Here's how to best position yourself for taking advantage of the unexpected.

- Why are companies like Apple on top of the world while others like Blackberry have been relegated to a minor market share? Why is Netflix king and Blockbuster extinct? Netflix spotted a strategic inflection point and capitalized on it, says Rita Gunther McGrath.

- A strategic inflection point is a shift in the external environment that changes the assumptions upon which a business is based—it could be technology, social norms, or a company's reputation. People and organizations who see inflection points early and respond to them with a small investment or an experiment have an advantage. They will swim while their competitors may sink.

About the Author

Rita Gunther McGrath, a professor at Columbia Business School, is one of the world’s top experts on innovation and growth. She is the best-selling author of The End of Competitive Advantage (Harvard Business Review Press, 2013). Her new book Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen

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