Aperture Book of the Month - March 2024

Aperture’s ‘Four Frames’ approach to strategy design integrates systems thinking, practical experience, and the thoughts and concepts of leading theorists in the field. To reflect this synthesis, our Book of the Month for March 2024 is by Richard Rumelt, described by McKinsey Quarterly as ‘strategy’s strategist’. Rumelt pushes the boundary of his work on how to develop strategy – and how not to – right up against the territory of systems thinking, without drawing directly upon it. His latest book, ‘The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists’ is both insightful and accessible.

Whilst we might not entirely agree with some of Rumelt’s more detailed precepts for application – such as the notion of ‘addressable strategic challenges’ – we find a significant amount of common ground, particularly with the characterisation of strategy as creative design, the importance of deferred judgement, and his central theme of focusing coherent action around an influential point of leverage – the ‘crux’. We also echo Rumelt’s frustration with vague expressions of commitment (visions, goals, values) masquerading as strategy, which is about problem solving, not making statements. The book is littered with case studies and concludes with practical advice about how to approach strategy development to address complex challenges whilst avoiding the pitfalls of linear, data-dependent, predictive planning.

‘The Crux’ offers much food for thought, indeed it offers glimpses of a new paradigm for developing strategy. We recommend buying a new highlighter before you start reading!