Lean Strategy

Insightful article by David Collis in the latest issue of HBR. Building on his thesis, it might be useful to recognize that both top-down and bottom-up approaches include deliberate / analytical and emergent / learning characteristics. The difference, perhaps, is of timeframe and emphasis. At the enterprise level, there is more emphasis on analysis, and learning happens more slowly; at a more granular level within the organization, there is less analysis and more rapid learning. To David's point, both enterprise leaders and those leading units within the organization can benefit to learn from each other, and to apply the right mix of analysis and learning for their scope of responsibility.