--- product_id: 10598603 title: "The Art of Action: How Leaders Close the Gaps between Plans, Actions, and Results Hardcover – November 4, 2010" brand: "stephen bungay" price: "€ 104.28" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 10 url: https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/10598603-the-art-of-action-how-leaders-close-the-gaps-between store_origin: CY region: Cyprus --- # The Art of Action: How Leaders Close the Gaps between Plans, Actions, and Results Hardcover – November 4, 2010 **Brand:** stephen bungay **Price:** € 104.28 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Art of Action: How Leaders Close the Gaps between Plans, Actions, and Results Hardcover – November 4, 2010 by stephen bungay - **How much does it cost?** € 104.28 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.cy](https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/10598603-the-art-of-action-how-leaders-close-the-gaps-between) ## Best For - stephen bungay enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted stephen bungay brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![The Art of Action: How Leaders Close the Gaps between Plans, Actions, and Results Hardcover – November 4, 2010 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81ZYAoxGLtL.jpg) ![The Art of Action: How Leaders Close the Gaps between Plans, Actions, and Results Hardcover – November 4, 2010 - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/516zQycMHZL.jpg) ![The Art of Action: How Leaders Close the Gaps between Plans, Actions, and Results Hardcover – November 4, 2010 - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31uwy2HMJ5L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Most imporant leadership book in years *by A***R on Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2011* This book is remarkable. The author's breath of reading and research is amazing. Almost every important author or management book of the 20th century is referenced here - in refreshing and often critical candor. From fads like 'Blue Ocean Strategy' to serious works like 'Balance Scorecard' The Art of Action looks at a wide range of material and distills down what works for actually accomplishing something.However what made this book so significant is the practical advice and implementable ideas. This isn't another ivory tower theory from on high book, but a practical solution that every manager or leader can get results from.That said it isn't a handbook. More 'how to' should have been included. Illustrations are small. Footnotes are numerous (and without chapter heads). There are no summaries, no easy to read or follow instructions. They exist but thy are not as useful as the author intended. You have to do the work of reading, digesting the material, and thinking through a practical application for your business.But oh how worthwhile you'll find that process. Of the dozens of books I read annually The Art of Action is one I'll keep at hand, re-read, and use.Like in war when a business strategy encounters the real world 3 gaps appear (gaps in terms of expected results and reality: outcomes, actions, plans). They are:1. The knowledge gap - the difference between what we would like to know and what we actually know.2. The Alignment Gap - the difference between what we want people to do and what they actually do.3. The Effects Gap - the difference between what we expect our actions to achieve and what they actually achieve.The Art of Action is about filling those gaps. Stephen Bungay uses the lessons of war and military theorists to figure out how to really create a "learning organization." The mechanical view of workers as learning tasks and slavishly performing them won't work in dynamic situations like war or competitive business environments. People need to know the goals (intentions) of a business and then have the skill sets to proactively and creatively find their own solutions to accomplish them. We provide the strategy, again goals and intentions along with tactical resources but the people think and act independently to accomplish the goals. A tall order however The Art of Action explains how.Simply a great book that will save you tons of time from reading the hundreds of books this author has read and gleaned the gold from."We have a strategy, we have long-term objectives, we all have budgets...meanwhile our people are asking, 'so, what is it exactly that you're asking me to do?'""Generating activity is not a problem; in fact it is easy. The fact that it is easy makes the real problem harder to solve. The problem is getting the right things done - the things that matter, the things that will have an impact, the things a company is trying to achieve to ensure success. A high volume of activity often disguises a lack effective action." ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling reading on strategy *by J***D on Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2019* For anyone leading a product organization who wants to get the true value of agile and customer focused cross functional teams, this book is required reading. Most of my favorite leaders and product people recommend this book and I can see why. If you are interested in empowered teams, or work in a multi-team environment where there is more than a minor of amount of uncertainty in how to achieve your outcomes, this book will guide you through how to think about the challenges of Knowledge, Alignment and Effects that are holding you back. It's a great companion to A Seat At The Table. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars In a gendre full of drivel, "The Art of Action" delivers *by M***R on Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2012* "The Art of Action" is a great book. I can't say that there's ever been a business book based of maneuver warfare. I don't exactly know the precise time when the maneuver warfare craze hit the United States Military (US Marines were first, synthesized by USAF Col. John Boyd), but it happened long enough ago that the once polemic idea is now accepted corpus of military strategy. "Prussian envy" was a phrase coined to describe this type of thinking, with impressive sounding words like Auftragstaktik or Coup d'oeil.There are many types of strategic formulation, you analyze your yourself and your industry and pounce on opportunities; you can ask the different functions and find out what driving the your business as in "driving forces"; you can look at your processes and improve them; etc. What I take away from this book is that the implementation phase of strategic process can in itself generate strategies in a kind of iterative way. Which by the way is how textbooks describe them.In these times we live in, management is in love with networks. Networks are not even mentioned in "Art of Action" but if you do work on a network, then "Art of Action" is the way you would thrive in such a world.Tidbits I found profound in this book are: Competencies are built on top of another; don't make a decision on things you don't know. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/10598603-the-art-of-action-how-leaders-close-the-gaps-between](https://www.desertcart.com.cy/products/10598603-the-art-of-action-how-leaders-close-the-gaps-between) --- *Product available on Desertcart Cyprus* *Store origin: CY* *Last updated: 2026-04-24*