Strategy is an integrated discipline that seeks to understand why and how some organizations reach their goals and why some do not. Becoming a strategist requires a holistic perspective that integrates behavior at the enterprise level (rather than studying its stand-alone functions) and understanding its positioning in a context rather than as an isolated entity. Strategy requires the capacity to fragment and to integrate. It is one of the most difficult skillsets for an entrepreneurial leader to acquire. It is one of the most rewarding as well
Our goal in this course is to understand how to make sense of the “messy patterns of daily life”, and to learn the tools at our disposal to do so. It is clear (at least to me) that achieving substantial results depends on creating a powerful symbiosis between thought and action. The best ideas need to be applied and through application powerful ideas may emerge providing new strategic directions. Otherwise, thought divorced from action will remain as beautiful abstraction disconnected from the realities of everyday life. This course will thus also examine leading strategic change in an effective manner. In doing all this, we hope to build a systematic approach to achieving competitive advantage
