How to be Strategically Iconic?
While taking the Strategy Management course, we often substantiated the conceptual aspects of the field through articles, case studies, presentations, and assignments. I can say that the greatest contribution of the Executive MBA program has been providing me with a solid conceptual foundation in my work.
While thinking that approaching strategy only from a business perspective overshadowed its reflection on an individual level, I remembered the peace agreement process that ended more than half a century of civil war between former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, winner of the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize, and Timochenko, leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
The Peace Process in Colombia
Farc began as a guerrilla movement in the rural areas in the 1960s and waged an armed struggle against the Colombian government for 52 years. During this civil war, approximately 220 thousand people lost their lives and millions of people were displaced. The country was stuck in a spiral of violence.
Santos, who came to office in 2010, chose to initiate peace talks with great determination rather than fight against the FARC, unlike previous governments. Santos and Timochenko, who held secret talks for about 2 years in Havana, which was designated as a neutral zone, began official talks in 2012 under the guarantorship of Cuba and Norway, and on September 26, 2016, a peace agreement was signed in Cartagena, hands were shaken to symbolize their commitment to peace, and the Colombian civil war ended.
Raul Castro as a Strategy Icon
A photograph was released to the press about a year before the end of the civil war, while negotiations were ongoing. Santos and Timochenko were shaking hands, with Cuban President Raul Castro accompanying them.
Cuba’s fundamental role in the peace talks is actually to provide a healthy negotiation environment as a guarantor. Helping to build trust between the parties is of course critical in terms of contributing to the process, but on the other hand, this iconic photo symbolizes that Raul Castro is also an iconic character from a strategic perspective.
Strategy is all about looking forward
Strategy is all about looking forward, seeing the future to create a value. When Santos took office, he looked forward with great determination, and although there were still many issues to be resolved, the Colombian civil war ended. The Nobel Committee stated that Santos’ award was also a tribute to the Colombian people and all those who contributed to the peace process. The award aimed to support the ongoing peace process in Colombia and to encourage social reconciliation.
Thus, Santos’ strategy was both successful and this success was registered in the international arena.
But at the end of the day, the image that remains in mind is the scene where Raul Castro shakes hands. This photo, for which Raul Castro takes all the credit, is, in my opinion, an answer to the question of how to become iconic from a strategic perspective. Because the issue here is not only to provide the ground for reconciliation between the parties, but also to be an inspiration for the future while being able to foresee Santos’ strategic effort becoming a historical success.
It should not be forgotten that about a year before this photo, Raul Castro met with Barack Obama and resumed diplomatic relations between Cuba and the US after 54 years, which had been cut off in 1960. Therefore, this photo has become a symbol of Cuba's intention for peace and reconciliation, and we can understand the fine detail of this from the color of Castro's shirt.
At this point, it is necessary to remember the difference between reality and perception. In the process leading up to the photo, Timochenko actually made the peace gesture by extending his hand directly to Santos, bypassing Castro. Castro, on the other hand, made a symbolic contribution to the scene by joining this handshake.
In other words, it is not Castro who de facto makes Santos and Timochenko shake hands. It is Timochenko himself who extends his hand directly to Santos and shakes hands with him. You can watch this from below link.
How not to be strategically iconic?
A civil war that has lasted 52 years does not end in a day with a peace agreement; it takes time and will to heal social wounds and institutionalize democracy and reconciliation. Since the dynamics of each country are different, one cannot become a strategic icon by only being inspired by this photo. If you do not have the desire to ensure an effective and permanent transformation and a concrete strategy, you will only save the day.
Ultimately, strategy requires the understanding of looking forward, seeing the future; the aim is not to save the day, but to create long-term value. While determined leaders like Santos achieve this, strategic icons like Castro guide this effort and create historical value.
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