Strategy

A typical commercial airplane is off course 90% of the time, yet it almost always arrives at its destination because it knows exactly where it’s going and makes constant small corrections along the way

Wise decision-making isn’t about simply finding the right answer; it’s about maintaining focus on a big goal while also staying aware of the changing circumstances around you. It’s about killing a bad strategy before it kills you.

“All of us learn soon enough, from the unpredictable nuances that arise from our relationships and social interactions, how hopelessly inadequate our most thoughtful and elegant frameworks are when confronted with the mystery that is human nature.”

Many of my current views on strategy have been learned over time from a few remarkable individuals. From them, I learned that you don’t start with goals; Goals are what you give to subordinates to guide their work. From them, I learned that you start with a deep understanding of the forces at work and identify the nature of the challenge or... See more

Here’s another quote attributed to the ancient Greek poet Archilochus: “We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.”

Since strategy is a form of problem solving and because you cannot solve a problem you have not defined or analyzed, strategic work begins with identifying barriers and difficulties. Many executives and leaders dislike discussing challenges and impediments, which hinders strategic thinking. In such cases, the strategist's role is to speak truth to... See more

Grand strategy isn’t just about planning—it’s about adapting. It’s about knowing when to act like a fox and when to think like a hedgehog. When to be rational and when to trust instinct. When to stick to principles and when to make compromises. The best strategists, from Augustus to Machiavelli to Queen Elizabeth, understood that strategy isn’t... See more