Strategy is about innovation. Innovation is about transformation. And transformation is about leadership.

When people ask me about what I do, I tell them that I help with strategy, innovation, transformation, and leadership. More often than not, they follow up with a question like, "OK, but where do you focus?"

My focus lies in solving strategic and organizational challenges. Such challenges can seldom be compartmentalized. Neither can the work of senior leaders be.

In fact, many of the challenges organizations face, arise from treating these subjects separately. Strategy without innovation is often just planning. Innovation without strategy results in innovation theater. Innovation without transformation won't really work. Neither will transformation without leadership.

So here, in a nutshell, is how the four topics relate to each other in my mind and work.

???STRATEGY IS ABOUT INNOVATION

If you want to create a competitive advantage, if you want to create differentiation, if you want to create new growth, you need to innovate.

You can’t expect to win by copying what somebody else does.

You can’t expect to win by only cutting costs and becoming more efficient.

Yes, these things are important, but you can’t cut your way to new growth.

Innovating means either (1) doing different things or (2) doing things differently.

And not only differently, but actually better. You need to be adding more value.

???INNOVATION IS ABOUT TRANSFORMATION

As Einstein famously said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

If your organization is not good at innovating, you need to transform how your organization operates, how your teams work, and how your leaders manage to create new, innovative, and better results.

Same old same old won‘t do.

You need to transform your business.

And you need to transform your organization.

???TRANSFORMATION IS ABOUT LEADERSHIP

Transformation isn‘t easy. We all know that.

Successful transformation requires leadership…from everyone. Not only those at the top.

At the same time, successful transformation cannot be simply mandated from the top either.

Coherent action is required. Mandating that employees change, while senior management keeps acting in its old ways is not very coherent.

Transformation can also not be outsourced. Senior leadership needs to be actively involved and take charge.

Just like everybody else in the organization needs to take charge.

I help senior leaders and executive teams solve their most important and most pressing challenges using an integrated approach based on the principles outlined above.

Get in touch to discuss how we can co-create innovative solutions to your strategic challenges. Email me at [email protected]