On Strategy
On Strategy is an easy-to-read book which explains, in simple terms, how strategy works in business and in life.
A must-read for anyone responsible for, or interested in, the art of strategy.
Excerpt
A well-conceived strategy will always help you to make the most of your resources and the fascination with strategy is long-standing, as readers of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” written in 5th Century BC will know. Sometimes in history, however, events transpire to change the strategic landscape and at those times the skills of the strategist are at a premium. I believe that we are at such a point today.
For a long time, the focus of business has been on growth and scale, but today the real game is about value and the rules of engagement are different. With the ‘cloud’ and an intelligent use of outsourcing, it is now possible to access the benefits of scale without owning the assets necessary to deliver them. For years a firm’s biggest cost drivers have been people and property, and nimble organisations with less of both of them are today becoming much more valuable. It is partly how a firm like Apple is able to generate an astonishing revenue of $2m+ per employee. Of course, Apple’s success and extraordinary value is not achieved on the back of a rigorous fixed cost reduction exercise; it is achieved on the back of extraordinary skills in brand building, customer engagement, innovation and creativity. These skills are the differentiating intangible assets which make them so valuable.
Intangible assets are key to the future and the most effective strategists will understand these assets, how to build them, manage them, track them and account for them. At the moment the evidence is that the skills and thinking necessary to do so are not prevalent. It is a challenging area because by their very nature ‘intangibles’ are difficult to pin down. As a boss of mine very early in my career explained when highlighting a particularly challenging task – “It’s a bit like nailing a jelly to the wall.”
What people are saying
“I had the privilege of working with Chris in corporate life. He always impressed me with his focused, succinct way of thinking strategically and his wish thereby to motivate the team to deliver against clear objectives. I know his time in consulting with forward thinking inc consequently has embellished that skill given experience across a very broad range of industries.
This book encapsulates the essence of his approach to strategy in life and at work. It is a must read for any person who wishes to accelerate their career and to make the most out of themselves as an individual.”
— Dr James Espey, O.B.E.
“On Strategy is a breath of fresh air in its field – it jettisons the jargon as it sets out the short sharp practical steps to create winning strategies.”
— Jeremy Hocking, President, Herman Miller International
“The book simplifies the concept of strategy and highlights its importance in every aspect of life. It has encouraged me to start applying it more readily to myself and my own plans before going up to University. The personal stories dotted throughout make it very readable and upbeat. I think it’s applicable to anyone, at any stage in their career.”
— Kat Taylor, Student, University of Nottingham
“Strategy can be a complex subject, but as Albert Einstein once said: “if you can’t explain it simply then you don’t understand it well enough.” The author is somebody who understands strategy from a real world, practical perspective… Chris has the rare gift of being able to cut through to the essence of the topic and delivers a very human lesson in how to win in your chosen race.”
— Carl Johnson, Director of Talent & Learning, Interserve