Collection
Culmination Points

The idea of a breaking point is a familiar one: there is a moment or an incident that suddenly tips the scales, causing a radical change in outcomes. There are numerous other examples of such equilibrium points. For example, complexity theory studies the critical point at which small changes cause ordered systems to degenerate into chaos. Clausewitz explores how advantage can turn suddenly to defeat in his writings on war, and discusses the equilibrium between attack and defense. Another example is Napoleon's conquest of Moscow  - a victory that turned into disaster. This notion, however, is not common in the parlance of business strategy.

This collection explores this idea and its strategic implications. When can success be carried too far? And how can one recognize and exploit this error in competitors?