Business & Strategy - Dr Robert N. Winter (Page 3)

A Guide to Succession Planning in Organisations: Part 1

Succession planning sustains organisations by preparing for leadership transitions while protecting values and goals. It fosters equity, transparency, and cultural alignment, using mentorship and collaboration to balance stability with innovation and build resilient leadership systems.

By Dr Robert N. Winter

/ 8 Dec 2024

Illustration featuring a modern office setting with a diverse group of business professionals collaborating at a large glass

Innovation, a Driver of Success?

Innovation drives growth only when balanced with organisational, ethical, and cultural frameworks. Pursued without restraint, it can erode values and stability. Sustainable innovation respects tradition and long-term purpose.

By Dr Robert N. Winter

/ 27 Oct 2024

Illustration showing a stylised light bulb symbolising ideas, with a graph line indicating growth, and a figure looking towar

Crisis Leadership: Strategies for Leading Through Turbulent Times

Organisational crises test leaders’ clarity, moral courage, and adaptability. Effective responses balance tradition and innovation, rely on clear hierarchies for swift action, and uphold ethical judgment to ensure resilience.

By Dr Robert N. Winter

/ 13 Oct 2024

The image depicts a minimalist, elegant illustration of a leader standing at the helm of a ship, confidently facing stormy se

Moving Beyond Platitudes: A Strategic Imperative

True strategy requires deep analysis, clear choices, alignment, and continuous learning. Leaders must avoid vague goals and instead create actionable, coherent plans that drive real value and competitive advantage in a complex business environment. A case study of IKEA shows how this approached was

By Dr Robert N. Winter

/ 17 Aug 2024

A dramatic 18th-century painting by Joseph Wright of Derby titled A Philosopher Giving a Lecture on the Orrery (c. 1766). The

When a Strategy is Not a Strategy it's a Platitude

In business, not all 'strategies' are true strategies; many are just vague platitudes offering little guidance. True strategies are specific, actionable, and aligned with organisational goals, enabling effective decision-making and success. Avoiding platitudes requires rigorous analysis, clear choic

By Dr Robert N. Winter

/ 11 Aug 2024

A dramatic Japanese woodblock triptych titled Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (c. 1844). Th

"This Time It Will Be Different": A Costly Delusion

In planning, hope often crowds out critical thinking as leaders chase the next project as the imagined fix. Seen in publishing’s “green awning effect,” this bias favours new ideas over hard lessons from history. Better strategy comes from learning what already failed.

By Dr Robert N. Winter

/ 2 Jun 2024

AI generated image of a shop front with a green awning, which contrasts with the drab awning of the shops on either side.

How to Think Better: A Shallow Dive into a Deep Topic

Critical thinking is vital but demanding. It isn’t fixed; it’s built through practice. Time for deep thought, less multitasking, patience, writing, and wide reading sharpen judgment, creativity, and the development of original, valuable ideas.

By Dr Robert N. Winter

/ 26 May 2024

An artist's illustration of artificial intelligence ai this image depicts ai safety research to prevent the misuse and encourage beneficial uses it was created by artist khyati trehan

Why Positioning Eats Predicting For Breakfast

Although we cannot know what tomorrow brings, we can use a pattern recognition approach to lower risk and devise stronger strategies. This is because while it is nearly impossible for us to predict one specific future, we can confidently position for multiple probable futures.

By Dr Robert N. Winter

/ 23 Mar 2024

Why Positioning Eats Predicting For Breakfast

Governance: The Foundation for Strategy and Planning

Governance allocates authority, responsibility, and decision rights. When it is remote or sealed off from scrutiny, power goes unchecked, accountability erodes, and resource decisions become arbitrary and subjective.

By Dr Robert N. Winter

/ 25 Feb 2024

Governance: The Foundation for Strategy and Planning

A Fallacy of Resourcing

When managers fall into the sunk cost fallacy, more data rarely helps because the problem is emotional, not rational. Biases like ego, loss aversion, and optimism drive persistence. Awareness, governance, and decisive leadership matter more than analysis alone.

By Dr Robert N. Winter

/ 10 Feb 2024

How to Sabotage a Meeting

Ever get the sense that the meeting you are in is more about appearances than actions? Find that people keep on raising decision items that were already settled? Notice irrelevant issues dominate the agenda? Quite possibly an aspiring CIA operative is sabotaging your meeting.

By Dr Robert N. Winter

/ 3 Feb 2024

The Boundaries of Informal Leadership

Informal leadership is most effective when conducted with a small number of closed ties (involving three people) and a mix of friendship- and task-orientated activities. When the ties are open (involving only two people) or become too numerous, informal leadership begins to break down and can hinder

By Dr Robert N. Winter

/ 19 Nov 2023

Image of a field with a sign 'Boundary Trail'.