---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Analysis Is the Critical Starting Point…"
description: "\"Analysis Is the Critical Starting Point of Strategic Thinking\" — Kenichi Ohmae"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/kenichi-ohmae-36022_analysis_analysis-is-the-critical-starting-point_2111113.png"
---

#  Analysis Is the Critical Starting Point of Strategic…

![“Analysis Is the Critical Starting Point of Strategic Thinking” quote by Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/kenichi-ohmae-36022_analysis_analysis-is-the-critical-starting-point_2111113.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/kenichi-ohmae-36022_analysis_analysis-is-the-critical-starting-point_2111113.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/kenichi-ohmae-36022_analysis_analysis-is-the-critical-starting-point_2111113.png)

> “Analysis Is the Critical Starting Point of Strategic Thinking”

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Strategic thinking begins with thorough analysis to understand the situation before planning.

**In simple terms:** Analysis is the first step in strategy.

Key Takeaway

Start with analysis before acting.

Themes

strategy analysis decision making

Mood

analytical focused

Type

instructional professional

When to use this quote

- business planning
- policy development
- personal goal setting

Key Concepts

critical thinking systems thinking

Questions to Reflect On

- What data do you need for better analysis?
- How do you balance analysis with action?

A Different Perspective

Analysis alone cannot guarantee success without execution.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Analysis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analysis/) [Starting point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starting-point/) [Strategic thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategic-thinking/) [Strategy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strategy/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [“Strategic Thinking deals with discovering novel, rewriting the rules of the competitive game.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/strategic-thinking-deals-with-discovering-novel-rewriting-the-rules/)

[Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/)

> [I believe that Hillary Clinton is one of the best prepared people in our history to enter the Oval Office, with her vision, her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/i-believe-that-hillary-clinton-is-one-of-the-best-prepared-people-in/)

[Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/)

> [I would not attribute any strategic thinking to Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/i-would-not-attribute-any-strategic-thinking-to-trump/)

[Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/)

> [“we should recognize the existence and power of these cumulative strategies and integrate them more carefully into our basic strategic thinking; and we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-wylie/we-should-recognize-the-existence-and-power-of-these-cumulative/)

[J.C. Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-wylie/)

> [“Learn to master your thoughts and watch closely what you deposit into your spirit. Speak over your life. Living in peace has transformative power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/learn-to-master-your-thoughts-and-watch-closely-what-you-deposit-into/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [“Strategic Thinking is about “Keeping the end in mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/strategic-thinking-is-about-keeping-the-end-in-mind/)

[Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/)

> [“Strategic thinking requires both diagnosis and design.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/strategic-thinking-requires-both-diagnosis-and-design/)

[Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/)

> [“You are responsible for everything you TWEET and RETWEET.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/you-are-responsible-for-everything-you-tweet-and-retweet/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [We have zero strategic thinking out of our White House. And we have a national security structure that has lost its way when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-t-flynn/we-have-zero-strategic-thinking-out-of-our-white-house-and-we-have-a/)

[Michael T. Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-t-flynn/)

> [“Strategic Thinking helps to bridge between where you are and where you want to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-zhu/strategic-thinking-helps-to-bridge-between-where-you-are-and-where/)

[Pearl Zhu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-zhu/)

> [“Be strategic about productivity—do less exceptionally well, instead of doing more in an average way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-buchanan-phd/be-strategic-about-productivity-do-less-exceptionally-well-instead-of/)

[Laurie Buchanan, PhD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-buchanan-phd/)

> [With the right sources of funding and some smart, strategic thinking about how to force non-banks to follow the same rules as other lenders,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/with-the-right-sources-of-funding-and-some-smart-strategic-thinking/)

[Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/)

> [“Businesses that execute strategic thinking become architects of their future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/businesses-that-execute-strategic-thinking-become-architects-of-their/)

[Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/)

> [Strategic planning is not strategic thinking. Indeed, strategic planning often spoils strategic thinking, causing managers to confuse real vision with the manipulation of numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-mintzberg/strategic-planning-is-not-strategic-thinking-indeed-strategic/)

[Henry Mintzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-mintzberg/)

> [Still, intuitive assumptions about behavior is only the starting point of systematic analysis, for alone they do not yield many interesting implications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-becker/still-intuitive-assumptions-about-behavior-is-only-the-starting-point/)

[Gary Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-becker/)

## More by Kenichi Ohmae

> [Nobody knows how Honda is organized, except that it uses lots of project teams and is quite flexible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/nobody-knows-how-honda-is-organized-except-that-it-uses-lots-of/)

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

> [More strategies fail because they are overripe than because they are premature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/more-strategies-fail-because-they-are-overripe-than-because-they-are/)

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

> [Rowing harder doesn't help if the boat is headed in the wrong direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/rowing-harder-doesn-t-help-if-the-boat-is-headed-in-the-wrong/)

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

> [The best possible solutions come only from a combination of a rational analysis based on the nature of things, and imaginative reintegration of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/the-best-possible-solutions-come-only-from-a-combination-of-a/)

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

> [In Japan, organizations and people in the organization are synonymous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/in-japan-organizations-and-people-in-the-organization-are-synonymous/)

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

> [Without competitors there would be no need for strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/without-competitors-there-would-be-no-need-for-strategy/)

