Strategy: Have insights that give you an advantage.
Think, plan, act. Most people don’t do these things. They just react.
Jumping from one thing to another for no reason is bumper cars at a carnival. Don’t be crazy…be strategic.
Don’t put the word “strategy” in front of other words to make them sound more important. Be precise and make sure you have a shared strategic language.
A good plan answers two questions: 1) What do you want to achieve? 2) How will you implement it? Don’t overcomplicate things. If you don’t have a written plan, you’re less prepared to succeed than Coach Pee Wee’s football team.
Half of the tasks, meetings, and decisions in which you participate should be delegated to others. Yes. half.
Being strategic won’t win you a popularity contest. In fact, it annoys people: bosses, coworkers, and some clients. Get over it. Being strategic means having the courage to say no to requests and meetings that don’t support your goals.
Only one person on the team can determine the success or failure of the team. Feed the former and discard the latter.
Strategic leaders act as a funnel for their employees, regulating the flow of information and requests that reach them. Otherwise, they might also be order takers at a fast food restaurant. Want to use these strategies to fry French fries?
Sometimes consensus building is required, and other times it’s up to you to make the decision. Know which is which.
The strategy shouldn’t be an annual event like a birthday where there’s lots of signage and publicity and then disappears for 11 months. Strategy should be an ongoing conversation about key business issues to set direction.
New growth comes from new thinking.
Operating means playing the same game as everyone else. Strategy means playing a different game—one you design to win.
The Latin origin of the word “decision” is “to cut off.” What should you cut out of your time and attention? These are your trade-offs. They should be difficult to make. By all means, let them.
Following the norm = mediocrity. Deviation from the norm = excellence.
Experience without expertise is meaningless─Zero, zipper, zero. The tree has the experience of becoming a tree. Expertise is built on insight. Insight is the bridge from experience to expertise, and strategic thinking is how we build that bridge of insight day in and day out.
Innovation: Create new value. Insight: Learning that brings new value. All innovation relies on insight.
Competing means striving to reach your potential. Win, lose or draw, the outcome doesn’t matter. Did you compete today?
