Best of LinkedIn: Strategy & Consulting CW 24/ 25

Leaders cautioned against “strategy fatigue,” advocating tight alignment of new initiatives with a clear north star, data-driven frameworks, and rapid experimentation for validation

The Chief Strategy Officer’s role is evolving into an AI-native orchestration hub, translating analytics into decisive action and maintaining enterprise-wide focus

Continuous transformation replaced episodic change as the default operating rhythm, demanding disciplined prioritization and transparent storytelling to sustain momentum

Emotional intelligence and mentoring mindsets emerged as critical levers for mobilizing teams and converting insight into sustainable performance gains

“AI-first” was reframed as “human-first with AI augmentation,” emphasising decision clarity, ethical transparency, and trust as prerequisites for scale

AI agents were showcased as catalysts for net-new business models, reshaping customer engagement and spawning adjacent revenue streams

IT operating models are being rebuilt around modular platforms and agile governance, enabling faster value capture from cloud, 5G, and data fabrics

Insourcing of advanced networks delivered material cost and speed advantages, challenging traditional outsourcing economics

Board-level narratives on AI value must move beyond pilots toward enterprise-grade governance, risk, and controls to unlock full investment returns

Tariff volatility and supply-chain friction triggered calls for strategic inventory positioning, dual-sourcing, and dynamic pricing to safeguard margins

Finance functions are shifting from historical scorekeeping to forward-looking scenario design, partnering with business units to steer capital allocation

Cash-flow resilience frameworks combined treasury, tax, and operational levers to navigate tightening liquidity and geopolitical uncertainty

Research flagged a persistent execution gap: most firms set sustainability goals yet struggle to embed them in core strategy and capital budgeting

Long-term value leaders integrate ESG metrics into performance dashboards, linking decarbonisation targets to competitive differentiation and cost of capital advantages

Geopolitical shocks underscored the need to engage workforces transparently on sensitive issues, building organisational resilience through open dialogue

Retailers spotlighted data literacy as the missing link between vast information assets and actionable customer insights, calling for cultural as much as technical change

Strengths-based development frameworks were proposed to close the notorious “strategy-execution” gap by aligning individual capabilities with strategic priorities

NIS2 and emerging cyber mandates drove demand for integrated security baselines early in digital-transformation programmes, reducing remediation spend later

Fintech leaders positioned “strategic compliance” as a growth lever—embedding regulatory intelligence into product design to win trust and accelerate market entry

Trade-advisory forums highlighted proactive regulatory scanning and scenario modelling as essential to navigate an increasingly fragmented global order