Rowing harder doesn't help if the boat is headed in the wrong direction.
Kenichi OhmaeRead
What business strategy is all about-what distinguishes it from all other kinds of business planning-is, in a word, competitive advantage. Without competitors there would be no need for strategy, for the sole purpose of strategic planning is to enable the company to gain, as efficiently as possible, a sustainable edge over its competitors.
Interpretation
Competitive advantage is essential in business strategy, allowing companies to outperform their rivals.
In the realm of business, a successful strategy hinges on the pursuit of competitive advantage, which distinguishes it from mere planning. This quote by Kenichi Ohmae emphasizes that without competitors, there is no necessity for strategic initiatives, as the primary objective of such planning is to help a company create and maintain an enduring advantage over other market players.
In practice
In a business presentation discussing market entry strategies.
Rowing harder doesn't help if the boat is headed in the wrong direction.
It is hard to let old beliefs go. They are familiar. We are comfortable with them and have spent years building systems and developing habits that depend on them. Like a man who has worn eyeglasses so long that he forgets he has them on, we forget that the world looks to us the way it does because we have become used to seeing it that way through a particular set of lenses. Today, however, we need new lenses. And we need to throw the old ones away.
When you start a company, it's a singular focus. You have the wind at your back.
A business is not defined by its name, statutes, or articles of incorporation. It is defined by the business mission. Only a clear definition of the mission and purpose of the organization makes possible clear and realistic business objectives.
When looking at trends I always ask myself basic and timeless questions about business, and the one I seem to always come back to is, 'How is this different than anything else in the marketplace?'
The real challenge in crafting strategy lies in detecting subtle discontinuities that may undermine a business in the future. And for that there is no technique, no program, just a sharp mind in touch with the situation.
Big companies have trouble with innovation. Innovation is about bad ideas, or ideas that look like bad ideas. That's the fundamental thing.
Those who enter to buy, support me. Those who come to flatter, please me. Those who complain, teach me how I may please others so that more will come. Those only hurt me who are displeased but do not complain. They refuse me permission to correct my errors and thus improve my service.
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