5 Keys to Success for the Strategic Leader

[@womenfluencer]

This is one of the BEST video's I've seen on Strategy. Thank you so much. It's good to see a fellow South African making such a positive difference in the busines world.

[@nicksisto3271]

I found Willie Peterson's discussion on the “Five keys to success for the Strategic Leader” both useful and practical. Clearly Mr. Peterson strongly believes in the concept of “learning labs” which he goes into during his opening statement. His career as an attorney, serving as CEO in multiple businesses and his years of experience as an educator enables Mr. Peterson to base his theory's on “in the field results”. You can see how companies like “Lever Food”. “Seagram USA”, “Tropicana” and “Sterling Winthrop's Consumer Health Group” provided Mr. Peterson a backdrop to see how strategies and solutions faired under real business conditions with real customers. The “five keys” that Mr. Peterson describes in his presentation make total sense. The first of the five keys are “In future our only sustainable competitive advantage will be our ability to learn faster than our competitors”. Organizations cannot stay stagnant; they cannot rest on the successes of yesterday or today. They need look to the future, to be an “ongoing learning organization” constantly looking to service needs or create products better and faster than their competitors. This key made me recall the story of the Wang Corporation. Wang exploded onto the market with a word processing solution in the middle to late 1980s. Every organization had Wang terminals promptly positioned on every floor until the personal computer arrived with the ability to run word processing software with its promise to do much more. This caused Wang to fade away because they had only one product. I connected to the point that Peterson makes about building an organization that is “adaptive”, being able to learn, react and change. The second key is “Success means putting the customer at the center of business decisions”. Companies are in business to serve the customer; without customers who are interested in an organization’s products or services, there is no business. It is a mistake when a product or project gets so heavily committed to that leadership can't or won't pull back. Good ideas and strategies can go bad, a company can make a bad bet. It is so much better the cut a loss and go in a different direction than invest in a failing in a product or an idea that is not working out. Key number three is “Strategy is about achieving differentiation by making choices”. Making choices takes courage. Every organization has limited resources so making choices is a way to choose best how to allocate your resources. If the organization is mindful of the concept of strategic, competitive advantage as the basis for making choices, the choices will be aligned correctly. Key number four is “Leaders must be able to simplify a complex world. This is such an important concept for leaders to do and for organizations to embrace. The world today is not only complex but fast paced and ever-changing. Leaders must be able to synthesize information and distill it down so the organization can be clear and understand how best to execute against the organizational strategy, objectives, and goals. Some organizational processes are not optimal. Employees can find roadblocks along the way, even regulations might not clearly be understood and can derail progress. It is the leader’s job to synthesize these things into easily understandable and executable actions. Key number five is, “To move people at the deepest level, you need compelling stories. Having the ability to personalize a message, goal or strategy makes it more compelling. Leaders need to get the organization behind its strategic direction and words on a page are clearly not as effective as a compelling story that touches the person in their own way. Instead of reading a strategy paper, a leader who makes the strategy “come alive” in a compelling way will have the workforce “living the strategy”. Having these concepts come from a proven leader like Willie Peterson give them real validity.

[@sonjacossio6897]

Firstly, thank you to both the interviewer and Professor Pieterson. This is relevant to understanding the speed at which companies launch or die. The points discussed in the interview helps orient the audience to learn the basis of modern strategic planning. 1. Exploiting the ability to learn faster as an organization and seeming to offer something different from competitors can set a company on the right path to success. 2. A customer-centric business approach can guide decision-making in the way to create value for customers. It is important to pay attention to what customers to understand what they need or want. 3. Long-term strategies for how leadership identifies, and drives what it is that differentiates the company from competitors can be based on what customers associate specifically with the company. 4. Leadership can simply a complex world by creating and repeating simple ideas. One idea which I still remember is Apple's "think different". They communicate simple ideas to highlight the ease-of-use of products and services. 5. Leaders can use storytelling to communicate their values and beliefs, unique stories which become part of the company's products and services. The stories help develop relationships with stakeholders, including employees and customers to constantly remind us of the uniqueness. One food company which does this well is Dave's Killer Bread.

[@atticchris]

Respect! Golden nuggets all around!

