Strategy and Implementation Must Co-exist

The Mind of the Strategist, Kenichi Ohmae's classic on corporate strategy,  makes several important points. There is a huge difference between the mindsets required for strategic decision making and tactical decision making. (See my earlier post: Strategic vs Tactical). The strategist looks for relative superiority over competition to create a competitive advantage. Superiority is created by exploiting various strategic dimensions of differentiation.


One important point Ohmae makes concerns the relationship between strategy and execution. It is best to present it in his own words.

Corporate performance is the result of combining planning and execution. It resembles a boat race. No matter how hard each crew member rows, if the coxswain doesn’t choose the right direction, the crew can never hope to win. Conversely, even if the coxswain is a perfect navigator, you cannot win the race unless the rowers strive hard and in unison.

- Kenichi Ohmae (The Mind of The Strategist)