The Strategy Toolkit - The light
Welcome to the September 2023 edition of the Strategy Toolkit. In this newsletter issue, you will find a new chapter on strategy & geography. Insights from the worlds of EV batteries, software, superconductivity, and Apple. And a case study on cross-cultural leadership strategy. Interested in more than this introduction? Become a paid subscriber to The Strategy Toolkit for exclusive, first-reader access to insights on strategy from the most diverse, wide-ranging source out there. Plus provocative commentary for the strategist community. Plus behind-the-scenes case studies from the field. Only available here, from The Strategy Toolkit. Excerpt: Strategy & Geography According to the Association of American Geographers, geography “is the study of the complex, unfolding relationships between people and the land they live on.”* Or, as the writer Adam Gopnik pithily observes, the study of “faces, places and spaces.”** * https://www.aag.org/about-us/ ** Gopnik, A., “Faces, Places, Spaces,” The New Yorker (October 29 & November 5 2012): 108-116 Most people, when first introduced to the study of science, are exposed to the trio of physics, chemistry and biology. Similarly, with the study of social sciences, they first meet the duo of history and geography. And although there exist sub-disciplines known as the geography of history and the history of geography, the main distinction remains that history is about time and geography is about place. The physicality of geography therefore will be our guide in this chapter on strategy and geography. People recognise the importance of place in survival and inevitably have developed strategies and tactics to identify, understand, acquire, and maintain place in many ways, at many levels. The iconic representation of geography is the simple, humble map, an illustration of places in relation to others. So innocent. So powerful. Just look at the geopolitically strategic use to which China puts its version of the map of the South China Sea. Or Russia its version of its boundary with Ukraine. Or the border between Peru and Bolivia. And so on throughout the post-colonial regions in Africa, the Middle East, and southern and south-east Asia. As Edward Tufte has shown*, mastering and using the techniques of visualising data conveys strategic advantages. When applied to mapmaking, these techniques allow the powerful to convey power. * Tufte, E., “The Visual Display of Quantitative Information,” Graphics Press 1983; https://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/books_vdqi As one reviewer aptly put it, “there is no such thing as an objective map.”* * Anonymous review of “A History of the World in Twelve Maps” by Jerry Brotton (Allen Lane 2012), The Economist (September 1 2012): 82 In his book, Jerry Brotton, of Queen Mary University of London, describes the complex history of mapmaking through analysis of a few exemplary maps, from those of Ptolemy in 150 AD through the Mappa Mundi in the British medieval era, through to the present-day digital geographic information systems (GIS) such as Google Earth. “Mapmakers operate in environments of subjective knowledge. Their work is influenced by politics and patrons, regional assumptions and religious beliefs, all of which jostles with the science in determining what a map looks like and what it is used for. Mapmakers may be geographers and cartographers, but they can also be artists and imperialists, storytellers and propagandists.”* * Ibid... Keep reading with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to The Strategy Toolkit to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.A subscription gets you:
|
Older messages
From the archives: The strain of civilisation
Sunday, September 17, 2023
The Strategy Toolkit - October 2020 edition
How to Get Ahead and Gain a Corporate Strategy Advantage to Drive Growth
Thursday, September 7, 2023
Guest appearance on the Predictable B2B Success podcast, with host Vijay Koshy
Monday, August 21, 2023
The Strategy Toolkit - August 2023 edition
Friday, July 21, 2023
The Strategy Toolkit - July 2023 edition
Thursday, June 22, 2023
The Strategy Toolkit - June 2023 edition
• Promote your book series all in one order w/ ContentMo •
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
~ Book Series Ads for Authors ~ All in One Order! We want to help you get your book series out on front of readers. Our BOOK SERIES PROMO Packages can get you there! BOOK SERIES PROMOTIONS by ContentMo
🤝 What do to about an unresponsive biz broker…
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Plus: Diving into deal box struggles and highlighting links, resources, and memes our members are sharing. Hey Biz-Buyers, Welcome to this week's Boring Business Brief, where we share some of the
New course: Strategic Research for Experimentation
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Imagine this scenario: You have the hypothesis that the website navigation bar is confusing your users. So you invest time and money in testing. But turns out that most of your customers couldn't
Google’s AI Search: FAQ + SEO Implications
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Google's Search Generative Experience will soon radically change the way we search. Learn what to expect in my new post Hi Reader, Search Generative Experience will soon radically change the way we
Kindle & Paperback • How Nature Healed a Broken Soul: An Autobiography by Penny James •
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Penny James was a world-renowned fashion model whose career spanned eleven years with the Wilhelmina & Ford agencies.
Now I Know: The Politician Who (Technically) Kept His Pledge
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Technically correct, the best type of correct! View this email in your browser · Missed one? Visit the Archives This one is a bit complicated, but it's fun. -- Dan The Politician Who (Technically)
Three Practical Ideas To Amplify Your Humanity
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Your weekly 5-minute read with timeless ideas on art and creativity intersecting with business and life͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
One hybrid page, two boosted metrics
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
3x organic clicks and 2x conversions Read this tactic on the CXL blog. Drive both organic traffic and conversions with a hybrid landing page The company: Content marketing agency The Brand
🧙♂️ "Hop on a call?" 👎 "Watch this async video!" 👍
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
I ain't got time for that! (you don't either)
Upcoming webinars: Maximising Talent Potential, Artificial Intelligence & Skills-based Learning
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Join us tomorrow and on December 7 View in Browser | Forward to a Friend 360 Learning Register now Maximising Talent Potential: From Assessment to Hiring and Progression November 28 at 3PM GMT Ready to