6 Short Lessons On Strategy

March 8, 2022

What Simon Sinek meant with "start with why" is called mission or core purpose in strategic management. No, you don't look around for it. It is a self-introspective exercise.

Strategy Lesson 1

March 8, 2022

Strategic Sacrifice: To sacrifice an economic opportunity because it distracts you from your mission and dilutes your strategic position. A major part of strategy is knowing what you should not do. Examples:

1. A young woman is offered $50,000 for a date by a rich man, but she chooses to forgo that much money to establish herself as someone whose love and attention can't be bought.

2. A footballer is offered 10x the money to play basketball, but he refuses it, because he is 100 into football.

Strategic sacrifices are important because they keep you focused on where you want to go. The world has many opportunities, shining golds of distraction. If you keep evaluating each of them from a profit perspective, you will surely make a lot of money but lose yourself in the process. You will never be able to make extraordinary progress towards anything. You will be destined to a life of mediocrity at best.

Strategy Lesson 2

March 11, 2022

What are you doing here? What talents, gifts, stories, and truths are you sharing with the world? What would the world miss when the time given to you ends, the bar shuts down, the party ends, and you realise the drink you are having is the very last one?

The answer to these questions is your mission statement. What matters the most to you?

Strategy Lesson 3

March 12, 2022

In an ideal world, where do you yourself down the line? An ideal world means you bring into existence whatever you want to. There are no enemies, insecurities, or discrimination. There are no ifs and buts. You are creating your own world. You are a God figure here. What do you see? Describe into words. Do you see colours, hear sounds? Are there people? Is there a smell? What/how do you feel? Describe everything in as much detail as possible.

This is your vision statement. You must bring it into this world.

Strategy Lesson 4

March 13, 2022

Unique Value Proposition (UPV): No matter how peculiar your interests are, there are always peculiar people out there. Don't change your value proposition to fit the market. Change the market to fit your value proposition. This does not mean that you don't improve your offerings. This only means that you don't get distracted. Why?

If you keep changing your course, you will never create something unique and exceptional. You should be so real to the core that your offering automatically becomes so unique and differentiated that you have no competition at all.

Strategy Lesson 5

March 14, 2022

I don't want you to know me because I do a certain job. I want to make you feel a certain way. I want to bring forth certain ideas and values. I want to produce an impact. Why do I say this?

Strategy is more than money-making. It is above profit. You act strategically to produce an impact in the world. You change and reform things. You bring forth a new world. You move the world forward.

When things are not done strategically, they are merely action verbs. They have no deeper meaning or impact. You live an uninspired life.

Strategy Lesson 6

March 16, 2022

Strategic communication: when you communicate with people and firms that are strategically aligned with your mission, there develops a connection that encourages both parties to cooperate and work better than the sum of both parties.

Here is a simple example. Some may suggest I network with bloggers, but a strategically aligned individual would suggest I communicate with those who are doing what I am doing. I am not just writing a blog. I am telling some truth. I can communicate with someone from a totally different discipline, such as a pianist, and the communication would add value to both parties if they are driven by the same mission and values I am. I have never networked with freelance writers. They do not operate under any overarching principles.

More resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKcSzH1SvCk