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The Four Obsessions of an Ex traordinary Executive reveals the four key disciplines that are to be followed in order to be successful in the corporate world. The author talks about these disciplines in an effective business fiction format. Readers are treated to a story of corporate conspiracy which acts as a practical guide to those who aspire to learn and lead. The executive's search of perfect solutions which would propel him to success is highlighted and objectively analyzed by comparing two fictional CEOs and their styles of functioning.
According to the author, most of the executives generally spend considerable time and energy in search of competitive advantage, carving a niche using strategy, technology and marketing, based on their intellectual property or capital. However, these advantages never last long owing to the high speed flow of communication—the competitors are always catching up. The author adds that one important competitive advantage that is available to all the companies is organizational health; it has the advantage of not being based on intellectual property despite requiring a lot of time and attention on the part of executives. He has tried to define healthy organization as "one that has less politics and confusion, higher morale and productivity, lower unwanted turnover and lower recruiting costs than an unhealthy one". The main challenge for the executives is how to make it happen.
The author states that the first step is to accept and embrace the idea. It calls for extraordinary commitment and even though it sounds simple, it is not a cakewalk when put to practice; it requires courage, commitment and consistency. The second step is to master these fundamental disciplines and practice them on a daily basis.
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