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

> [What business strategy is all about-what distinguishes it from all other kinds of business planning-is, in a word, competitive advantage. Without competitors there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/what-business-strategy-is-all-about-what-distinguishes-it-from-all/)

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

> [The strategist's method is very simply to challenge the prevailing assumptions with a single question: Why?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/the-strategist-s-method-is-very-simply-to-challenge-the-prevailing/)

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

> [The sole purpose of strategic planning is to enable the company to gain, as effectively as possible, a sustainable edge over its competitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/the-sole-purpose-of-strategic-planning-is-to-enable-the-company-to/)

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

> [What we are left with is an overmanipulated economy that can't function normally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/what-we-are-left-with-is-an-overmanipulated-economy-that-can-t/)

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

> [It is hard to let old beliefs go. They are familiar. We are comfortable with them and have spent years building systems and developing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/it-is-hard-to-let-old-beliefs-go-they-are-familiar-we-are-comfortable/)

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

> [New World Order: The Rise of the Region-State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/new-world-order-the-rise-of-the-region-state/)

[Kenichi Ohmae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

[Explore all 13 Kenichi Ohmae quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/)

## More Analysis quotes

> [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/)

[Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/)

> [My mind rebels at stagnation. Give me problems, give me work, give me the most abstruse cryptogram, or the most intricate analysis, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/my-mind-rebels-at-stagnation-give-me-problems-give-me-work-give-me/)

[Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/)

> [Combining the experience of a seasoned university president with the analysis of a respected legal scholar, Derek Bok explores what he concludes are 'signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-h-t-rhodes/combining-the-experience-of-a-seasoned-university-president-with-the/)

Frank H. T. Rhodes

> [International friendly games are not worth the lives of the silk worms who perish to make the pennants. They do not even have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-baker/international-friendly-games-are-not-worth-the-lives-of-the-silk/)

[Danny Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-baker/)

> [Demographically, I'm a hippie from San Francisco and I'm not culturally inclined to be sympathetic to states' rights. My cultural heritage is FDR and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/demographically-i-m-a-hippie-from-san-francisco-and-i-m-not/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [Democracy is not being well served as we're accustomed to. There is less information, there's less investigation, there's less analysis, there's less accountability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-greenspon/democracy-is-not-being-well-served-as-we-re-accustomed-to-there-is/)

Edward Greenspon

> [As long as the human race is able to concern itself with more than mere survival, soccer will have its place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-morris/as-long-as-the-human-race-is-able-to-concern-itself-with-more-than/)

[Desmond Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-morris/)

> [The capitalistic social order, therefore, is an economic democracy in the strictest sense of the word. In the last analysis, all decisions are dependent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-capitalistic-social-order-therefore-is-an-economic-democracy-in/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [“You will do one of two things as soon as you’ve exhausted what you can determine mathematically in the case: (1) Refine your hypothesis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cheng/you-will-do-one-of-two-things-as-soon-as-you-ve-exhausted-what-you/)

[Victor Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cheng/)

> [Atheism Explained is a gem. It is clear, informative, well-argued, provocative, often witty, and unfailingly interesting. David Ramsay Steele ranges over so many issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-shearmur/atheism-explained-is-a-gem-it-is-clear-informative-well-argued/)

Jeremy Shearmur

> [Class is entirely intangible, and the way it affects things isn't subject to scientific analysis, and it's not supposed to be real but it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-walton/class-is-entirely-intangible-and-the-way-it-affects-things-isn-t/)

[Jo Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-walton/)

> [I've always made my decisions based on two factors: intellectual analysis and my gut. And when they meet, that's a go from me. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ovitz/i-ve-always-made-my-decisions-based-on-two-factors-intellectual/)

[Michael Ovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ovitz/)

> [Analysis of opponents is something I like doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millie-bright/analysis-of-opponents-is-something-i-like-doing/)

[Millie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millie-bright/)

> [What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/what-matters-supremely-therefore-is-not-in-the-last-analysis-the-fact/)

[J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/)

> [We are well aware that he spent many hours recently tape recording various messages... we need to do a little more analysis of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-hoon/we-are-well-aware-that-he-spent-many-hours-recently-tape-recording/)

[Geoff Hoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-hoon/)

[Browse all 1,547 Analysis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analysis/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Analysis Is the Critical Starting Point of Strategic Thinking",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kenichi Ohmae"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/analysis-is-the-critical-starting-point-of-strategic-thinking/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Analysis"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/analysis-is-the-critical-starting-point-of-strategic-thinking/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/kenichi-ohmae-36022_analysis_analysis-is-the-critical-starting-point_2111113.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/kenichi-ohmae-36022_analysis_analysis-is-the-critical-starting-point_2111113.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b5/kenichi-ohmae-36022_analysis_analysis-is-the-critical-starting-point_2111113.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Analysis Is the Critical Starting Point of Strategic Thinking” — Kenichi Ohmae",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Kenichi Ohmae",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenichi-ohmae/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Analysis Is the Critical Starting Point...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/analysis-is-the-critical-starting-point-of-strategic-thinking/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenichi-ohmae/analysis-is-the-critical-starting-point-of-strategic-thinking/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
