Why Strategy Matters - Implementation

Without an implementation, a strategy means little. In the frame of the Second World War, Phillips O'Brien notes in The Strategists: Churchill, Stalin, Roosevelt, Mussolini and Hitler, How War Made Them and They Made War:

In other words, grand strategy is about the creation and allocation of armed forces.  The creation step is often terribly understudied, but in many way the most important, as it determines later choices.  The militaries of the great powers were the result of years-long choices, balancing the industrial and technological capabilities of their nations with the personal priorities of their leadership….the other part of grand strategy is where to send the finished equipment.

Strategy determines the creation and deployment of resources.  The Second World War required this on a massive scale.  While people will not encounter problems of that magnitude, any team has to train their incoming people and decide on where to send them.

Finally, strategic thinking also need not be limited to a rigid structure.  The trio of "Ends, Means, Ways" is the beginning of strategic thinking, not the final destination.  Referring back to the above, O'Brien defines strategy as "simply an implemented decision which starts a dynamic process." Throughout The Strategists, he notes that each war leader often deviated from the established path when the situation required it.  O'Brien notes, "Once the strategic decision has been implemented, the process is far from over. The enemy always has a say and all strategies remain dynamic and subject to rapid changes or even destruction.  A sign of successful strategist and strategy is one that can cope with this process of challenge and change."

Strategic thinking is not the sole purview of the top of the org chart.  Frontline teammates can learn to strategize; they often have more timely information which can then provide for more effective implementations.   Teaching strategic thinking equips teams to drive change and reach better outcomes.  Good leadership sets direction.  Great leadership empowers the entire team.