Strategic Minds Podcast: Episode 22 – Shaping the Future with Strategic Thinking

Key Quotes

“Strategy is about shaping the future.”

“Strategy is everything you need to get to where you want to go. Strategy is everything — but everything is not strategy.”

“One organization I’m thinking about has a strategic rhythm to their work… slow, slow, quick, quick, slow.”

“I define innovation as being practical creativity — making new ideas useful.”

Practice Makes Profit

In this segment, Rich highlights the value chain as a powerful tool for sharpening strategic thinking. Originally developed by Michael Porter, the value chain breaks a business into primary activities (like production, operations, marketing, or sales) and the supporting secondary activities that enable them. By mapping these activities—whether at the industry level, such as bean production through roasting in the coffee industry, or at the company level, like Uber’s operations spanning rides, delivery, and freight—leaders can see where differentiation and costs shape customer value. Comparing your value chain against competitors’ makes it easier to identify areas of competitive advantage and disadvantage, offering a practical way to practice strategic thinking.

League of Strategic Minds

This listener Q&A tackled the question, “How can I tell if my strategy is working?”

Rich explained that one common pitfall is changing strategies too quickly without truly testing them. The key lies in setting measurable objectives with clear timeframes, then building in milestones to track progress along the way. For example, instead of aiming vaguely to increase sales by 15% over the year, a leader might target 3% growth in Q1, 6% by Q2, and 10% by Q3. These checkpoints create a clear rhythm for evaluation, allowing leaders to adjust thoughtfully rather than guessing whether their strategy is paying off.

Winsights: Ideas for Advantage

To close the episode, Rich shared a quote from Olympic gold medal gymnast Shannon Miller, who observed that at the highest levels of competition, everyone is talented and works hard, but what separates the gold medalists from the silver medalists is the mental game. The insight applies equally to business: mental fitness is a strategic advantage. Rich encouraged listeners to build their own mental game by starting the day with short “mental workouts” to increase focus and resilience, positioning themselves to perform at their best when it matters most.

References 

Time stamps:

(00:00) Deep Dive Interview with Dr. Max McKeown

(1:00:45) Practice Makes Profit

(1:04:24) League of Strategic Minds

(1:06:10) Winsights: Ideas for Advantage

Links

Submit a question for Rich to the League of Strategic Minds

Dr. Max McKeown on LinkedIn

Rich Horwath on LinkedIn
Rich Horwath on YouTube
Rich Horwath on Instagram
Strategic Thinking Institute Website
Inc. Magazine’s Top 4 book for 2024: STRATEGIC  Book
New executive development platform: Strategic Fitness System
Sign up for Rich’s free Strategic Thinker Newsletter

About the Guest 

Dr. Max McKeown
Renowned strategist, Psychologist, and Innovation Expert

LinkedIn

About the Host 

Rich Horwath, Founder & CEO
Strategic Thinking Institute  

Rich is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of eight books on strategic thinking, including his most recent work, STRATEGIC, which was named a “top 4 must-read business book for 2024” by Inc. Magazine, and a national bestseller by USA TODAY. He has been the top rated keynote speaker on strategic thinking at national conferences for nearly 20 years.