Why Strategy Matters

Strategy is a word that is as widely used as it is misunderstood. All too often, it is thrown around to sound impressive and important, but either doesn’t really mean anything at all or means very different things to the people who are using it.

My first job taught me that strategy is about informed choice and timely action. This was the payoff line of Monitor Company, where I started my career.

Twenty-five years later, my career has taught me that when taken in combination, these four things are at the heart of the difference between a good strategy and no strategy.

I have also realised that there was one thing that the founders left out way back then, but more about that later.