Skip McCormick

Skip McCormick is an American author and management consultant known for writing about business strategy and organizational behavior. His most notable work is "Horse Sense: The Key to Success Is Finding a Horse to Ride" (2003), which explores the concept of identifying and capitalizing on business opportunities. McCormick spent several decades as a consultant with McKinsey & Company, where he worked with major corporations on strategic initiatives and organizational development. During this time, he developed the "horse sense" framework that would later form the basis of his written work. His writing focuses on practical business concepts and emphasizes the importance of recognizing promising opportunities - what he calls "horses" - that can drive career and business success. McCormick's work has been cited in various business publications and continues to influence discussions about strategic decision-making in corporate environments. The principles outlined in "Horse Sense" draw from McCormick's extensive consulting experience and have been adopted by business leaders and organizations seeking to improve their market position and organizational effectiveness.

Readers note this book offers straightforward advice about recognizing and pursuing business opportunities, though reviews are limited in number. What readers liked: - Clear, practical examples from real business situations - Simple framework that's easy to remember and apply - Quick read at under 200 pages - Insights from author's McKinsey consulting experience What readers disliked: - Some found the horse metaphor overused throughout - Content could have been condensed into article length - Limited new insights for experienced business readers - Few specific action steps or implementation tools Review Data: Amazon: 3.8/5 (12 reviews) Goodreads: 3.5/5 (24 ratings, 3 reviews) One business school professor on Amazon wrote: "The horse analogy makes complex strategy concepts accessible to students." A CEO reviewer noted: "McCormick's framework helped me evaluate opportunities more systematically, though I wish there were more concrete examples."

AntiPatterns: Refactoring Software, Architectures, and Projects in Crisis (1998) A technical guide that identifies and provides solutions for common problems in software development, project management, and architecture design.

Horse Sense: The Key to Success Is Finding a Horse to Ride (2003) A business strategy book that explains how to identify and capitalize on promising opportunities in corporate environments, drawing from the author's experiences as a McKinsey consultant.

Peter Drucker wrote extensively about management principles and organizational effectiveness based on decades of consulting experience. His work focuses on practical frameworks for business success drawn from real-world corporate examples.

Clayton Christensen developed influential theories about innovation and business growth through his research and consulting work. His writing centers on how companies can identify and capitalize on transformative business opportunities.

Geoffrey Moore analyzes how companies can successfully navigate market transitions and business evolution. His frameworks help organizations recognize and pursue growth opportunities at different stages of market development.

Jim Collins examines what separates high-performing companies from others through extensive research studies. His work provides concrete principles for organizational success based on empirical analysis of corporate performance.

Michael Porter created fundamental frameworks for understanding competitive strategy and market positioning. His theories help companies identify strategic opportunities and develop sustainable competitive advantages.