[@1AmRich]

This is a very enlightening webinar. I picked up a lot of information from Mr. Pietersen’s discussion about the keys to success for strategic leaders such as, “ _a strategy is a process of an ongoing assessment and reassessment as the organization shifts._ ” To Mr. Pietersen’s point, one must be flexible as well as be able to adapt, to learn and to embrace change. Companies are in business to fulfill the needs of their customers, not for customers to provide profits to the companies. Companies create a product to provide solutions and offer benefits to their customers. ( _“Success means putting the customer at the center of business decisions.”_ ) Likewise, it is the customers’ power and ability to choose the company they want to do business with over other competitors. The underlying principle here is for the company to present reasons, its “winning proposition,” for their customers to stay loyal to them or to their product. ( _“Strategy is about achieving differentiation by making choices.”_ ) And if there is one thing that must continuously be constant within a company, it is the capability to sustain a competitive advantage, given the company’s limited resources, in today’s ever-changing world. Therefore, companies must employ a differentiation strategy that will enable them to remain focused on their core purpose while still prioritizing their customers convenience and satisfaction. ( _“In the future our only sustainable competitive advantage will be our ability to learn faster than our competitors.”_ ) Nevertheless, companies must make every effort not to complicate things to avoid confusions. ( _"Leaders must be able to simplify a complex world."_ ) And finally, leaders must be a good example, true and transparent to their people. Leaders must be able to convey a persuasive message that is clear and well understood, someone who has the skill to present the best in others. ( _"To move people at the deepest level, you need compelling stories."_ )

[@chrisr--cua6678]

In watching the video “5 Keys to Success for the Strategic Leader” I found that the most valuable lesson from the video is that Mr. Pietersen practices what he preaches. What I mean is that Mr. Pietersen discusses the importance of being adaptable in a business landscape where there is a significant amount of disruption. In his talk, he makes his main points clearly, concisely, and with a level of clarity that shows he has a significant amount with the topics he is discussing. In my professional experience I have always found that the biggest issue myself (and others) have had with leaderships is the lack of communication we have when changes are made. One of the most successful leaders I have had earned their respect because they clearly communicated their reasoning behind making a change that was unpopular. Even though the changes were still clearly not popular that fact that they were so clearly communicated made them easier to accept and allowed us to feel as though we were a part of the change process.

[@williamduke5464]

I found that this chat was able to provide unbelievable insight into the world business and how leaders should think and operate each day. Great leaders must be able to understand and apply these methods brought forth by Willie Pietersen. I found each of the five points to serve as great examples of how a person can assume the role of a leader in any form of life. While we observe this chat from a business setting and background, it is clear that these can be applied to any aspect of life that requires skills to inspire and motivate others towards a common goal. Out of the five specific points mentioned, I was most impacted by point number three. The third key to success for a strategic leader is that “strategy is about achieving differentiation by making choices” (Willie Pietersen). This forces a company to organize themselves and identify what they believe to be the most important points they want to focus their resources on. As a result, the company makes decisions after observing a great deal of information that puts themselves in a position to create the largest competitive advantage they can. Pietersen also discusses the concept of a zero-sum game and how making decisions is combination of giving up time and effort to return a profit.

[@michaelkocholla1392]

The idea of insights, not just data is very important. simplify the complex, compelling stories to move people, the strategy being about choice-making, learn faster than your competitors, and being customer-centric. Learned a lot Thanks for the presentation.

[@solomonbanti6021]

