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Strategy

Strategy Unpacked: More Than Just Plans or Tactics

Strategy is arguably one of the most overused words in the English language. Most people that use it have no idea what the word means. Yet, being strategic is one of the highest-valued skills in business. Hundreds of professors have dedicated their lives to studying strategy, and consultants are paid fortunes to develop and implement […]

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Interviews

Case Interview: Beyond Common Frameworks

Sometimes interviewees find it hard to differentiate themselves by simply using common frameworks. The problem with common frameworks is that they are too board to allow you to give an insightful synthesis. And as more and more candidates start to use them frequently, it is harder to impress the interviewers. Hence, I would like to […]

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Innovation Strategy

Culture vs Strategy

Strategy involves understanding your current position, deciding on a destination, and charting a course from here to there. Culture is about who you are, and why you do things. Culture is arguably more important than strategy because, if you look at it over the lifetime of a product or an organisation, the culture is the […]

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Economics Strategy

What is an “asset”?

(Source: Flickr) When can you consider something that you have to be an asset? This may sound like a funny question, but it is particularly important for the success of organisations and your success as an individual. The answer turns out to be largely a matter of perspective. If you are an accountant, then your goal is to categorise resources into groups: assets, liabilities, and […]

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Leadership

Sun Tzu on strategies for effective leadership (part 4)

THIS post, part 4, considers the principles developed by Sun Tzu on strategies for effective leadership. It is the 4th and final part in a series looking at how Sun Tzu’s military precepts provide a timeless guide to modern business leadership. Part one looked at the qualities of successful leaders. Part two considered principles for organising […]

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Strategy

Sun Tzu on dealing with rivals (part 3)

PART 3 of 4 considers the principles developed by Sun Tzu for dealing with business rivals and follows on from part one which looked at qualities of successful leaders, and part two considered the principles for organising your business affairs. I have summarised Sun Tzu’s principles into four simple categories: Qualities of a successful leader; […]

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Strategy

Sun Tzu on organising your business affairs (part 2)

PART 2 considers the principles developed by Sun Tzu on organising your business affairs, and follows on from part one which looked at qualities of successful leaders, I have summarised Sun Tzu’s principles into four simple categories: Qualities of a successful leader; Oranising your business affairs; Dealing with rivals; and Strategies for effective leadership. 2. […]

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Leadership

Sun Tzu on the art of leadership – qualities of a successful leader

Background to The Art of War SUN TZU wrote The Art of War in approximately 490BC in the Kingdom of Wu, China, and became a general for the King of Wu in 512 BC. For the next 39 years his precepts were followed and the Kingdom of Wu was victorious. And then, they forgot … […]

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Frameworks

SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats involved a business venture 1. SWOT Analysis Explained ALBERT Humphrey is credited with inventing the SWOT analysis technique. SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate the strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T) involved a business […]