Only when our strategy and its execution are sound do we stand a pretty good chance of success. Even then success is not guaranteed. If our competitors have better strategies and carry them out with more dispatch, diligence and dedication, we will lose the battle of business. The little matrix in Figure 1 drives home the importance of making certain that the right strategy is selected and that it is properly carried out. Three out of four possibilities lead directly to failure of one kind or another.
Strategy is . . .
Strategy is timing , then, because, as the comedians tell us, timing is everything. This is how intention reconciles itself with reality and how tactics shape strategy. Algebraically speaking, that means strategy is execution . In much simpler terms, we adapt to changing circumstances. So does strategy.