The Fundamental Link

In reviewing the various components of strategic planning and execution, Peter Drucker comments, “But lacking divine guidance, management must make sure that these difficult responsibilities are not overlooked or neglected but taken care of as well as humanly possible.”

I am arguing that we have the benefit of divine guidance. For non-believers there is, at least, a persuasive pattern of past lessons learned.

In the work of Moses, in the story of the Exodus, and in the history of dozens of successful and failed enterprises we can perceive the fundamental role of balancing righteousness and justice. This is the fundamental link, the core theme, and the ultimate anchor for every effective strategy. This pattern consistently cultivated is the foundation of comparative advantage.

We share many characteristics and needs. We are all creative. We all use frameworks. We all seek to love and be loved. Any strategy or system that tries to deny these common values will fail. The more a strategy amplifies and links these values, the more likely it will succeed in the long-term. Justice is not just a nice goal. The linked activities that advance the goals of justice are fundamental to achieving sustainable comparative advantage.

We are each unique expressions of our shared identity. We will each be creative in different ways. A framework meaningful to one of us is likely to confuse another. We each embody different strengths and weaknesses. Any strategy or system that attempts to ignore or eliminate this differentiation will eventually fail. Righteousness is not just an old-fashioned religious value. The linked activities that encourage individuals to seek and become their true selves are fundamental to achieving long-term and sustainable comparative advantage.

Each enterprise will require strategies that build on the anchor of justice with righteousness. These core themes are the foundation of comparative advantage, not its completion. But any strategy without these at the core will fail.

It is also true that adopting justice and righteousness as the core of your strategic system will not guarantee short-term success. Strategy does not preordain the outcome of every tactical engagement. Tactics still matter. Persistent failure to make good choices and achieve operational effectiveness will undermine the best strategy. It is not possible to separate reality into convenient compartments. The strategist must engage the whole system.

This focus on righteousness and justice does, however, enhance the ability of the enterprise to recover from tactical failures and the short-comings of other strategic decisions.

To ever approach a community of true selves, each individual must accept responsibility for his or her own Exodus story. If each of us is a unique expression of God, finding our true self and learning how to express our true self is an awesome and, probably, life long task. In the journey of self-discovery too many of us give up or become complacent. The struggle is difficult. For most of us behaving in full concert with our true self is a momentary experience. It is exhilarating, but we tend to lose balance quickly.

A thousand years after the death of Moses, a descendent of Jacob – another God wrestler – translated the wisdom of his grandfather and its encouragement to seek out the balance of our true self:

… Do not be ashamed to be yourself.
For there is a shame that leads to sin,
and there is a shame that is glory and favor.
Do not show partiality, to your own harm,
or deference, to your downfall.
Do not refrain from speaking at the proper moment,
and do not hide your wisdom.
For wisdom becomes known through speech,
and education through the words of the tongue.
Never speak against the truth,
but be ashamed of your ignorance.
Do not be ashamed to confess your sins,
and do not try to stop the current of a river.
Do not subject yourself to a fool,
or show partiality to a ruler.
Fight to the death for truth,
and the Lord God will fight for you.

If we align our belief and behavior – and that of our enterprise – with truth, that position gives us a comparative advantage in surviving and thriving. Choosing to side with the ultimate reality of differentiation is key to that alignment. Becoming our true self and respecting the true self of others is the foundation of any meaningful achievement.

In the life and teaching of Moses we can see a demonstration of what Michael Porter and others have outlined as good corporate strategy. For Moses these teachings were designed to provide guidance for all of life.