The Best of the September Issue

Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. The Best of the September Issue   What's causing a stir in this month's HBR SUBSCRIBE TO HBR   |   VISIT HBR.ORG   |   READ THE SEPTEMBER 2012 ISSUE Simple Rules for a Complex World by Donald Sull and Kathleen M. Eisenhardt Looking for viable ways to upgrade its crumbling rail lines and near-collapsing bridges, the Brazilian freight rail system imposed three conditions on all proposals: They must minimize upfront expenditures, provide immediate benefits, and reuse existing resources. This is a prime example of "strategy as simple rules." New research explains what makes them so effective. Read the full article » ALSO POPULAR The New Corporate Garage by Scott D. Anthony Today it's easier than ever to innovate, which, ironically, is giving the edge not to start-ups but to big companies like Novartis, Unilever, and Medtronics. They're finally learning how to use their resources, scale, and growing agility to solve such intractable problems as making health care affordable and clean water widely available. Prada's CEO on Staying Independent in a Consolidating Industry by Patrizio Bertelli Ignore the Internet. Place trust in the Chinese financial and legal systems. Make the company answerable to 10,000 shareholders, not just one or two partners. Prada's top executive relies on these and other unlikely principles to succeed, even as other luxury brands struggle. ADVERTISEMENT MULTIMEDIA AUDIO: Pressed for Time? Give Some of Yours Away Carrie Mogliner explains how you gain time by helping others. VIDEO: Simplify Your Strategy A strategy that's too complex to execute isn't a strategy; it's a book report. AUDIO: What's Wrong with Today's Entrepreneurs They're building companies not to last but to sell to Google HBR BLOG NETWORK Tweak Products Like Steve Jobs by H. James Wilson and Elaine Eisenman Does Your Strategy Match Your Competitive Environment? by Martin Reeves Before You Take a Risk, Lay Out the Logic by Roger Martin FOLLOW HBR Introducing Mobile ManageMentor Powered by the proven content of Harvard ManageMentor™ iTunes >>    Android >> UNSUBSCRIBE   |   UPDATE YOUR PROFILE   |   MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST You have received this message because you subscribed to the "HBR Monthly Update" email newsletter from Harvard Business Review. If at any point you wish to remove yourself from this list, change your email address, or sign up for other email newsletters and alerts, please visit the Harvard Business Review Email Newsletter Preference Center. OPT OUT If you do not wish to receive any email messages from Harvard Business Review, click here. ADVERTISE WITH HBR This enewsletter is read by thousands of decision makers every month. Learn more about connecting your brand with this audience. Copyright © 2012 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing | 60 Harvard Way | Boston, MA 02163 Customer Service: 800-545-7685 (+1-617-783-7600 outside the U.S. and Canada)