This video gives a great explanation and practical insight on the "Five keys to success for the strategic leader." In today's changing world and disruption, which is threatening the survival of organizations, Professor Willie Pietersen discusses leaders who work continuously and collaboratively to bring and instill the most important and most powerful leadership ideas that will drive success in the face of change. These five keys are not new, but organizations need to excel in them because they are driving long-term success in the face of disruption and change. The first of the five keys are, "In future, our only sustainable competitive advantage will be our ability to learn faster than our competitors." Sustainable Competitive Advantage is the organizational capability to build an adaptive organization that enables us to learn and renew our organization as the environment shifts continuously. An organization's competitive advantage cannot rest on its particular product or business model because rival firms can copy these products or business models or produce substitutes that can threaten the organization. Instead, its culture, vision, and mission statement help them lead through strategic learning. The second key, "Success means putting the customer at the center of business decisions." Organizations should seek first to understand the customers' needs before they want to be understood and known with their products. And when organizations deliver solutions to the need of the customers, they introduce their products and get a competitive advantage. The third key, "Strategy is about achieving differentiation by making choices." The primary reason for making choices is limited resources. A strategy selection and evaluation process help organizations choose or subtract what is not working before being fully engaged and excel in our key priorities for success and working strategies to create values for the business. Key number four, "leaders must be able to simplify a complex world." Complexity and vagueness create confusion, which leads to fear and not a proactive approach in strategy formulation and implementation. Where there is no clear direction to how organizations are known and why they are in business, all stakeholders choose their practices and experiences, leading to failure. The last key, key number five, is "To move people at the deepest level, you need compelling stories." Leaders, through their relationship, can make their followers march behind their strategies by explaining the processes and the thoughts behind every decision. These stories can answer the organization's values, cultures, vision, and mission statements.

[@hopesouthstar4304]

1. Learning faster than others is a competitive advantage. 2. Put the customer at the centre of your business decisions to achieve success. 3. A strategy is about making choices to achieve differentiation. 4. Simplify a complex word to be a successful leader. 5. Tell compelling stories and move people at a deep level using metaphors, examples and createeaning.

[@justinparks1301]

Willie Pietersen does a great job explaining the keys to success in strategic leadership. When looking at his points, they seem to center around two things: customers and competition. In order to create a strategy, organizations must put customers at the center of business decisions. Organizations must make difficult decisions on how they will deliver benefits to their customers. They must be adaptive and create processes that allows for a sustainable competitive advantage. By creating processes that allow for continual learning both internally and externally, it simplifies complex problems for customers. Complexity creates confusion, confusion creates inconsistency, and inconsistency in turn creates failure. Therefore, organizations must simplify problems for their customers. Not only do organizations need to create effective business processes, but they must establish leaders that create a vision and a narrative that stakeholders want to follow.

[@pskaranth]

Amazing interview

[@udaynataraaj2390]

Look forward to viewing more videos from Wiley

[@victoriaj.rumsey4170]

I truly appreciated the presentation from Professor Willie Pietersen. I enjoyed the examples that he gave for each key point he discussed. The overall message and takeaway I got from this, is that each key point is important in terms of driving long-term success within a leader and their organization. 1st Key “In the future our only sustainable competitive advantage will be our ability to learn faster than our competitors.” The important key point reminds us that there needs to be an ongoing shift in the mindset. By doing this, it will help us continuously learn and change. I appreciated that reminder of ensuring that your organization is aligned with your strategy and mission. 2nd Key “Success Means putting the customer at the center of business decisions.” It is important that while you are working internally, you have to look at the external viewpoints, of the customer. Once you are able to successfully understand the needs of the customer the value of your services becomes priceless. 3rd Key “Strategy is about achieving differentiation by making choices. We need to always show value, businesses, and organizations are in constant competition.” People don’t like change, because it is difficult at times. Because we have limited resources it makes choice making a give and take. 4th Key “Leaders must be able to simplify a complex world.” This 4th key is important to any organization. It is a reminder that leaders must try to make things simpler. It is true, complexity not only causes confusion, it also causes frustration. 5th Key “To move people at the deepest level, you need compelling stories.” It is important for the leader to really listen to their people, to those who help deliver the value of the organization/company to the customers. I often see on LinkedIn as a reminder that people follow leaders, not organizations, and especially not documents that don’t align with the values of the leader. I appreciated the quote of great leadership is about powerful narrative.

