Pontus Wadstrom . Who I am

Strategy is serious business. It needs to be treated accordingly. Unfortunately, in practice, ’strategy’ is often filled to the brim with nonsense, platitudes, and piffle. And in theory, it’s mostly abstract and convoluted. In both cases, the value of strategy is diminished considerably.

I aim to move beyond the malarkey and the complexity to make strategy practical, based on science and proven experience. There’s no silver bullet for organizational success. No crystal ball can tell us something about the future. No ever-so-perfect strategic analysis or plan can create success. Hard work and continuous learning are needed. Making strategy live up to its potential is what I have dedicated my life to mastering - as an advisor, lecturer, and researcher.

I’m a strategy maverick. I believe many organizations practice strategy far too conventionally. I’m a reflective practitioner. I practice, reflect, and sometimes research things more in-depth. I am first and foremost a practitioner, but I'm partly an academic and classically schooled, so I believe deep knowledge makes a difference.

So, I do what I can to contribute: I observe, I listen, I ask, I explain, I challenge, I advise, I teach, and I write. I roll up my sleeves to help people strategize and change more effectively and creatively. I am certain that everything can improve. Always. Utilizing strategy in organizations requires less nonsense and more honest work; less planning ahead, more reflection after; less economics, more change, less telling what to do, more asking what could be done; less exclusion, more inclusion; less static, more dynamic. In short, less analytical strategy formulation and more entrepreneurial strategizing and change.