This book presents strategies and practices to allow everyday companies to cope with the fundamentally changing landscape of business models and to take advantage of the huge business opportunities arising from the advent of big data.
It develops several case studies from companies in traditional industries like LEGO, Yamato and Mediq, but also examines small start-ups like Space Tango, which is partnering with major multinationals to develop new business models using big data.
The book argues that businesses need to adapt and embark on their big data journey, helps them take the first step, and guides them along their way. It presents successful examples and deducts essential takeaway lessons from them, equipping executives to capitalize on big data and enabling them to make intelligent decisions in the big data transformation, giving their companies an essential competitive edge.
Clean Winners: Sustainability Strategy That Puts Customers First
Summary
Despite massive investments, sustainable business still isn't very profitable for most companies. Here's a fresh approach for resetting sustainability for customer value—and profitability. Store aisles packed with products labelled "environmentall...
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©2026
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Playing for keeps: Why you need a gaming strategy
Summary
Many of us still equate gaming with dudes playing video games like Grand Theft Auto in a basement. In fact, almost three and a half billion people globally play games today, which is why every organization needs a gaming strategy.
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China innovation system strategy - Speed and scale
Summary
How China’s innovation system strategy is built for speed and scale, the trade-offs it makes, and what executives must know beyond US-China tech rivalry.
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Four lessons from BYD overtook Tesla in the global EV race
Summary
BYD overtook Tesla through battery mastery, vertical integration and sequential capability building, reshaping the global EV market in 2025.
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Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins's flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference
IMD-2743
Copyright
©2026
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins's flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference
IMD-2743
Copyright
©2026
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins's flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference
IMD-2743
Copyright
©2026
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins's flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference
IMD-2743
Copyright
©2026
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins's flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference
IMD-2743
Copyright
©2026
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Flywheel Portfolio Framework: A strategic method for managing core business dynamics
Summary
This technical note presents the Flywheel Portfolio Framework, a systematic approach for diagnosing and managing the reinforcing cycles that drive organizational performance. Building on Jim Collins's flywheel concept from Good to Great, the framework extends beyond single-flywheel models to address the reality that businesses operate through multiple simultaneous reinforcing cycles – some that create value, some that destroy it and some that remain dormant. The note introduces three flywheel types: positive flywheels that build competitive advantage through compounding momentum, negative flywheels that accelerate organizational decline and latent flywheels that represent untapped strategic opportunities. Using a fashion retailer as an illustrative example throughout, the note demonstrates how these cycles interact and compete, with organizational trajectory determined by their net effect rather than individual flywheel strength. The framework provides a four-stage methodology and presents five strategic principles to guide execution. Designed for strategic leaders and executives, it equips practitioners with the tools to identify high-leverage intervention points, execute counterintuitive moves when system structure demands them and manage flywheel portfolios to generate sustainable competitive advantage.
Reference
IMD-2743
Copyright
©2026
Copyright owner
IMD Copyright
Available Languages
English
Contact
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications