Change or die! With this stark claim begins the journey through the corporate lifecycle. Why do so many companies fail? Why do managers struggle to recognize change early or hesitate to take vigorous action? Why – and how – must the traditional lifecycle concept be modernized if it is still to provide valid orientation?

In this essay, Roland Berger CEO Burkhard Schwenker analyzes the challenges facing managers today and explores their implications for good management. Corporate management, he argues, must once again become more direct, more personal, more entrepreneurial. His experienced and thoughtful analysis is complemented by insightful, candid interviews with renowned entrepreneurs and business leaders, conducted by journalist Mario Müller-Dofel. Finally, Schwenker outlines an agenda calling for action in six specific areas.

Prof. Dr. Burkhard Schwenker is CEO of Roland Berger Strategy Cosultants and Chairman of Roland Berger School of Strategy and Economics. He teaches management at HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management. Mario Müller-Dofel is a business journalist, interviewer and communications/behavior coach. He is founder of the training company DIALEKTIK for Business, based in Frankfurt (Main).