Ten Questions That Distinguish Real Strategy from Executive Theatre

Most organisations claim to have a strategy.

What they often have instead is a collection of initiatives, annual targets, transformation programmes, budget commitments, and aspirational slogans that provide little guidance when difficult decisions need to be made.

So how can leaders tell whether their strategy is genuinely shaping the organisation — or simply performing the appearance of strategic thinking?

In this interactive session, Karl Scotland introduces ten questions that expose the difference between real strategy and executive theatre.

Drawing on the work of thinkers including Richard Rumelt, Henry Mintzberg, Dave Snowden, Roger Martin, and David Marquet, the session explores what Continuous Strategy looks like in practice — and why many organisations struggle to create strategic clarity in complex environments.

Rather than treating strategy as a fixed annual planning exercise, Karl reframes strategy as an ongoing organisational capability: one that continuously guides decision-making, learning, adaptation, and alignment.