Strategy is probably the most confusing word in the business vocabulary, primarily because if you ask ten people what it means you will get ten different answers. I think of it as establishing a direction for an organization to move in. Also, we can’t determine if we are being effective in our execution unless we understand the direction we want to be heading in. Having said that, here are eleven excellent books on strategy and execution.

Understanding Michael Porter by Joan Magretta

Elevate and Deep Dive by Rich Horwath

Management by Peter Drucker

Good to Great and Beyond Entrepreneurship by Jim Collins

Blue Ocean Strategy by Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

The Discipline of Market Leaders by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema

Only the Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove

Profit from the Core by Chris Zook

Top Management Strategy by Ben Tregoe and John Zimmerman