atlantic's Talent Playbook -- Team Synergies over Individual Strengths -- Fit -- Decision-Enabling -- Executive Onboarding -- Tool 19.1 Team and People Assessment -- Chapter 20 People: Acquire, Develop, Encourage, Plan, Transition -- Guest Contributor Ericka Stevens -- Align Everything Around Your Core Focus and Burning Imperative -- Implement ADEPT Talent Management -- When Things Aren't Working, Don't Wait -- Three Types of Leaders -- Strategic Priorities -- Bosch and Seeo -- Summaries of Related Efforts -- Strong Performers and the Three Goods -- Position Profiles and Potential -- Keeping Your Head -- Tool 20.1 Future Organizational Capability Planning -- Tool 20.2 Talent Management -- Tool 20.3 Recruiting Brief -- Chapter 21 Politics: What Current and New Leaders Need to Know Organizationally and Personally -- A Different Approach -- Hygiene -- Working Through the Politics -- Acquired Company Leaders -- Working for a Boss Who Didn't Want You -- Part VII The Change Management Playbook -- Chapter 22 Integration Leadership: Start Here -- Stand Up Your Transition, Transformation, or Project Management Offices -- Chief of Staff -- Project Management Office (PMO) -- Transformation Officers -- Guest Contributor Jeff Scott -- Chapter 23 Change Management: Leading Through the Point of Inflection -- Platform for Change -- Picture of Success -- Call to Action -- Message -- Change Management at Albertsons -- Generate Early Wins -- Manage Through the Dips -- Guest Contributor Dennis Stratton.

Tool 23.1 Alignment Workshop -- Chapter 24 Communication: Everything Communicates -- Guest Contributor Michael Ovalles -- Use Your Communication to Drive Engagement -- Consider What Drives Happiness -- Maslow's Needs -- Satisfaction -- Maslow Hygiene and Motivating Factors -- Implications for You as a Transformational Leader -- Become the Narrator-in-Chief -- Touch Points -- Monitor and Adjust -- Repeat the Message Repeat the Message -- Celebrate Early Wins -- Reinforce -- Next-Level BRAVE Questions -- Bias -- Communication and Presentation Planning -- Tool 24.1 Communication and Presentation Planning -- Chapter 25 Announcement Cascade: Emotional, Direct, Indirect -- Internal and External Stakeholders -- Message -- Pre-Announcement Timeline -- Formal Announcement -- Post-Announcement Timeline -- Managing Your Reaction and Response to Announcements -- David and Goliath -- Tool 25.1 Announcement Cascade -- Tool 25.2 Press Interviews -- Chapter 26 Adjustments: Because You'll Need Them -- Strategic Process -- Operational Process -- Governance Process -- Adjust and Advance Your Leadership -- Develop Your Team -- Enhance Practices: Milestone Management, Program Management, and Long-Term Planning -- Evolve Your Culture -- Adjust to the Inevitable Surprises -- Major and Enduring -- Major but Temporary -- After-Action Review -- Tool 26.1 Management Cadence -- Part VIII Prototypical Order -- Chapter 27 Prototypical Order -- Prototypical Chronology: An Example -- Next Normal -- About the Authors -- Guest Contributors -- Bibliography -- Index -- EULA.