Becoming A Strategic Business Leader

ACCA SBL topics by chapter

By Adam Niazi FCCA ยท Last updated 12 October 2026

This page maps all 19 chapters of Becoming A Strategic Business Leader to free topic guides on this site, from strategic planning to managing change. Chapters 1 to 3 are free to read in full.

Each row lists the free topic guides on this site for that chapter of Becoming A Strategic Business Leader.

Ch.ChapterFree topic guides
1Strategic planning (free sample)The strategic planning process explained, Strategic drift explained (the four phases)
2Strategic analysis (free sample)PESTEL analysis explained (with examples for ACCA SBL), Porter's five forces explained (with an example), Porter's Diamond model explained, VRIO framework explained, with an example, Porter's value chain explained (with an example), SWOT analysis explained (with a template and example), The TOWS matrix explained (with a worked example)
3Performance analysis (free sample)Benchmarking explained: types, process and examples, The balanced scorecard and Baldrige framework explained
4Strategic choiceBowman's strategy clock explained: all 8 positions, Porter's generic strategies explained (with examples), The Ansoff matrix explained (with an ACCA SBL example), Suitability, acceptability and feasibility (SAF) explained
5Strategic developmentThe BCG matrix explained (stars, cash cows, question marks and dogs), Methods of growth: organic, acquisition, joint venture and franchising
6Governance and its principlesRules-based vs principles-based corporate governance, and insider vs outsider systems, Agency theory explained (principals, agents and agency costs)
7StakeholdersStakeholder theory explained (Freeman, 1984), Mendelow's matrix explained (with an ACCA SBL example), Carroll's CSR pyramid explained, with examples
8LeadershipLeadership styles explained (autocratic to democratic, Goleman, Lewin), Leadership vs management: the key differences, Transformational leadership explained: the four I's, Intrapreneurship explained, with examples
9Board of directorsRole of non-executive directors (NEDs) explained, Remuneration committee and director pay explained
10ReportingInstitutional investors and their role in corporate governance, Integrated reporting and the six capitals explained
11Internal controls and auditThreats to auditor independence and how to manage them, The COSO framework explained (5 components, 17 principles), The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) explained, The fraud triangle explained: pressure, opportunity, rationalisation
12Risks and risk managementTypes of business risk explained, with examples, Enterprise risk management (ERM) explained, Risk matrix explained: how to build one and choose responses, The three (and four) lines of defence explained
13Ethics and professionalismBusiness ethics and professionalism explained, The UK Bribery Act 2010 explained simply
14Organisational structureMintzberg's organisational structures and building blocks, Outsourcing: advantages and disadvantages, Business process reengineering (BPR) explained
15Information technologyBig data and the 5 Vs explained, Cloud computing: advantages and disadvantages, E-business and e-branding explained
16Online marketingThe marketing mix: the 7Ps explained with examples, E-business and e-branding explained
17Project managementBusiness case and project initiation document (PID) explained
18Financial decision makingSources of finance for business explained, Net present value (NPV) explained, with a worked example, Internal rate of return (IRR) explained, with a worked example, Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) explained, with an example
19Managing changeTypes of change: Balogun and Hope Hailey's four types, The cultural web explained (Johnson, 1992), Lewin's change model explained: unfreeze, change, refreeze, Kotter's 8-step change model explained, The McKinsey 7S model explained

Get Chapters 1 to 3 free

FAQs

What does the book cover?

All the main ACCA Strategic Business Leader topics in 19 chapters: strategy, governance, stakeholders, leadership, reporting, control and audit, risk, ethics, structure, technology, marketing, projects, finance and change.

Can I read part of the book for free?

Yes. Chapters 1 to 3 (strategic planning, strategic analysis and performance analysis) are free when you sign up on the home page.

Are these guides the same as the book?

No. Each guide is a short, free introduction to one topic. The book covers every topic in more depth, in the order you need for the SBL exam.