[@caitlinfoley3616]

This webinar was very well done and very informal. The 5 key points that Pietersen makes are tools and focuses that every leader should take advantage of in order to lead better and succeed. Point number one about having a sustainable competitive advantage is very important for leaders to be aware of. They need to be adaptive and constantly learn about how their environment is changing and how that affects their work. For point number two, this is a common idea but can be easily misunderstood or forgotten. Organizations need to keep the customer in mind at all levels of functioning, not just the end result. Point number 3 is also something that leaders need to learn and do even though it is difficult. Making choices and sacrifices are hard but necessary for progress, groth and success.I particularly liked points number 4 and 5. For number 4, simplifying complex situations and ideas is very important for a leader. Keeping things simple can help things run smoother and can help people understand things better. For number 5, a person’s ability to connect to another person is something that is vital to understanding one another. Stories are a way to do this, and more leaders need to take advantage of this. Like how they brought up in the webinar, what are people going to remember more, a powerpoint slide or a story? They will remember a story better because they can connect to it. Overall, I really enjoyed this webinar.

[@tinashejabangwe5713]

Great presentation-- Simple terms employed to explain strategic leadership

[@ahsanmohammed1]

Brilliant. Thank you for sharing. Appreciated.

[@aylin4585]

Thank you so much for this great and important content which Prof. Willie Petersen delivered in such an inspiring way!

[@kylehelfrich4370]

#1. Learning is one of the most important things any organization can do, especially with technological advancements. It is important that companies are taking steps to learn changes within their respective industries in order to have the best chance for success among competitors. #2. If your company does not care about the customer then another company will. I think this ties into point #1 because it emphasizes the importance of learning and applying it to your business strategy. #3. The only way to gain experience is to make choices, and typically in order to make the best choices most leaders will make wrong choices along the way. However, the key is to learn from those choices and apply new strategies that will help the company in the future. #4. Simplification is one of the best traits a leader can have. When complex information can be simplified it makes everyones job easier. Employees have an easier time adjusting, and customers become more informed. This is a key skill for any leader to have. #5. I think taking this point a step further is that in order to move people you need to be authentic. People will see through lies, and it is important to be authentic to your own values.

[@urmeelavenkatesh8675]

Mind blowing- So simple way the strategies are explained, no big technical terms, or jargons. yet so much knowledge nd experience shared. simplifying, narratives, measurable margin of difference, subtract before multiplying, and not attributes but the benefits... wow. fitting everything into the culture....All awesome!, thank you for a wonderful insight. Thank you both🙂

[@zakzakzakir]

Great insights, and timeless reminders. Thank you for sharing.

[@russthomo9602]

Very interesting and valuable discussion, I've gotten a lot out of this thank you. I've been consuming a lot of material on this topic and this is the most helpful of the lot. Highly recommend.

[@claudemaheshe8873]

1. “In future our only competitive advantage will be our ability to learn faster than our competitors”. Have the ability to learn faster than your competitors is a big advantage a company can have. The more your company learn new systems and be able to adapt to the change, the more you are moving ahead of your competitors. 2. “Success means putting the customer at the center of business decisions”. The key for any organization to succeed is to serve the customers better. Your customers will always support you when you are taking a good care of them. Companies must fulfill the needs of their customers if they want to succeed. 3. “Strategy is about achieving differentiation by making choices”. Companies must use their resources for their advantage. 4. “Leaders must be able to simplify a complex world”. This show that leaders must make sure things are well explain and not complicate. 5. “To move people at the deepest level, you need compelling stories”. A good leader must be an example to his people.

[@mikedoody5771]

The first key to success is in future our only competitive advantage will be our ability to learn faster than our competitors. The more a person is willing to learn, the more they are able to set themselves apart from others. As things change within a company, people need to learn to change with it. The world is always shifting with different views and ideas and managers need to keep learning with the times. The second key to success is putting the customer at the center of business decisions. The customer is what is keeping the company running, as without them there is no demand for the service. Every move a company makes should have the mindset of how does this benefit the customer. The third is that strategy is about achieving differentiation by making choices. Making choices is essential for leaders. Most leaders won’t always make the right choices, but it is about learning from that for future choices that need to be made. The fourth key is that leaders must be able to simplify a complex world. Being able to simplify something complex is extremely helpful to a company, as it will allow others to follow without confusion or issues. The final key is to move people at the deepest level, you need compelling stories. Leaders

[@dagwould]

So, what is 'strategic focus'. This is the most important thing to understand. It is 1 thing: *understand the domain* to activate its/an opportunity that is within the *organisation's competence, resources and at its time horizon* that it can have a good chance at getting to ahead of its competitors and within an active market. Then Check, Plan, Do....all the time. setting the focus at the organisation's time horizon is essential, that get's the 'strategic' in strategy. Otherwise, one is merely reacting.

