Beyond Outcome Fetishism: Wisdom, Humility & Flexibility in Strategy
Ah, the allure of a good outcome! Basking in the warm glow of accomplishment, reveling in the applause and the accolades, getting high on the rush of success - what can be more beguiling? But let's pause for a moment and ask ourselves a crucial question: "Does a good outcome always mean a good strategy?"
Ask any seasoned strategist worth their salt, and their answers will invariably be some version of "no", because they know that some of their most celebrated "strategic" triumphs are nothing more than mere flukes of fortune and fragile constructs built on the shifting sands of chance and circumstance.
This misattribution is understandable given we live in a world that venerates (a) success and achievement, making it that much easier to succumb to the allure of attributing positive outcomes (solely) to the brilliance of a strategic plan, and (b) the "lone" hero, making it logical that Lady Luck has need to masquerade as a strategic genius.
Outcome fetishism not only leads to the enshrining of successful outcomes as monuments to strategic genius while relegating failed ones to the dustbin of history, more critically, it obscures the intricate interplay of factors constantly contouring the complex landscape of strategic decision-making. At its worst, outcome fetishism may be likened to the siren's song, a tantalizing mirage that lures sleepwalkers into the treacherous waters of strategic complacency..
The antidote?
First, wisdom. Wisdom in strategy is not born from a fixation on outcomes but from a highly calibrated attunement to the present moment. Wisdom is understanding that the journey itself holds lessons, and guards too an organisation's ethical compass.
Second, humility. Humility in strategy is the acknowledgment that no one can have all the answers, and that even the most carefully crafted strategies can be upended by the unknowable, the unforeseen, the black swan.
Third, flexibility. Flexibility in strategy is not a sign of weakness but a mark of strategic acumen and maturity. A rigid strategy, incapable of bending with the winds of change, is bound to break. Just ask the spider about its web.
At its core, strategy is a dynamic interplay between anticipation and adaptation, between the known and the unknown. It is a journey through a labyrinth of possibilities, where every decision is a crossroads, every action a ripple that shapes the future. In such a complex landscape the triad of wisdom, humility, and flexibility is not only an antitode to outcome fetishism, it also separates the wheat of true strategic brilliance from the chaff of mere happenstance.
What to read next? Try What Makes Strategy Hard (and you may be surprised).
To find out how I can help you and your organisation co-create a Me-Only corporate strategy, click on the button below to connect with me.
Ask any seasoned strategist worth their salt, and their answers will invariably be some version of "no", because they know that some of their most celebrated "strategic" triumphs are nothing more than mere flukes of fortune and fragile constructs built on the shifting sands of chance and circumstance.
This misattribution is understandable given we live in a world that venerates (a) success and achievement, making it that much easier to succumb to the allure of attributing positive outcomes (solely) to the brilliance of a strategic plan, and (b) the "lone" hero, making it logical that Lady Luck has need to masquerade as a strategic genius.
Outcome fetishism not only leads to the enshrining of successful outcomes as monuments to strategic genius while relegating failed ones to the dustbin of history, more critically, it obscures the intricate interplay of factors constantly contouring the complex landscape of strategic decision-making. At its worst, outcome fetishism may be likened to the siren's song, a tantalizing mirage that lures sleepwalkers into the treacherous waters of strategic complacency..
The antidote?
First, wisdom. Wisdom in strategy is not born from a fixation on outcomes but from a highly calibrated attunement to the present moment. Wisdom is understanding that the journey itself holds lessons, and guards too an organisation's ethical compass.
Second, humility. Humility in strategy is the acknowledgment that no one can have all the answers, and that even the most carefully crafted strategies can be upended by the unknowable, the unforeseen, the black swan.
Third, flexibility. Flexibility in strategy is not a sign of weakness but a mark of strategic acumen and maturity. A rigid strategy, incapable of bending with the winds of change, is bound to break. Just ask the spider about its web.
At its core, strategy is a dynamic interplay between anticipation and adaptation, between the known and the unknown. It is a journey through a labyrinth of possibilities, where every decision is a crossroads, every action a ripple that shapes the future. In such a complex landscape the triad of wisdom, humility, and flexibility is not only an antitode to outcome fetishism, it also separates the wheat of true strategic brilliance from the chaff of mere happenstance.
What to read next? Try What Makes Strategy Hard (and you may be surprised).
To find out how I can help you and your organisation co-create a Me-Only corporate strategy, click on the button below to connect with me.