The discipline of market leaders

by Michael Treacy

Why is it that Casio can sell a calculator more cheaply than Kellogg's can sell a box of corn flakes? Why can FedEx "absolutely, positively" deliver your package overnight but airlines have trouble keeping track of your bags? Why does Lands' End remember your last order and even your family's clothing sizes but after ten years of membership American Express still solicits you to join? How is it that some companies are reinventing competition in their markets while others are seemingly oblivious to the changing world around them? These are the questions that authors Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema explore in their groundbreaking book, The Discipline of Market Leaders, from the same consulting firm that brought you business reengineering. The answers provide a revolutionary way of thinking about customers, competition, markets, and the fundamental structure of your organization.^ The authors' thesis is deceptively simple: that successful organizations - the market leaders - excel at del