7
Strategy
The Plan to Win
Why is not a question, it’s the answer.
—Joey Reiman, on how strategy is developed
Ask a hundred strategists where strategy comes from, and you will get a hundred answers. I am no different, but my colleagues in academia think I am onto something. The difference that I provide in how I built my company remains the core of how purpose is built. Purpose gives you direction. Strategy gives you the directions.
Strategy is your road map, a GPS for a company’s destination in the marketplace and its destiny in the world. Strategy is essentially how to get where purpose has taken you.
Consider this explanation from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management professor Philip Kotler of my company BrightHouse: “Many businesses today resemble a boat lost at sea. The few that make it to shore follow the light coming from a bright idea. BrightHouse has a superb process to guide companies to their destination.”
Although this quote certainly was music to my ears, we at BrightHouse consider purpose work a responsibility. It is our daily challenge to help ensure that companies effectively execute their business strategies supported by this purpose. Well-defined strategy is a lantern for your purpose expedition. Ethos, culture, and values have revealed your timeless truth—and now strategy will light the way with a timely plan. Purpose is your why. Strategy is your how. That’s why if purpose is missing, your strategy is sure to miss as well.
Taking Aim to Reach ...
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