Principles for Strategy

To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail.

But having a strategy is no guarantee of success. External factors are always changing and new information becomes available and the environment changes.

So what makes a successful strategy? Below are three principles that underlie a good strategy.

Keep it Simple

A good strategy will have a very simple objective at its core, that can be described in a single sentence and instantly understood, such as Steve Jobs’s ‘1000 songs in your pocket’ for the iPad. By having a clear centre, the strategy will be solidly grounded and anchored to this concept.

Be flexible

It’s a tricky balance to know when to stick to your guns and when to change tactics. But this is one of the most important skills you can have as a strategist, as no plans survive first contact intact. The strategy should have flexibility built into it, with some of the most likely changes in scenario accounted for.

Avoid assumptions

The biggest pitfall of strategies is making incorrect assumptions. When developing a strategy, you should question everything you think you know and make sure you get solid facts. Even better, make sure your strategy relies on as few assumptions as possible – that way it will be as strong as it can be. For more on this, look up ‘Occam’s Razor’.

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Inspirational Quotes

“I don’t regret the things I’ve done, I regret the things I didn’t do when I had the chance.” – Unknown

“I want to be all used up when I die.” — George Bernard Shaw

“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” - Joshua J. Marine

“Good things come to those who wait… greater things come to those who get off their ass and do anything to make it happen.” – Unknown

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” — Mary Anne Radmacher

“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” – Bill Cosby

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” — Winston Churchill

“It is never too late to be who you might have been.” — George Eliot

Dont be afraid to stand for what you believe in, even if that means standing alone.. - Unknown

“The best revenge is massive success.” – Frank Sinatra

“Life is like photography. You need the negatives to develop.” – Unknown

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

 

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Chelsea Singh - Strategist

What is strategy?

Strategy is a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a particular aim.

The aim must be specific and measurable and the strategy needs to be broken down into tactics: the actual methods, techniques and actions that will be carried out, that together make up a coherent strategy. Just like in the military, business needs a good strategy and  a good business leader will know when to hold the ship steady despite waves and when to reassess and change course.

Read more about Chelsea Singh and Strategy here.

A good strategist will be able to see the bigger picture, as well as focus down on the details, and will be able to see how all the different elements interrelate. There is plenty of training you can do to learn strategy, and became a specialist an areas from business to politics to saving the world.

But most good strategists have that special something, a little bit more - intuition. They will have gut feelings and instincts that help guide their strategies in ways that simple number crunching can never do.

Want to know more? Read Chelsea Singh's Biography.