Strategic Thinking & Strategic Action

Fostering strategic thinking and strategic action by organizational leaders since 2007.

Be better than the competition
Strategy Lee Crumbaugh Strategy Lee Crumbaugh

Be better than the competition

It’s a tough world out there! It’s likely, whether you recognize it or not, that you are in a cutthroat marketplace where some competitors resort to unethical tactics to gain an edge – lying, cheating, or even jeopardizing safety.

The side of business involving fierce competition is the “Red Ocean,” a concept popularized by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne in their book "Blue Ocean Strategy," published in 2005. “Red Ocean” is a metaphor for the "bloody" competition inherent in crowded markets, where businesses fiercely battle for market share.

This seemingly dystopian nightmare scenario is playing out in many markets today, involving large corporations and local businesses. From Volkswagen's emissions scandal to strip clubs blacklisting dancers, tales of "bad" competition expose the damaging consequences of unethical practices.

The good news? You don't have to compromise your integrity to succeed. You can thrive like the most sustainable businesses by being better, not worse, than your rivals.

Read More
Pick the best: Don’t let the bad drive out the good
Coaching Lee Crumbaugh Coaching Lee Crumbaugh

Pick the best: Don’t let the bad drive out the good

It may be the same with every industry. Likely the sham artists and hucksters and skimmers and those just in it for the buck are pervasive. We all see them and have to deal with them (or try to ignore them).

I know that in business coaching, there are those who purport to be serious business coaches but aren’t. There are those who call life coaching or motivational coaching or something other than business coaching “business coaching.” There are those whose coaching credentials are hollow, missing, or misrepresented, who don’t know net margin from a fishing net.

Read More
California High Speed Rail to nowhere: Lessons for implementing our plans
Strategic planning Lee Crumbaugh Strategic planning Lee Crumbaugh

California High Speed Rail to nowhere: Lessons for implementing our plans

A New Year has befallen us, ready or not. Hopefully, you are ready. That is, you - and your organization, if you are a business owner or for-profit or non-profit leader - have a plan in place for the New Year.

Now your challenge it to execute your plan for greater success. Execution, or, as we strategists call it, plan implementation, should be your mantra.

Execution, or better said, lack of it, is where it all falls apart. While the exact percentage is unclear, it’s safe to say that more than half and up to three quarters of plans are either poorly executed or not executed at all. That’s shame! A plan which is not executed is worthless.

Achieving timely and effective plan implementation is critical to success.

To bring the point home, reflect on this true tale that illustrates the perils of poor planning and, especially, poor execution.

Read More