The three layers of strategy

Abstract

In the past, strategy was simple. You could identify a profitable industry, build a competitive advantage and then protect that advantage at all costs. But in today’s complex and turbulent world, traditional models don’t always apply. Rather than focus on building a sustainable advantage, today’s organisations need to be flexible and agile – ready to move rapidly from one advantage to the next. They need to experiment and innovate. And managers who want to build a sound business strategy need to think in the present, the near future and the further-away future – all at the same time. This white paper examines different theories of strategy and combines them into a new, single, integrated approach – the three layers of strategy.