Over the past 50 years, strategy has been examined, factored and reduced to a few simple formulas. In that time, strategy has moved from the realm of senior leaders to the hoards MBAs and consultants. That’s the thrust of the argument Cynthia Montgomery makes in The Strategist: Be the Leader Your Business Needs. Montgomery writes, “With all good intentions, we had backed strategy into a narrow corner and reduced it to a left-brain exercise. In doing so, we lost much of its vitality and much of its connection to the day-to-day life of the company, and we lost sight of what it takes to lead the effort.”
Montgomery argues that strategy ought to be an act of leadership, and not the formulaic calculation it currently appears to be. She argues that sustainable strategy is a myth and that true strategists and leaders work on constantly shaping and cultivating their companies value proposition and purpose over a longer time frame. To add to her argument she brings in fascinating case studies such as Domenico De Sole’s incredible turnaround of Gucci and (yes it seems obligatory) Steve Jobs’ triumphant return, which left Apple better aligned with the direction of the consumer market.
Montgomery’s style is a beautiful blend of academic prose and practical lessons. At first glance, the book looks like dry, heavy stuff however it moves quickly and keeps you feeling positive and entertained. There are many books about strategy out there, and many more about leadership – however, The Strategist has done the body of literature a service by finally blending the two in a comprehensive, yet understandable manner.
I have not read the book yet, but the central point highlighted here is spot-on! Like “leading change,” strategy has become the domain of process wonks and less the domain of leadership. Think of the most distinguishing factors of sound strategy (no matter how frequently or constantly revisited)–none of which can be addressed with a “formula:”
__Balancing risk and reward;
__Judgment calls on the relative priority of agreed or competing strategies and the resulting allocation of resources; and
__Agreement by the top management about exactly how operational mgt will be held accountable for executing the new strategy.
People (and leadership) still matter.
Here’s more on the case for choosing people over process in leading change: http://www.lastwordonchange.com/blog/bid/74685/Organizational-Change-is-Still-a-People-Business-Right
Thanks for posting this review as I am always on the lookout for a good book that brings together my 2 favorite topics.
I am glad to see someone has taken the stand that there is no silver bullet and that it is a process not an event that takes people to make happen.