Roger Martin

Guest: Roger Martin - Author, advisor, and speaker. Roger is a renowned strategy advisor and Professor Emeritus at the Rotman School of Management. He was named the world's number one management thinker by Thinkers50 in 2017 and is the author of "Playing to Win," a highly regarded book on strategy. Key Takeaways: Strategy is about making an integrated set of choices that compel desired customer actions, focusing on either differentiation or cost leadership. The Strategy Choice Cascade involves answering five key questions: What is our winning aspiration? Where will we play? How will we win? What capabilities must we have? What management systems are required? Playing to win requires understanding customer needs deeply and ensuring your strategy is not easily replicable by competitors. Focus on betterment over perfection by addressing the most significant gaps between current and desired outcomes, iterating towards improvement. Great strategists are made through practice, not innate ability; consistent effort in strategic thinking leads to mastery. Topics Covered: Strategy definition, Strategy Choice Cascade, Differentiation vs. cost leadership, Competitive advantage, Betterment over perfection, Practicing strategy.