Transcript / Article from a recent blog post

Some companies that survived the pandemic now tout extreme agility as their superpower. But is this a sustainable approach? According to Jeff Bezos of Amazon, the answer may lie in focusing on what hasn’t changed, even amid turmoil.

The Agility Debate

Critics of long-term strategic thinking argue that it stifles flexibility. They believe leaders must prioritize adaptability, mastering the art of the pivot to stay afloat.

Adherents to this philosophy often chase short-term gains, juggling endless opportunities and quick fixes. Unfortunately, this leaves little room for deep reflection or meaningful answers to big questions. The result? A constant state of urgency that might, ironically, hinder growth.

Is this short-sighted?

Emergencies do demand immediate action, but the adrenaline rush of reactive leadership can become addictive. Could this obsession with rapid responses undermine long-term success?

Here’s Bezos’s take:

“I very frequently get the question: ‘What’s going to change in the next 10 years?’ And that is a very interesting question; it’s a very common one. I almost never get the question: ‘What’s not going to change in the next 10 years?’ And I submit to you that that second question is actually the more important of the two.”

In other words, lasting success comes from building a strategy around stability rather than unpredictability.

Anchoring to Customer Needs

Tony Ulwick offers a framework to understand stability through unmet needs, which drive people to take purposeful action—what he calls “Jobs to Be Done” (JTBD).

For example, before hamburgers became the most popular fast food, other regional choices like hot dogs, tacos, fish and chips and noodles dominated as go-to quick meals. Today, there’s a broad menu of options, but the underlying job remains the same: satisfying immediate hunger with a fast, affordable solution.

This stability extends to other industries. A trendy restaurant might offer an innovative menu, but it still relies on timeless needs—good food, quick service, and affordability.

Yet, when disruptions arise, some leaders lose sight of these enduring truths. Consider a cafe owner, struggling with sales, who decides to sell branded apparel alongside lunch. Such zigzag responses might miss the mark entirely.

Instead, here’s a better way forward:

* Acknowledge unmet needs and JTBDs remain constant.

* Identify how disruptions are creating new obstacles for customers.

* Diagnose opportunities to remove those obstacles.

* Act swiftly before competitors do.

Take, for instance, many countries’ ongoing ATM crisis. As banks close branches to cut costs, customers face immense frustration over fewer functional ATMs. Despite this glaring issue, few financial institutions have stepped in with viable solutions.

As the holiday season amplifies the problem, even the central banks have expressed concern. A bank that truly understood its customers’ JTBDs—secure and convenient access to cash—could innovate and dominate.

Why hasn’t this happened?

The Missing Emotional Connection

Some public-sector professionals demonstrate genuine passion for serving citizens. Their enthusiasm helps them deeply understand and empathize with people’s needs. They aren’t just doing a job—they’re solving problems they care about.

In contrast, private-sector leaders often lack this emotional connection. Their focus tends to be transactional, driven by profits. Customers’ needs become tools for financial gain, not ends in themselves.

This mindset falls short.

If leaders could develop a deeper empathy for customers’ challenges, they’d unlock a surprising source of competitive advantage. This applies across sectors, including non-profits and government organizations, where relevance remains crucial for funding and support.

Disruptions, rather than being excuses for frantic pivots, can become opportunities to reconnect with core customer needs. By anchoring your organization to JTBDs, you can stand out meaningfully.

Winning the Long Game

When leaders embrace stability over chaos, they discover depth rather than desperation. Customers notice, and their loyalty follows.

As Bezos reminds us, long-term success doesn’t come from guessing what will change but from staying true to what won’t. Build on this foundation, and you’ll always have a winning strategy.

This article is based on my fortnightly column in the Jamaica Gleaner dated 12-8-2024.

🎙 **Podcast Promo: Beyond Repeated Failure: Defining a Strategy Triad**

Why do most strategic plans fall short? In our latest episode, we tackle this common problem and explore a powerful solution: the *Strategy Triad* from Peter Compo’s *The Emergent Strategy*.

The Strategy Triad redefines what “strategic” really means, breaking it down into three essentials:

1. Aspiration – a meaningful, challenging goal.
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Imagine you’ve joined a board, only to discover it’s deeply mediocre. This is your third meeting, and it’s becoming clear that the issues you sensed in the first two weren’t incidental—they’re ongoing. How do you address this underperformance?

Luckily, you aren’t the only one who’s noticed. Some members recognize that long-standing issues have held the board back for years, and while they’ve tried initiating change, nothing has stuck. These are complex, systemic challenges that won’t be resolved by casual discussions, pep talks, or a thoughtful email. Swift, strategic action is needed. But how?

If you’re part of a large public-sector organization or a multi-divisional private company, you probably operate within a framework of a “master plan.” This overarching strategy is meant to guide your organization towards its long-term objectives. Yet, despite the hard work, key milestones and targets may still be missed. How can you ensure that your organization achieves significant, measurable results?

Imagine this scenario: You’re a newly promoted executive involved in a strategic planning project and notice that one person is dominating the process. This individual is intelligent, but should you feel relieved or dismayed by their takeover?

As a leader in a government Ministry, Department, or Agency (MDA), you’re deeply committed to creating strategic plans that make a significant impact. However, it’s easy to get caught up in bureaucratic compliance, which can divert you from making the meaningful contributions you desire. So, how can you truly make a difference?

As a company leader invested in the future of your enterprise, it can be frustrating to see others content with handling issues only when they arise. How can you instill a culture of forward-thinking in your organization?

In many local organizations, strategic planning is often viewed as a luxury—an activity to be deferred until more stable times, when there’s ample time and money. For others, it’s merely a compliance exercise. Large companies and governments may conduct planning sessions just to meet requirements, with little emphasis on meaningful strategy

In the business world, the end of a CEO’s tenure often brings about significant challenges. As CEOs near the conclusion of their careers, a troubling pattern emerges: their actions can sometimes undermine long-term value and pose serious risks to the organization. This phenomenon is rooted in several behavioral tendencies that intensify over time, but they aren't easy to spot.

As a proponent of long-term thinking in your company, you’ve likely encountered resistance. You may feel isolated, struggling to articulate the value of strategic foresight to colleagues focused on immediate concerns. This guide aims to provide you with a framework to effectively communicate the importance of long-term strategic planning (LTSP) and engage others in this crucial mindset.

Your company has a long history of putting together strategic plans. And you have diligently read them all in a search to understand the intentions of prior leaders.

But as you look them over you are concerned. There are lots of todo lists, action items, and budgets, but the underlying plan seems to lack something important - a strategy.

You can’t quite explain why this is the case, but you can tell when that intangible quality is missing. Perhaps, there should be a better way to tell than just raw instinct, but how?

Tune into this episode to hear from me and my special guest, Alexis Savkin, as we solve this wicked problem together.

I’m Francis Wade and welcome to the JumpLeap Long-Term Strategy Podcast - https://longtermstrategy.info