𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲 𝐯𝐬. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐀 𝐑𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐞?
There’s often a lively debate, and just last week on my Vlog, about whether businesses should talk about "strategy" or "strategies," but is there really a reason for debate?
I was recently reminded that Michael Porter’s view emphasizes that there can only be one overarching strategy to ensure everyone is aligned. This makes sense—without a clear direction, organizations, regardless of size, can lose focus.
But is that the whole picture?
Recently, I took a course with Roger Martin, whose approach to strategy resonated deeply with me, especially as an entrepreneur always looking for actionable insights.
Martin defines strategy as the sum of the choices you commit to and those you consciously reject to keep your business moving in the right direction.
His perspective is very much about focusing on the critical decisions that drive success.
So, whether we call it "strategy" or "strategies" feels like a rhetorical debate.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
The real question in my humble view isn’t about the terminology but about how that strategy is built and executed.
In a startup, the strategy might come from one person shaping the entire direction. In larger organizations, however, multiple departments—Finance, Marketing, Sales, Production, etc.—can have their own strategies.
But here’s the catch: all these departmental strategies must support the company’s overarching strategy. Without coherence and alignment, the pieces don’t fit, and the company risks moving in different directions.
Michael Porter describes strategy as "inherently integrative… how all the pieces fit together." Roger Martin’s view is no different in suggesting that if your decisions (or “strategies”) strengthen and align with each other, they are, in fact, part of the same overarching strategy.
My conclusion? You can have different strategies, but only if they all support the overarching one without opposing directions. Strategy isn’t just about the words—it’s about ensuring every decision strengthens the company’s long-term vision.
Agree? Disagree? Share, debate.
#Strategy #Leadership #RogerMartin #MichaelPorter #Entrepreneurship #CorporateStrategy #DecisionMaking #BusinessGrowth #StartupLife #Execution
Here’s a great resource that expands on Roger Martin’s thinking:
Roger Martin's Strategy Framework. https://lnkd.in/eMerWHsZ
And the extract I received last week about Porter's view on the topic: https://lnkd.in/e3C2W9cG
Commercial Development Executive (Nescafé Ricoffy -Mixtures Portfolio ) II Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region
3moSuper insightful I learnt a lot Thank you for sharing