Conventional wisdom has it that they must learn to compete more ruthlessly than ever before to outdo their rivals and secure leading market positions.This book offers a refreshingly different perspective.It argues that the way forward in the twenty-first century is through cooperation rather than cut-throat competition. Drawing on day-to-day client work at some of the world's top companies as well as in-depth interviews with a dozen leading CEOs and board members,the authors show that cooperation is not a virtue,but a necessity for today's businesses.Companies grappling with changing customer demands,a volatile economic climateand the challenge of integrating mergers and acquisitions must learn to work in new an different ways.They must turn their increasing reliance on clients,suppliers,governments and even competitors to their advantage by developing effective partnerships and alliances with other organizations on both a national and an international scale. By making the "next leap", companies will enhance their prospects of achieving profitable growth,creating sustainable value and ensuring corporate survival.