Costas Markides

In Search of Ambidextrous Professors

An examination of the growing knowledge gap that exists between scholars who produce academic research geared towards business management and the individuals who work in the field of business manag...

Strategy as Balance: From “Either‐Or” to “And”

© London Business School Differences in opinion on the content and process of developing strategy are passionately-argued. They often seem rampant and huge – particularly to the protagonists. Yet these debates are mostly little more than “academic”. They cease to matter when we realise that: (1) strategy needs to be approached from a variety of perspectives; and (2) rather than adopt a single perspective at the expense of all others, good strategies have to achieve a fine balance between seemingly divergent views.

Think Again: Fine‐Tuning Your Strategic Thinking

Strategy is part of the core curriculum of any business school. It is also part of the core logic that drives successful businesses. Yet, despite its fundamental importance, strategy remains a controversial field of both study and practice. Cutting through the clutter, this article was originally published in 2001, but the thinking of Costas Markides is as timely as ever. “Strategic innovation has the potential to take third‐rate companies and elevate them to industry leadership status,” says Markides, “and it can take established industry leaders and destroy them in a short period of time.” All the more reason why you should be sure your strategic thinking is not only focused, but balanced. Heres how to fine‐tune how you create and review your strategy.

ACHIEVING CHANGE THAT LASTS

True and long-lasting change only happens if the structure of the underlying system is changed. Costas Markides and Anita McGahan explain why.