Thoughts on strategy

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The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on making his own business better all the time.
—Henry Ford
American industrialist

Strategy is not the consequence of planning, but the opposite: Its starting point.
—Henry Mintzberg
Canadian academic

The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.
—Michael E Porter
American economist

A goal without a plan is just a wish.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
French writer

You may not be interested in strategy, but strategy is interested in you.
—Leon Trotsky
Ukranian-Russian revolutionary

There’s only one growth strategy: Work hard.
—William Hague
British politician

The entrance strategy is actually more important than the exit strategy.
—Edward Lampert
American businessman

Culture eats strategy for breakfast.
—Peter Drucker
Austrian-American management consultant

Strategy requires thought, tactics require observation.
—Max Euwe
Dutch chess player

Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
—Napoléon Bonaparte
French military and political leader

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.
—Sun Tzu
Chinese military strategist

In real life, strategy is actually very straightforward. You pick a general direction and implement like hell.
—Jack Welch
American business executive