Editor’s letter

Citation

Randall, R.M. (2015), "Editor’s letter", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 43 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/SL-03-2015-0027

Editor’s letter

Article Type: Editor’s letter From: Strategy & Leadership, Volume 43, Issue 3

The articles in this issue tackle a wide variety of topics – experience marketing and innovation by B2B companies, implementation of the “Three Rules” approach to exceptional success, a “radical” methodology for developing transformational strategy in a dynamic business environment, China at a crossroads, how ecosystems of companies are enabling interactions and promoting innovation in new economy segments and the key factors driving corporate sustainability goals. The articles and their distinguished authors are:

“How B2B companies create economic value by designing experiences and transformations for their customers” by B. Joseph Pine, a principal at Strategic Horizons consultancy. B2B businesses need to continuously innovate how they attract, engage and excite customers, based not just on the specifications required by their current customers, but also on the emerging needs of their customers and their customers’ customers. These needs reflect how customers experience the job they need to do now and how they prepare to transform themselves to succeed in the future.

“How ‘The Three Rules’ guide strategy and investment decisions at Deloitte Consulting LLP” by Jim Moffatt, Chairman and CEO of Deloitte Consulting. According to findings by Deloitte researchers Michael Raynor and Mumtaz Ahmed, companies achieve long-term exceptional performance by following the three rules summarized in their 2013 book. “Since the release of the research, we’ve been asked numerous times how we use the three rules at our organization,” notes Mr. Moffatt. His article seeks to answer the question, now that we know how exceptional companies think, “Does Deloitte think like an exceptional company?”

“A leader’s guide to an organization-wide strategy journey” by A.T. Kearney’s consultants and new book authors Johan Aurik, Martin Fabel and Gillis Jonk. They propose a methodology for developing transformational strategy in a dynamic business environment based on three principles that set it apart from earlier strategy approaches: draw inspiration from the future; be organizationally inclusive; take a portfolio approach.

“Understanding China: doing business in the world’s most dynamic economy” by Brian Leavy, Professor of Strategic Management at Dublin City University Business School. This “Masterclass” finds China at a crossroads as it seeks to keep its modernization program, and further economic development, on track. So, understanding more fully what is happening in China, and how to succeed there, is rapidly becoming a strategic imperative for any corporate leader with global ambitions.

“Haydn Shaughnessy: understanding the shift to the new economy,” an interview by Stephen Denning, a voice for radical management at Forbes.com. Shaughnessy observes that ecosystems of companies linked together for mutual gain are enabling interactions and promoting innovation in all the new economy segments. Indeed, it is increasingly the innovations and expertise of the ecosystem, not the just the talents and resources of the firm, that are critical to its future wealth generation.

“Key corporate sustainability drivers: engaged boards and partnership” by Gayle C. Avery, Professor of Management at Macquarie Graduate School of Management and Director of the Institute for Sustainable Leadership. She reviews the recent findings of a Boston Consulting Group survey on the success factors for achieving corporate sustainability goals. The two vital ones are engaging the board of directors and forming wide-ranging collaborative partnerships.

Good reading!

Robert M. Randall

Editor