Where strategic thinking gets properly stress-tested
Most strategy frameworks look clean on a slide and fall apart under real conditions. This programme is built around the gap between theory and practice — examining how decisions actually get made, where plans break down, and what separates organisations that adapt from those that don't.
Eight weeks, six working modules
Each module builds on the previous one — sequenced so that earlier decisions inform later analysis.
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01
Diagnosing the competitive position
Before building strategy, you need an accurate read of where you actually stand. This module covers market structure analysis, competitive dynamics, and how to identify which assumptions about your position are actually worth testing.
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02
Resource allocation under constraint
Strategy is largely a resource problem. We examine how organisations prioritise under real budget and capacity limits — and why the gap between stated priorities and actual spending reveals more than any plan document does.
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03
Decision-making in ambiguous conditions
Structured frameworks for decisions where data is incomplete or contradictory. This includes scenario planning, reversible vs. irreversible decision logic, and how to avoid the common trap of analysis paralysis dressed up as thoroughness.
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04
Organisational alignment and execution gaps
Good strategies fail at implementation more often than at conception. This module examines the structural and cultural reasons strategies stall — and what leaders can realistically do about it without overhauling everything at once.
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05
Growth levers and their trade-offs
Not all growth is equally valuable or equally sustainable. We look at expansion through market penetration, adjacent categories, and new segments — with case analysis of where each approach has worked and where it has created more complexity than value.
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06
Adapting strategy when conditions shift
The final module focuses on strategic flexibility — how to build plans that can be revised without losing coherence, how to recognise when a pivot is warranted versus premature, and how to communicate strategic change without undermining confidence.
What participants typically take away
The programme is structured around discussion and application rather than passive instruction. Participants work through real cases, debate competing approaches, and leave with frameworks they've actually pressure-tested rather than just read about.
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A clearer method for diagnosing competitive position without defaulting to generic SWOT analysis
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Practical tools for making resource allocation decisions when the right answer isn't obvious
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Exposure to how peers in different industries approach the same strategic problems — often the most useful part
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A structured framework for communicating strategic reasoning to stakeholders who need convincing, not just informing
Practical details before you decide
Sessions run live online, twice weekly, with recordings available for anyone who misses a session. The programme works best for people currently working in or near strategic decision-making — not as a prerequisite, but because the peer discussion is richer when participants bring real context.
- Fully online — live sessions via video, no travel required
- Sessions run 90 minutes each, scheduled across time zones
- Open to participants from any country
- Discussion forum access throughout the programme
- All sessions recorded and available for 6 months after completion