DRIVEN, is a book about Return Driven Strategy®, a framework for better planning and analyzing businesses in a manner that links most closely to long-term return generation.
Over a decade of research and application resulted in this framework with deep insights from business leaders and investors around the world.
“Return Driven Strategy provides a clear and concise way of looking at the key issues that drive profitable businesses. Its primary focus is on the customer, and markets, and it ties the various business components back to these key issues.”
“Return Driven Strategy helped us to create a REAL Strategic Plan and gave us the tools to examine every facet of our business. The result: sales: UP; profits: UP; and we are a better company in just about every area of our business. I just can’t say enough about the positive effect RDS has had with us. It’s provided everyone with an understandable framework to comprehend our business.”
“The Return Driven Strategy framework has enabled the senior leadership of our company to establish, implement, and periodically realign, a first class, effective business strategy that produces real results. We know that we are working on the right things, for the right reasons. We also know that our periodic discussions are on point, and a good use of our valuable time. Our principles, business priorities and resources, are effectively aligned. From conceptual level to day to day execution, this thing really works.”
“Driven is an essential read for CEOs and senior managers. In a clear and readable style it successfully sets forth a road map for the creation of long term wealth. The book will also provide a valuable tool for investment managers and individual investors to identify companies whose shares have a high probability of producing long run returns. Once read, Driven will be kept in the top drawer and referred to often.”
“Imbedded in Return Driven Strategy are the undeniable truths of what works in the real world of business.”
“DRIVEN summarizes a breakthrough study that will change the way business will be done. It offers a simple and comprehensive framework for taking on today’s complex business world. Notably, it shows how innovation beyond R&D is a key lever for generating business value, along with the important links to operations and marketing.”
“Return Driven Strategy provides an elegant framework for business strategy considerations. By that, I mean it is marked by ingenuity, simplicity and completeness. It was an effective tool for our firm as we embarked on our strategic assessment of our core business which resulted in dramatic improvements in our business. I strongly endorse it for others following a similar path.”
“DRIVEN provides a comprehensive and practical guide to students and management in the essential elements of how an organization can create Shareholder Value. I highly commend the authors' incorporation of the important people related considerations. Typically, most books only provide lip service in this area. Appropriate management of human capital is core to every great business strategy. The Return Driven Strategy framework does a great job of incorporating the role of human capital in the growth of financial capital.”
“For years I have used this framework for evaluating critical business decisions. It has been an invaluable compass when allocating resources in human capital, intellectual capital, and investment capital, particularly when those resources can be so scarce. We have a saying that, ‘Vision without execution is hallucination.’ I would follow that with ‘Visions supported by Return Driven Strategy have the best chances for success’.”
“Finally, a growth strategy framework grounded in empirical data with real world application! Driven provides a straightforward approach to profitable growth that should be embraced by all CEOs wanting to drive the value of their companies.”
“I would reference the question, 'Are we doing the right things for the right reasons?' The value of Mission Driven Strategy has consistently rung true for me as it has helped us do exactly that; focus on the right initiatives and objectives for the right reasons to best serve the organization.”
“Return Driven Strategy should be considered as a fundamental cornerstone to any strategic plan. It covers the critical points and facets for promoting an effective level of structured thinking that is necessary when launching a new product or service. It also allows a company to understand when an essential element of a strategic plan is missing.”
“Frigo and Litman's framework allows the investor to judge the ability of companies to create lasting value and should be part of any investor's stock selection process.”
“Whether your goal is to improve business performance or to make better buy/hold/sell investment decisions, insights are needed to connect core principles of wealth creation to both reported financial performance and firm valuations in the stock market. Frigo and Litman put it all together for you.”
“Frigo and Litman's book, DRIVEN, includes many valuable case studies of the fundamentals behind firm's cash flow track records. I believe these discussions can be beneficial to both investors and corporate managers in understanding the activities that truly drive company value.”
“DRIVEN explains a common-sense approach to strategy development. Linking strategy, execution, and valuation is tough to do. By tying together the process to ethical value creation - and a passionate desire to deliver unique offerings to fulfill unmet needs - the authors lead us in the art of 'strategic fit.”
“The principles and concepts in Return Driven Strategy capture what we as educators and thought leaders should embed in our curricula and teachings in business schools throughout our undergraduate, graduate and executive education programs. Business schools must focus on the importance of a firm commitment to ethically create shareholder value.”
“The Return Driven Strategy framework can be a useful approach for strategic risk management and ERM. This framework fully describes the business strategy and activities that drive great financial performance and makes the connection between strategy and shareholder value. It can provide a way for directors and management to evaluate strategic plans and strategic initiatives and identify key risks that could destroy shareholder value while considering the upside of risk in terms of the opportunities.”
“Return Driven Strategy provides a framework for educating tomorrow's leaders and reminding today's leaders of the importance of a true commitment to ethically maximize wealth in corporate governance and performance measurement.”
“Return Driven Strategy and the book Driven will be invaluable in business and academia. Frigo and Litman's framework provides the right path for educating future business leaders and guiding today's leaders in navigating an ever-changing and complex business environment.”
“Over the last decade, Frigo and Litman have been instrumental in identifying and bringing together the fundamental strategies that enhance shareholder value. In Driven, they have managed to neatly organize these strategies into a coherent whole, making them both intelligible and relevant to a wide audience.”
“Frigo and Litman's Return Driven Strategy is valuable in the boardroom and the classroom. For professors and students in business schools it provides a framework for placing any business discipline in the perspective of overall business strategy. As a board member of a corporation in the investment services industry, I have seen how Frigo and Litman's framework provides a means for the board the focus on the right issues in corporate governance, especially as they relate to communicating strategic performance goals and empowering management to achieve them while ethically increasing shareholder value.”
