Most companies think that 'Technology X' or 'Startup Y' is disrupting their business, but there's a flaw in this thinking. It is customers who are driving the disruption. Companies routinely miss that customers drive the most common and pervasive disruption. They are the ones behind the decisions to adopt or

There are lies and there are myths; lies are generally easier to spot, and myths present a different, subtler trap. They are often based on a plausible half-truth and can lead you astray if you start to act on them. We encounter myths in most realms of human endeavor, and

At a fundamental level, strategy boils down to two options: Do what everyone else is doing (and spend less money doing it), or do something no one else can do (or haven't thought of). Either approach can be successful. Competing by doing what everyone else is doing means competing on

Strategy is all about being different and choosing a unique and valuable position, and conducting activities that are hard to match and copy. The adoption of strategic sustainability measures, e.g. focusing on plant-based food, is one of those strategic differentiators that generate a competitive advantage and therefore, results in

Many leaders want to make more time for strategic thinking and understand that being strategic is essential to their organization’s success. Yet, many leaders say they lack the time for strategic thinking. One issue is the cultural pressure to put in long hours. Tethering yourself to your desk may

Companies often fail to address tough questions about strategy and execution: 1) Are we really clear, as a leadership team, about how we choose to create value. 2) Are we investing in those areas. 3) Does it fit the products and services we deliver? If your answer is yes to

There's a common misperception that the top exec in a company conceives the strategy, and execution happens below. Let's first define “strategy” and “execution,” the former is about making choices and the latter acting on them, i.e., people making decisions about what to do and what not to do.