Richard Rumelt

Professor & Author at UCLA / Author of Good Strategy Bad Strategy

Richard Rumelt is a legendary strategy professor and author of Good Strategy Bad Strategy and The Crux, widely considered among the most important books on strategy ever written.

The Visionary The Operator

Dimension Profile

Strategic Vision 95%

Execution & Craft 55%

Data & Experimentation 35%

Growth & Distribution 30%

Team & Leadership 50%

User Empathy & Research 35%

Key Themes

good strategy vs bad strategy action agenda over vision/mission identifying the crux coherent action steps strategy as problem-solving rejecting strategy theater

Episode Summary

Richard Rumelt, author of Good Strategy Bad Strategy and The Crux, argues that most strategy is theater — focused on mission, vision, and values when it should be focused on identifying the crux (the one or two key challenges that can actually be addressed) and defining coherent actions to tackle them. He reframes strategy as an action agenda rather than aspirational planning.

Leadership Principles

→ Don't call it strategy — call it an action agenda focused on one or two key addressable challenges
→ Huge numbers of people sell advice on mission, vision, and values as prerequisites for strategy — that's not true
→ The essence of strategic thinking is identifying key challenges and defining coherent actions to address them

Notable Quotes

"Don't call it strategy, call it an action agenda. Begin to try to identify the one or two key challenges that can actually be addressed and what are we going to do about it?"
— On cutting through strategy theater to actual strategic thinking

"There are huge numbers of people willing to sell you advice on mission and vision and values, all these things that have to be in place before strategy. That's not true."
— On why most strategy advice is backwards

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