The Upside of Turbulence: Seizing Opportunity in an Uncertain World

Donald Sull

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A provocative user's guide to a world where the only thing that doesn't change is change itself

"Before I die," Albert Einstein once said, "I hope someone will clarify quantum physics for me. After I die, I hope God will explain turbulence to me." Einstein might have been more confused today: Turbulence, in all its manifestations, is on the rise. Financial markets gyrate. Commodity prices zig and zag. New technologies disrupt long-standing businesses and entire industries. Scientific discoveries overturn historical truisms. Dirty bombs and pension busts, natural disasters and flu pandemics, add to the tumult. We live in a world beset by turbulence.

We often respond to turbulence by accelerating activities that worked in the past. We lapse into inertia when we should adapt with agility, and we cling to rigid dogmas when we should improvise. But throughout history, volatility has not only dethroned incumbent leaders, it has also created untold possibilities to create economic value. Turbulence has an upside, and companies that seize the opportunities arising out of seething markets will become tomorrow's champions.

Based on more than a decade of research, "The Upside of Turbulence" draws lessons from companies that have consistently spotted and exploited opportunities that rivals have missed. The book explores realms ranging from improvisational comedy to the U.S. Marine Corp's combat doctrine. The result is a series of provocative insights that defy conventional wisdom. The book also introduces practical tools, which have been field-tested by executives around the world, to wrestle triumph out of turmoil.

"It is a "must read" for all those that wish to understand the dynamics of managing through turbulence in order to capture the opportunities and limit the threats."

—Mohamed El-Erian, author of When Markets Collide

"Like the agile organizations he describes in The Upside of Turbulence, Donald Sull leaps deftly among ideas and examples... Will help senior executives act and succeed in a world where the future is always foggy, plans are inherently unreliable, and opportunities and threats come seemingly out of nowhere."

—Tom Stewart, author of Intellectual Capital

Donald N. Sull is a Professor of Management Practice in Strategic and International Management and Faculty Director of Executive Education at the London Business School where he designed, directs and teaches an intensive week-long “boot camp” to help senior executives thrive in turbulent markets.

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