Well it’s not rocket science, is it? So if good business is mostly common sense, here’s a book that lays it out clearly and simply, with a few guiding principles, and the recurrent theme of seeing your business as customers see it. According to Leahy, this means eschewing conventional market definitions and boundaries, constantly looking around and listening to customers for things you can do better for them, and then trying things out. It’s a good straightforward read, with a nice focus on customers and clarity of purpose. The bit that doesn’t quite ring true is that Tesco sounds like a lovely place to work; treating people with respect is, we are told, a core value. Reading this, someone who’d served Tesco as a supplier might feel short-changed. But then maybe that’s how Tesco suppliers are meant to feel.

Books | November 2012