Richard P. Rumelt

“The product lineup was too complicated and the company was bleeding cash. A friend of the family asked me which Apple computer…

— Richard P. Rumelt

“Whatever you think about this definition of leadership, a problem arises when it is confused with strategy. Leadership and strategy may be…

— Richard P. Rumelt

You overcome the logical resistance to change by proving that a new approach actually works, usually on a small scale.

— Richard P. Rumelt

The US needs military/defense, economic, and social strategies. A medium-sized business, by contrast, is normally best off focusing its efforts on a…

— Richard P. Rumelt

“The most basic idea of strategy is the application of strength against weakness. Or, if you prefer, strength applied to the most…

— Richard P. Rumelt

“Many people call the guiding policy “the strategy” and stop there. This is a mistake. Strategy is about action, about doing something.…

— Richard P. Rumelt

“Bad strategy may actively avoid analyzing obstacles because a leader believes that negative thoughts get in the way. Leaders may create bad…

— Richard P. Rumelt

“It is often said that a strategy is a choice or a decision. The words “choice” and “decision” evoke an image of…

— Richard P. Rumelt

A real strategy is a coherent mix of policy and action designed to overcome a significant challenge. So a sensible employee might…

— Richard P. Rumelt

Change is difficult and it takes time. It is hard for people to change their own behavior, much less that of others.…

— Richard P. Rumelt

“Nevertheless, the doctrine that one can impose one’s visions and desires on the world by the force of thought alone retains a…

— Richard P. Rumelt

“Not miscalculation, bad strategy is the active avoidance of the hard work of crafting a good strategy. One common reason for choosing…

— Richard P. Rumelt

A good strategy focuses efforts on a target, and that focus can only be achieved by not diffusing energy in other directions…

— Richard P. Rumelt

“The best answer to this puzzle is that the real surprise was that such a pure and focused strategy was actually implemented.…

— Richard P. Rumelt

One of the problems many leaders report is a gap between strategy and execution. Usually this "gap" arises because the so-called "strategy"…

— Richard P. Rumelt

A real strategy is not bottom up because it deals with issues that require unexpected or unusual types action, especially of coordination…

— Richard P. Rumelt

The single most damaging misconception about strategy is that it is a set of financial performance goals. The so-called "strategies" created by…

— Richard P. Rumelt

I agree with O'Toole that custom and comfort are impediments to change. However, it is important to recognize that resistance to change…

— Richard P. Rumelt

As I worked to explain how to avoid bad strategy, I began to see that one cannot really evaluate or criticize a…

— Richard P. Rumelt

A good strategy is not always successful, but even an "inappropriate" strategy may be an actual strategy. A "bad strategy" is one…

— Richard P. Rumelt