Tender offers are made, lawsuits initiated, media charges and counter charges exchanged, and then, often inexplicably, the target succumbs and the takeover is completed. The reality is that people frequently expect more from takeover defenses than they can deliver. None of these defenses, by themselves, is the mystical silver bullet that companies frequently seek. However, if they are supported by common-sense and critical business strategy, traditional defenses often do represent tools to resist a hostile pursuer and help control the terms of the deal. As a friend once said, takeover defenses don't make the castle impregnable, but they do allow you to set the terms on which the pursuer crosses the moat.
Strategies frequently revolve around unique market niches or growth opportunities.
And once a strategy is developed, follow it. If you can't do this, maybe you ought to lose the company. Sell it to your shareholders. Sell it to analysts following your company. Sell it to your employees.