Our insights on successful strategy

Our approach to strategy is informed by deep experience and continual learning.

These insights reflect our perspective on what makes strategy effective in complex organisational environments.

Purpose drives results.

Organisations with clearly articulated purpose outperform those focused solely on financial metrics. Purpose provides both direction and motivation, serving as a north star that guides strategic decisions. When teams understand not just what they aim to achieve but why it matters, they demonstrate greater resilience through challenging change processes.

Strategic posture defines the path to success.

Successful strategy requires more than defining the destination—it demands clarity on how to get there. The chosen "way to play" creates resilience against uncertainty and provides practical guardrails for decision-making. Whether through differentiated business models or capability flywheels, organisations must make deliberate choices about their strategic posture to effectively navigate complex environments.

Organisational capability transcends individual skills.

The most effective organisations distinguish between individual capabilities and organisational (“big-C”) capabilities. Strategic capabilities represent the integrated systems, processes, and collective expertise that deliver distinctive value. Identifying what the organisation must excel at, and how it all comes together, ensures resources align with strategic priorities and creates sustainable competitive advantage.

Strategy is all about choices, but rarely being spoiled for choice.

Effective strategy emerges from explicit choices about what matters most—and equally important, what doesn't. The power of strategy lies in defining the negative space: what to stop doing or never start. When strategic choices are minimally sufficient, material, coherent, and genuinely aligned across an organisation, they create clarity that drives focused execution.

People are at the heart of every successful strategy.

Even the most brilliant strategic plan fails without people who understand, believe in, and can execute it. Placing human factors at the centre of strategic planning ensures teams are engaged, equipped, and empowered to bring vision to life. This human-centred approach dramatically increases the chances of successful transformation.