A Good Strategy is Unexpected

A good strategy is both surprising and reasonable. For example, in 1997, Steve Jobs' turnaround strategy upon returning to Apple involved drastically reducing the product line and focusing on a few profitable products. When asked how to deal with the powerful Wintel alliance, he did not engage in grand strategic speeches or set ambitious growth targets; he simply smiled and said, "I will just wait for the next big thing."

Trying to do everything and believing everything is important is equivalent to believing that nothing is important. Good leaders need to know not only what to do but also what not to do.