[@dagwould]

His point of 'strategy as learning' is a very important one in my view.

[@mohammadmirzaei6638]

Great stuff.

[@TheDipankarghosh]

depth and insightful strategic advise. Very helpful.

[@colleenmclaughlin7667]

The presentation from Willie Peterson went into detail on the 5 keys to success for the strategic leader. “In future our only sustainable competitive advantage will be our ability to learn faster than our competitors.” The most important thing for companies to do is to be able to learn and adapt to the new ongoing shifts. “Success means putting the customer at the center of business decisions.” Your company needs to put the needs of the customer first which will in turn make your product indispensable for them. “Strategy is about achieving differentiation by making choices.” Having a strategy in place is important due to the fact that there are limited resources which forces us to make choices about what we want to do with those resources. Ultimately using those resources in the right places to drive a competitive advantage. “Leaders must be able to simplify a complex world.” The takeaway from this key is that leaders must be able to simplify things, complexity just causes confusion. I believe that this is the most important key. “To move people at the deepest level, you need compelling stories.” if a leader is not in tune with his customers or employees, you can’t expect to lead. Being a genuine and authentic leader will allow people to be open with you which will allow the leader to lead effectively.

[@no-mz7ng]

Great insights all the way. Thank you for this great presentation

[@temitopeaiyela6254]

A profound insight on Strategy.

[@udaynataraaj2390]

Superb analysis

[@putrinoorafedahbintimega-du9jw]

2:33 test of a good theory is it's usefulness in practice. Good theory must have problem solving power.

[@tstevensontube]

This video had some great customer centric information :)

[@tamikahainsworth3601]

1. In future our only sustainable competitive advantage will be our ability to learn faster than our competitors. Companies must incorporate continual learning into their culture or they will become stagnant and competition will pass them by. They can accomplish this by taking four steps: learning, focusing on insight, align organizations with strategy and people, and execute. Competitive advantage accomplished through invention is not sustainable as a competitor will invent something better eventually. 2. Success means putting the customer at the center of business decisions. Companies must take a customer first approach to strategizing for their business. Taking the customer first approach will allow for the organization to visualize how their product or service will benefit the lives of the customer. When a salesman says “You must have this widget” the obvious question from the potential customer is “Why do I need this widget? How does it benefit me”? The company must be able to answer that “why?” Strategy is about achieving differentiation by making choices. 3. Strategy is about winning not just competing. In order to win, a company must strategize on how they can differentiate themselves from their competition. Creating something totally new and useful is one way but doesn’t last very long. The other way is to operate and offer the same goods and services as the competition, but do it better. This relies on the continual learning aspect discussed in the first key to success. 4. Leaders must be able to simplify a complex world. Leaders must be able to relate to their employees in laymen’s terms more often than not. Being too complex will lead to confusion. Confusion will lead to failure. 5. To move people at the deepest level you need compelling stories. Leaders must also be able to tell compelling stories that are relatable to the effort or goal at hand. Stories that relate can be a great motivating factor for employees, especially if those stories relay a great success and can be tied to what exactly they may be trying to accomplish.

[@fatenrahman3953]

What an insightful interesting lecture, it's full of information and creative ideas, thank you so much...love also the interaction between both of them

[@deirdrewalsh4147]

