Nothing is more inspiring than a big vision that becomes a triumphant new reality. Think of how Apples iPod went from a project with a single employee to an enormously successful product launch in eleven months. But such successes are the exception. Consider how Londons Crossrail project delivered five years late and billions over budget. More modest endeavours, whether launching a small business, organizing a conference, or just finishing a work project on time, also commonly fail. Why?

Understanding what distinguishes the triumphs from the failures has been the lifes work of Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg. In How Big Things Get Done, he identifies the errors that lead projects to fail, and the research-based principles that will make yours succeed:

Understand your odds. If you dont know them, you wont win.
Plan slow, act fast. Getting to the action quick feels right. But its wrong.
Think right to left. Start with your goal, then