What is Strategy without a Strategist?

Earlier this year at Harvard Business School, Professor Cynthia Montgomery took a group of entrepreneur-owner-presidents through a series of discussions on strategy. We discussed several case studies, one that examined Gucci's near-death experience and another that chronicled Ryanair's strategic self-discovery. 

To analyze the cases, she used what she calls a strategy wheel, that puts a company's purpose in the center, and a set of mutually-reinforcing activities all around. As we progressed,  I couldn't resist asking her how she defined strategy. Her answer was quick - A system of value creation anchored on a purpose that makes a difference that matters.

It was refreshing to hear a view of strategy that did not focus primarily on beating the competition, but rather on making a difference that matters to the customer. It seemed to suggest that the all-important sustainable competitive advantage would be inherent in the strategy wheel - no need to obsess with it.

So, when she announced her new book,  The Strategist: Be the Leader Your Business Needs (Harper Business, 2012), I was eagerly awaiting its publication. Sure enough, the book is a great read for the business leader, whom she inspires to become a strategist. For her, strategy isn't some left-brain activity to get right once, but rather an ever-evolving agenda to live with.  Her revisionist view of strategy is refreshing, vibrant and imbues strategy with a moral purpose.

Long time back, Kenichi Ohmae, in his classic titled The Mind of the Strategist, talked of the strategist's mindset.  Cynthia Montgomery's new book takes you on a journey that will help you discover the strategist within you. This is an opportunity you don't want to miss if you are at the helm of an enterprise. A highly recommended read, and I would love to hear what you took from it.