The five success points detailed by Pietersen all focus on organizational culture and change. In order to achieve any of these leadership successes, an individual must build the leadership culture within an organization. The first links continuous learning directly with the competitive advantage. The idea that what makes a company competitive is not the service or product they provide, but rather the ability to develop processes that learn and adapt to the customer’s needs shifts the business model. A learning loop that is constantly learning, focusing, and aligning to present and future needs makes organizations adaptable to changes to their competitive advantage. The second point puts customers at the center of all success. Customers don’t buy to buy, but instead seek a solution to their needs. The emphasis that a product is the means to delivering a benefit refocuses an organization’s priorities and business model. The third point is all about choices. No leader will be able to avoid making choices and many of those decisions are difficult to make. There will always be a limited amount of resources - whether that is time, finances, or goods - and a leader must decide how and when to implement those resources in order to win and create the measurable margin of difference between them and their competitor. The fourth point that leaders must simplify the complex world is simple. If a customer is confused they won’t buy. If your employees are experiencing inconsistency there will be confusion and this will trickle down to the customer. A leader must simplify so that all invested understand the goals, priorities, and resources needed to accomplish a task. The final point is that people need to be moved and this is done through the use of compelling stories. The best sales leaders don’t convince a customer to buy a product by saying it works or it is the best. They show the value of a product through stories, case studies, and data. They create a narrative that demonstrates the benefit that a customer can realize. Stories create an emotional connection that leaders can motivate employees and customers with.

[@carlgould]

great!

[@colinklingman8443]

#1: Our world and environment are constantly changing. Companies need to be distinct from their competitors in as many ways as possible. That is why I really like the first key to success. The more you are willing to learn, and add new elements to your business, the more you will separate yourself from competitors. When the environment is changing, businesses need to change in the same direction. It also does not happen overnight; it is a process of planning, implementing, and evaluating the current and future vision of the business. #2: The purpose of a business should have the customer at the center of every decision. If you are making a product or giving a service, you need to focus on the demand of that service or product. People won’t use your service or product if their needs and wants are not found within your product or service. In order to be successful, you need to reach the demands of customers. #3: Good decision making needs to be valued from a leader’s standpoint. Leaders need to understand the effects of their decision making daily. When looking at the 3 questions of making a strategy, a leader should be visualizing the future success of the company. By doing so, the leader is striving and making decisions for the organization. #4: The world is becoming much more complex, and it it’s important for leaders to simplify ideas and thoughts. I personally think customers and people like simple ideas because they can understand it much faster. People want products or services that are simple, and easy to use. People also would rather work with a leader who is simple. A complex leader creates confusion, and unpredictability. #5: As a leader, creating deep relationships with everyone around you should be the first and foremost concern. Being able to share commonalities, and similarities with your workers can create a sense of connection. Forming authentic relationships creates trust, respect, and honesty throughout an organization. People will feel more understood and supported if they have closer relationships with their coworkers. People will be more focused, and more bought in on what is being said when they are told a story because there is meaning and purpose behind it.

[@johnyoest4467]

This video is required viewing by my Graduate Students in MSM 619 Strategic Planning & Implementation at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

[@maimacheni3916]

Very helpful, thank you

[@moureenobuya4158]

Great insights

[@lawrencesonibare4728]

Powerful insight

[@RonHeartt]

Gold

[@chetanasin9150]

Thanks

[@fdtelim1813]

Good strategy advise

[@rachelhoward9720]

Willie Pietersen’s 5 Keys to Success for the Strategic Leader are specific strategies that, if followed, will enable an organization to remain competitive in an ever-changing environment. Wile all five strategies are necessary, I feel that Pietersen was correct in stating that the challenge is to excel at these strategies. Knowing them and being familiar with them is not enough, they must be followed and considered sacred to be successful. The first key to success that Pietersen shares is “In future our only competitive advantage will be our ability to learn faster than our competitors”. Competitive advantage can not rest on a particular product or business model; an organization must be adaptable and have the capacity to shift its focus as the environment shifts. An organization must be constantly assessing and reassessing its strategy to be successful. Second, Pietersen tells us that “success means putting the customer at the center of business decisions”. Organizations must think outside in and consistently consider what the benefit to the customer is. He goes on to use Amazon as an example, sharing that they do not offer any unique product, but that their success lies in how their products/services are delivered to their customers is their key benefit. Third, he shares that “strategy is about achieving differentiation by making choices”. Making choices on how to use limited resources to give an organization competitive advantage - being unique and doing something better than other organizations. Winning for an organization means creating a marginal difference and all choices must flow through these questions: where will we compete and what is our aim, how will we win the competition for value creation in our chosen arenas, and what will be our key priorities for success. Fourth, Pietersen shares that “leaders must be able to simplify a complex world”. He goes on to share that complexity will lead to confusion, then to inconsistency and then to failure. The best leaders can simplify strategy into a clear and concise vision that will enable others to follow with little to no struggle. Finally, Pietersen shares the last key to success for the strategic leader - “ to move people at the deepest level, you need compelling stories”. He speaks about the emotional intelligence of a leader and their ability to paint a picture through metaphor, examples and pictures. He shares that power points and bullet pointed strategies are inferior to a leaders ability to create a strong, meaningful narrative.

