We all have a Strategy Until we Get Punched in the Mouth

If you are familiar with the corporate world, you have likely seen companies unveiling grand strategies, outlining bold ambitions for the years ahead. Yet, despite these bold declarations, many fails to achieve desired outcomes.  If strategy is meant to drive success, why organisations and companies fail? As a practitioner, I witnessed well-crafted but more often than not, I find that firms have no real strategy at all. Instead, they have plans and ideas without a clear strategic direction. This fundamental misconception of strategy lies at the heart of poor performance and, ultimately, corporate failure. As a contemporary writer, I feel compelled to dissect this powerful concept; to clarify what strategy truly is and how firms should approach it.

 

On the onset, strategy is a powerful and transformative discipline that has occupied my thoughts for years. Its relevance has increased recently due to volatility and complexity of business landscape, where disruption and competition are the order of the day.  The term strategy comes from the Greek words strategos and strategia. Strategos means "the art of the general," it highlights the ability to lead both oneself and a team into a future they wish to create. On the other hand, strategia refers to the content of the strategy; the disruptive, ground-breaking ideas that redefine businesses and industries.

Historically, the concept of strategy originates from military practice; it refers to the art of planning and conducting military campaigns, deploying resources, and securing victory. In business, just as in warfare, strategy is about making deliberate choices that create a sustainable unique value. It calls for bold, disruptive thinking that reshapes industries.  The on the top of choice is choosing what not to do. The best companies do not succeed because they do everything but because they focus on doing a few things and doing them exceptionally well. The call of strategy is to answer critical questions such as How do we compete? What are we going to do next? What are we truly good at? and how do we differentiate in a way that others cannot?

A simple strategic test I often use goes like; What can a business do that customers want, but competitors can't offer? Just think of that.

Many companies fails because they treat strategy as a static document rather than a dynamic, evolving process. In reality, no strategy remains perfect once it meets real-world challenges. Mike Tyson said in an interview after a match, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Many organisations craft detailed strategies but fail to adapt when circumstances change. True strategy requires continuous learning, agility, and resilience.

A perfect example of strategic adaptation is Yango’s entry into Namibia’s transport sector. Instead of following traditional taxi models, Yango leveraged technology to create a digital ride-hailing service, offering greater convenience and efficiency. Think of the MTC Maris product; it’s revolutionising banking and mobile money in our market. It is a game changer. Another example is Netflix, which started as a DVD rental business but foresaw the shift to online streaming before its competitors did. Had Netflix stuck rigidly to its original model, it would have become obsolete.

Strategy is not just a document or a grand plan; it is a mindset and a structured approach to creating sustainable value. Organisations for the future, understand that no plan survives first contact with reality unchanged. They view strategy as a living, breathing process that requires constant reassessment and adaptation.

Take it from me, strategy is not about complexity; it is about clarity. It is not about predicting the future; it is about shaping it. So, ask yourself: Does your organisation have a strategy, or do you just have a something else?

Onesmus Keudaneko Joseph is Business Strategy Practitoner with a strong focus on strategic foresight and futures literacy. He is currently the Manager for Intellectual Property Enforcement and Frameworks at BIPA. He writes in his personal capacity.