For each of these articles, I supply a link to its source. In some instances, you will go straight to the article; in others you may have to make a modest investment in order to read it.
Can You Say What Your Strategy Is? A simple focusing question as you consider how you’re going to play the game to win. Introduces the ‘sweet spot’ as the target zone for strategy
Misunderstanding the Nature of Company Performance. A cogent analysis of Good to Great and other supposedly evidence-based but flawed analyses of company performance. The author reminds us strategy is about choice, which always involves risk, and that there are no externally derived formulas for success
The Power of Collective Ambition. Given a strategy, how to lead the way forward? Strength of engagement and execution are the keys discussed here
In Praise of the Incomplete Leader. No leader is perfect. The best ones don’t try to be — they leverage their strengths and surround themselves with the complementary strengths necessary for company success
Companies Don’t Develop Leaders. CEOs Do. Recognizes current leadership’s important role as steward of their company’s human capital, responsible for having a ‘teachable point of view’ that develops the next generation of leaders
Teaching Smart People How To Learn. An early analysis of the challenge very successful people encounter when setbacks require them to develop behavior patterns that differ from those that made them successful. Somewhat dated but deeply insightful
Unleashing Organizational Energy. Thoughtful piece on the central leadership responsibility of ‘ensuring that the company’s vision and strategy capture people’s emotional excitement, engage their intellectual capacities, and produce a sense of urgency for taking action.’
Leadership’s Online Labs. Insight into how online game environments are ‘teaching smart people how to learn’ and other unexpected leadership skills that companies would be smart to recognize