S T R AT E G Y S E C R E T S
How I make
my strategies
exciting.
ALEX M H SMITH
Most people think strategy has
only one job:
- Deciding what to do
And this is why most people are
bad strategists. Even the ones who
do strategy for a living.
The truth is strategy has two jobs…
- Deciding what to do
- And motivating people to do it
Trust me, great ideas don’t speak for
themselves.
Boardrooms around the world are
haunted by the ghosts of killer
strategies that never happened,
because nobody gave a damn.
You must make them care.
You must make them notice.
You must make them feel it.
You must make strategy exciting.
How?
The key to making strategy exciting is
to do pretty much the opposite of
what you think you should do.
It should be less objective.
Less simple.
Less professional.
In short it should be like all the
other content human beings like.
(Shocking, right?)
Here are three easy ways to do it.
1.
Show
opinion.
Strategy is not science
Strategy is not fact.
Strategy is not objective.
Strategy is opinion.
So bloody well own it.
Don’t be afraid to say:
- “I think…”
- “Maybe…”
- “What if…”
- “It’s my opinion that…”
It won’t push people away from the
strategy, it will draw them into it.
- It humanises the strategy.
- It positions you as a leader, not just
some dead-eyed messenger.
- And it frees you to include more
speculative, intriguing, intuitive
evidence in making your case - not
just dull lifeless facts.
Never forget - the whole thing is a
punt. A roll of the dice, a shot in
the dark.
That’s what makes it fun.
And also what makes it exciting.
2.
Be radically
honest.
Bad strategies are built on lies.
Good strategies are built on truths.
So you’re gonna need to be honest
anyway if you want to come up with a
good idea.
But there’s a bonus too:
Honesty can be stylistic dynamite…
Most organisations are lying to
themselves in some way:
- Our competitors suck
- Our customers care about the same
things we do
- Our product is the best
- Etc.
Chances are, your strategy will be calling
out one of these lies. So don’t hide this;
amplify it.
If you have the courage to tell the truth,
con dently and plainly, you won’t only
earn people’s attention - you’ll give them
ownership.
They’ll say:
“Finally, someone said it!”
“This is what I’ve been saying all along!”
“You put into words what I always felt!”
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When you hear this, you’ve won.
It becomes their strategy, not yours.
People dig this kind of courage. And
they’ll dig any strategy that has it too.
3.
Write better.
There’s a reason advertising
agencies use gifted copywriters:
Because great writing inspires
action.
And isn’t that what we are trying
to do too? So why do we think
the rules don’t apply to us?
Rhythm, ow, musicality, narrative
structure - I’m sorry to say these
things count. Maybe you think they
“shouldn’t”, but they do.
Now you could hire someone to help
you, but honestly, it’s not that hard.
Just try one of these…
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I. Present things using a basic
narrative structure:
- What’s the status quo?
- Why does it suck?
- What have we realised?
- What does this unlock?
- What are we going to do?
- Why is this good?
This’ll give the strategy “shape”
pretty much o the bat.
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II. Use expressive language.
Yes, “jargon” is bad. But so is being
too plain spoken. Too clean.
Let a bit of yourself, a bit of poetry,
a bit of heart, into the work - even
if it makes it longer.
Don’t be a slave to brevity.
Be a slave to emotion.
III. Perhaps even use hooks.
Yup, classic Linkedin fodder, but
what can I say, people are people.
They like intriguing stu .
- Contrarian statements
- Curiosity-stoking questions
- Slightly manipulative words like
“secret” and “surprising”
Why the hell not if it works?
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This stuff
matters.
The thinking is never enough.
The greatest strategies of all time can be
made to sound boring and impotent if
robbed of their poetry.
Strategy is an act of leadership.
And leaders have a responsibility to inspire.
So take that responsibility seriously.
Like this?
Repost it!
And if you want more insights that will
help you escape the competition then visit
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And while you’re at it be sure to check out
my free ebook in the featured section:
5 Strategy Laws
Great Brands Understand
(and everyone else is clueless about)
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