J-B US non-Franchise Leadership: The Three Tensions (PDF)

A manager argued that he could either increase his business unit'smargins or its sales, but not both. His chief executive remindedhim of the time when people lived in mud huts and faced the starkchoice between light and heat: punch a hole in the side of your hutand you let the daylight in but also the cold, or block up all theopenings and you stay warm but sit in darkness. The invention ofglass made it possible to overcome the dilemma--to let in thelight but not the cold. How then, he asked his manager, will youresolve your dilemma between no sales or no margin improvement?Where is the glass?
--From the Introduction
"To win, leaders have to push their companies beyond trade-offs.They must find strong growth at premium returns, not one or theother. They must deliver great results today and build for thefuture at the same time, not push for earnings that can't besustained. The Three Tensions is about having both at thesame time, more of the time. I recommend it to any manager seriousabout winning."
--James Kilts, former chairman, CEO, and president, TheGillette Company
"Leadership can't be just about telling people what you expectof them. The Three Tensions sets out a range of helpfultactics leaders can adopt to really engage their people in thesearch for good performance on many fronts."
--Andrew Cosslett, chief executive, InterContinental HotelsGroup PLC
"The Three Tensions speaks to fundamental managementissues, perhaps the most fundamental. Managers looking for newideas on how to improve performance will find it very stimulating.I found my own thinking very much influenced by it."
--John Roberts, professor of economics, strategic management,and international business, Stanford Business School