“Books and doors are the same thing. You open them, and you go through into another world.”
– Jeanette Winterson
The AOA management framework draws inspiration from extensive literature and research on the importance of people in driving success, combined with our hands-on experience in startups and scaleups. Our gratitude extends to the brilliant minds who’ve shaped our thinking, as captured in the books listed below.
Art of Action (by Stephen Bungay)
“The big issue was not strategy but executing strategy. There was plenty of activity, but not much action.” (page 9)
The Execution Shortcut (by Jeroen de Flander)
“Human dynamics are the reason why most strategies take a long route to the finish line. If we aspire to get better return from our strategies, then we must learn how these human behaviors impact the ideal journey and how to deal with them.” (page 155)
Start with Why (by Simon Sinek)
“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen”. (page 99)
Team of Teams (by General Stanley McChrystal)
“Knowledge is power - Our environment erupts with too many possibilities. To plan effectively, we must become comfortable with sharing power. We need to empower our teams to take action on their own.” (page 212-213)
See the AOA Canvas in Practice
Curious to see how AOA applies in real life? Take a look below to see how a company used the powerful AOA canvas to identify their dynamics and areas for improvement.
