“Strategy is not a lengthy action plan. It is the evolution of a central idea through continually changing circumstances.”
Jack Welch, General Electric’s reforming ex-CEO
Inspired by writings of Carl von Clausewitz, the Prussian chief-of-staff at Waterloo, who in his book On War successfully distilled Napoleon into theory. Clausewitz’s approach to strategy was descriptive rather than prescriptive.
Men cannot reduce strategy to a formula. Some of our plans will necessarily fail, due to the inevitable frictions: chance events, imperfections in execution, and the independent will of the opposition. That’s why having a sound strategy as a beacon driving our decisions is essential, serving as the evolution of a central idea through continually changing circumstances.
📚 Source: On War by Carl von Clausewitz