How do PE firms become such powerhouses? Learn how, in Lessons from Private Equity Any Company Can Use. Bain chairman Orit Gadiesh and partner Hugh MacArthur use the concise, actionable format of a memo to lay out the five disciplines that PE firms use to attain their edge:

- Invest with a thesis using a specific, appropriate 3-5-year goal

- Create a blueprint for change--a road map for initiatives that will generate the most value for your company within that time frame

- Measure only what matters--such as cash, key market intelligence, and critical operating data

- Hire, motivate, and retain hungry managers--people who think like owners

- Make equity sweat--by making cash scarce, and forcing managers to redeploy underperforming capital in productive directions

This is the PE formulate for unleashing a company's true potential.