Strategy Quotes

“Maxim 20:
If you’re not willing to shell your own position, you’re not willing to win.

-The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries”
― Howard Tayler

“Maxim 28:
If the price of collateral damage is high enough, you might be able to get paid for bringing ammunition home with you.

-The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries”
― Howard Tayler

“All I had done was to improve on their strategy, and it was the beginning of a very important lesson in life - that anytime you find someone more successful than you are, especially when you're both engaged in the same business - you know they're doing something that you aren't.”
― Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X

“Strategy is really the essence of the boards value proposition to the company. The ability to strategize well is the essence of what makes a board relevant.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Effective board governance hinges on the accuracy and reliability of
financial reporting, instilling investor confidence.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Risk is the factor of a stratagem measured by what man is powerless to control.”
― Mike Norton, White Mountain

“In today's competitive business landscape, a board's primary responsibility is to ensure the
long-term success and sustainability of the organization.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“The business landscape is a constantly evolving ecosystem. Changes in the macro
environment, such as technological disruptions or changing consumer preferences, can
rapidly alter the competitive landscape. A high-performing board needs to be adept at
strategic foresight.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Without a clear definition of success, board discussions can become disjointed, with
members focusing on different priorities and potentially conflicting agendas. It can also lead
to members talking through each other or over each other during meetings, instead of talking
with each other. This can lead to inefficient decision-making, missed opportunities, and
ultimately, hinder the organization's progress.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“The financial statements are just a starting point. By asking the right questions and actively engaging with the data, board members can gain a deeper understanding of the company's financial health and position themselves to make sound decisions that will ensure the company's long-term success.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Good strategy requires board members to think beyond the boardroom and monitor global trends and events that could impact the company's operating environment.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“A board of directors, in many ways, is akin to a well-rounded football team. While individual talent is important, true success comes from a complementary mix of skills and expertise that work together seamlessly to achieve a common goal.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Corporate governance involves its fair share of ethical dilemmas, but upholding strong moral principles guides responsible decision-making.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Good strategy requires board members to think beyond the boardroom and recognize and reward employees who demonstrate stewardship behaviors.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Good strategy requires board members to think beyond the boardroom and be prepared to make swift and decisive decisions in response to unforeseen events.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Not at all,’ he said. ‘I was just going to remark that being a cliche can be very useful. You ought to consider it some time.’

’Oh yeah?’

’Yeah,’ he said. ‘It means people underestimate you. They think they’ve seen all there is to see. They drop their guard. They get lazy. They reveal themselves.”
― Eleanor Catton, Birnam Wood

“Effective corporate governance ensures that the vision and strategy are aligned, with the board of directors playing a crucial role in defining the vision and overseeing the development and execution of the strategy.”
― Hendrith Vanlon Smith Jr., Board Room Blitz: Mastering the Art of Corporate Governance

“Isn’t it strange to see an event happening precisely because it was not supposed to happen? What kind of defense do we have against that? Whatever you come to know (that New York is an easy terrorist target, for instance) may become inconsequential if your enemy knows that you know it. It may be odd that, in such a strategic game, what you know can be truly inconsequential.”
― Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

“The speed of your organisation is determined by the slowest ones.”
― Gijs van Wulfen

“All confrontation is based on deception. This is called the strategy of tactical paradox. When you are able to attack you must seem unable. When you are active you should appear inactive. When you are near you should have the enemy believe you are far and win far near. Beit the enemy pretend to be disorganised than strike if the enemy is secure. Then be prepared. If the enemy of superior strength then invade. If your opponent has a weakness of temper and strive to irritate make a pretence of being. We can cultivate your opponents arrogance. If your opponent is at ease then ensure that they are given no rest. If the forces of your opponent are united then seek to divide them. Attack when the enemy is unprepared. Appear when you were not expected. The leader who wins makes careful plans. This section was immediately followed by one called simply preparation for Death. The Earth Warrior, like all warriors, must be prepared for death. Live each day fully as if it were your last hope. Hey Lakota, meaning it's a good day to die.”
― Peter Heller, The Whale Warriors: The Battle at the Bottom of the World to Save the Planet's Largest Mammals

“Everything on the mainstream media is what the oppressors want me to know, everything that is not there is what I should know.”
― Seun Ayilara

“Some chapters of your life may allow many facets of your being,
others just cannot
and the feeling of failure that can arouse
is of no value.

Sometimes all you can do is ask yourself:
What must I do this week? today? next hour?
to continue the process as healthily as possible?
to accomplish the most?”
― Shellen Lubin

“A weapon is a device for making your enemy change his mind.’ The mind was the first and final battleground. The stuff in between was just noise.”
― Lois McMaster Bujold, The Vor Game

“Do not give your opponents a free ride because the opposite is the case.”
― Luckson T Mabade

“Don't give your enemy a second chance; be harmless and wise at the same time.”
― Luckson T Mabade

“You do not need violence to solve your problems. Be assured that your enemies are far, far weaker than you believe yourself to be. Were they not so weak and unsure, they would not need to inflict on you in order to feel better about themselves. They also suffer from a tragic lack of imagination. This can and will be their downfall.”
― Matt Wallace, The Supervillain's Guide to Being a Fat Kid

“I had to take a leaf out of her book. Smile to her face, but hold a knife to her back.”
― Philip Anthony Smith, The Woman He Left Behind

“War is a tissue of uncertainty, its theory often displaying conviction and confidence not reflected in its practice.”
― Richard Holmes

“Instead of claiming to be the answer, consider stating that you may be an answer.”
― Loren Weisman

“Our fight is not with men who have become the devil's pawns but with the devil himself. We must never eliminate the human element in our opponents, for it, we might win over many without a spear but with superior moral values.”
― Shaikh Mahmud bin Ilyas