cases existing capabilities may have become obsolete or commoditised and/or serve a market that is no longer attractive or may not even exist. In other cases, a new market or need may emerge that requires new capabilities. Such a case is a windfall for agile, focused and strategic organisations. For the others, it will be another lost opportunity where management has become too focused, operational, and/or industry-hardened to see the opportunities (or threats) and adjust accordingly.

The Strategist will see scenarios (opportunities and threats) evolving, conceptualise a plan, and develop charts to navigate an appropriate course. They see things that others in the organisation can't or don't see, which may be due to their position or many other reasons. The strategist advisor uses a combination of strategic sense, experience, analytical approach, independence, and objectivity to create a fresh new perspective for the team. 

A great strategy is underpinned by great strategic analysis and design, which robustly assesses strengths and opportunities (competitive advantage) and key risks or vulnerabilities. A strategist who can identify where to seed (to grow) and where to weed (out the problems) is invaluable to any leadership team developing a successful strategy. The frustrations, distractions, and lost opportunities from ongoing persistent business problems will cost any business significantly in areas they never envisaged.

The Strategist aims to identify, understand and address the root (or cause) of both success and failure in a business environment from which to design resilient strategies that maximise the organisation's capabilities and the needs they serve. They do this using strategic skills, unique experiences, and systematically gathering and confronting 'the facts' of any situation. They generally despise opinions or assumptions, unless they can be convinced otherwise. Success often comes from matching the right strategy or capability to the right problem, need, or opportunity. In some 

The Strategist

Henry David Thoreau once said, "There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root". In any gathering of leaders (to solve a problem), you'll easily pick the strategist - the one asking the strange questions- the questions nobody cares to ask, thinks to ask, or is afraid to ask! The one searching for the elusive root cause of the problem rather than the 'obvious' symptoms. To kill a weed for good, you must kill the root. The same applies to business problems.