Each strategic differentiator requires a different leader and implementation team. All successful business units or product lines have a strong, lasting, competitive differentiator. Some are differentiated by their ability to market and sell, some by their ability to innovate and create new products or services, and others by their ability to produce more for less. Leader and team must match the strategic differentiator. Just as strategies must change, so must leadership.
Timing is the key nothing lasts forever.
Matching the Leader to the Business One of the reasons strategic management became so popular in the 1970s and early 1980s was that many companies had grown by acquisition and diversification. These companies found that one strategy wouldn't work in all of their different businesses. Further they found that some of the business units or product lines were profitable and attractive to the company, while others were not. The tools of strategic thinking helped them sort out the differences and make decisions about where to focus limited resources. Strategic thinking improved their ability to restructure and spin off unwanted product lines and units, and helped them to determine what acquisitions would enhance their strengths and make them leaders in their target markets.