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“Good strategy works by focusing energy and resources on one, or a very few, pivotal objectives whose accomplishment will lead to a cascade of favourable outcomes.”
In this episode of The Business Book Club, we explore Good Strategy Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt, one of the most respected books on strategy and organisational performance. Rumelt strips away the buzzwords and corporate clichés to reveal what real strategy looks like — and why so many leaders confuse ambition with direction.
The book defines good strategy as the ability to diagnose challenges clearly, craft a guiding policy, and take coherent, coordinated action. In contrast, bad strategy is full of vague goals, wishful thinking, and a failure to make tough choices. We discuss how Rumelt’s framework helps leaders identify their biggest obstacles, prioritise effectively, and focus on actions that actually move the needle.
In this episode, we unpack how Good Strategy Bad Strategy applies to modern leadership and business execution — from startups and scale-ups to global enterprises. It’s a must-listen for anyone who wants to replace noise with clarity, complexity with focus, and intention with impact.
Episode 56 - Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
By Richard Rumelt
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About the Author
Richard Rumelt is a globally recognised expert on strategy and management and a professor emeritus at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Widely regarded as one of the world’s top thinkers on corporate strategy, Rumelt has advised leading companies, government agencies, and the U.S. Department of Defense on strategic planning and execution.
Before his academic career, he worked as a systems engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, contributing to the Apollo program. His groundbreaking work redefined how businesses think about competitive advantage and problem-solving. In addition to Good Strategy Bad Strategy, Rumelt is the author of The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists, which builds on his earlier ideas to address the complexities of modern leadership. Known for his sharp insight and direct approach, Rumelt continues to influence leaders around the world to think more clearly — and act more decisively.
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“One of the smartest and most practical books ever written on strategy — a masterclass in clarity, focus, and disciplined thinking.”
— The Economist
