Strategy is subtraction

Most teams do not fail because they lack ideas. They fail because they pursue too many of them at once. The organizations that compound over time are ruthless about what they choose to ignore, protecting a small number of bets from the constant pull of the merely interesting.

Focus is uncomfortable precisely because it forecloses options. But a strategy that keeps every door open is not a strategy — it is a wish. The work of leadership is to make the hard trade-offs visible and then hold the line long enough for them to pay off.

Where to begin

Start by naming the one outcome that would make the next year a success. Everything that does not serve it becomes a candidate for the cut. Clarity here is a gift to every person who has to decide what to do on a Tuesday morning.