[@nargiskacchi3084]

Very helpfull

[@khanhlinhao1749]

the video image is too poor, you need to fix it more

[@putrinoorafedahbintimega-du9jw]

21:34

[@putrinoorafedahbintimega-du9jw]

20:10

[@bcsjb5229]

Buzz word is the new buzz word 😪

[@invadingmyhouse]

the least funny Jason Sudeikis video ever.

[@carolinedowning6481]

“In future our only sustainable competitive advantage will be our ability to learn faster than our competitors”: A competitive advantage cannot rest on a particular product or business model - sustainable competitive advantage is an organizational capability. Organizations need to be able to adapt through events. If your organization cannot do this, it will not be able to contend with change. The asset here is the organization’s ability to learn and adapt faster and better than their competitors. This needs to be implemented from the ground up within the culture of the organization. It needs to be ongoing, rather than just one singular training, for example. “Success means putting the customer at the center of business decisions”: The customer is not looking for attributes, but for solutions to their needs. Products are just means of delivering benefits. Using Hallmark as an example - customers are not looking for a card, per say, but for a vehicle to deliver a specific message to their loved ones. They’re not in the physical paper business, but the message business. “Strategy is about achieving differentiation by making choices”: This key is about balance. Each choice you make for your organization creates a tradeoff. I thought about it in terms of staffing; an organization may have cut costs by reducing staff, but that leaves the remaining staff overworked and eventually burnt out, creating less efficiently and a loss overall. If the company adds staff, there may be an initial loss, but you have employees who aren’t overburdened with their workload. “Leaders must be able to simplify a complex world”: I loved the quote from Chef Marco Pierre White: “Complexity creates confusion. Confusion creates inconsistency. Inconsistency creates failure.” The best places I have worked have had clear, concise workflow. Too many steps (or people involved) gum up the works, so to speak. “To move people at the deepest level, you need compelling stories”: Leaders need to understand the human part of a company, and to understand the humans they oversee. At the end of the day, employees are not machines, but part of a culture, a community. Simply reciting a powerpoint at them is not going to reach them, but relating on a human level will strengthen the bond between employee and leader.

[@davidwade3933]

These five keys will help leaders when faced with change. "Five keys to success for the strategic leader." These five keys will help with ensuring long-term success in the face of disruption and change. #1 "In future, our only sustainable competitive advantage will be our ability to learn faster than our competitors." tion to learn is the key to any organization success. In today's world there are advancements to technology, skills and techniques. Organizations that are able to grasp and learn will heighten their percentage of being successful. Organization should be adaptable as the environment shifts. Sustainable Competitive Advantage is the organizational capability to build an adaptive organization that enables us to learn and renew our organization as the environment shifts continuously. Having a strong vision and mission statement will help guide an organization and create a culture to help guide employees. #2 "Success means putting the customer at the center of business decisions." Knowing your customers' is important for an organization. An organization could then deliver solutions to the needs of the customers. The way a service is delivered is beneficial to the customer. #3 "Strategy is about achieving differentiation by making choices." Making choices is important as a leader. Most leaders will make wrong choices but it's important to learn from choices. A strategy selection and evaluation process prioritizes what an organization will engage and excel. The key is doing something different but thriving in what will provide. #4 "Leaders must be able to simplify a complex world." Leaders need to simplify complexity. Being able to simplify makes others be able to understand easier. Being able to simplify something complex helps everyone understand who you are as an organization. #5 "To move people at the deepest level, you need compelling stories." People follow leaders and ideas. A powerful leadership narrative helps people buy into the organization and leader. As a leader, you should be a good storyteller. Stories create meaning. A leader’s narrative helps people understand their understanding of their leader for what they do.

[@putrinoorafedahbintimega-du9jw]

25:54