In the article that follows, Art Kleiner shares his thoughts and feelings about a publisher’s name change but, channeling Heraclitus (“Everything changes, nothing changes”), reassures us that strategy+business magazine’s commitment to superior knowledge leadership will continue, uncompromised. However, I think we can expect the magazine to change. How so? Its available resources are much greater. This means that s+b will be able to provide wider and deeper, even better coverage of business subjects that matter most. Also, as a member of the PwC network, s+b will reach many more executives within and beyond that network and thus have much greater impact. Here’s what Art has to say about all this.
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If there is a single idea at the heart of this magazine, it is the idea of being a practical strategist. Indeed, the first words in the first issue, back in August 1995, could still be our epigram: “To be truly competitive, C.E.O.s and their top leadership teams must not only outexecute their rivals, they must also outthink them.” Those lines kicked off the opening letter to readers, written by founding editor Joel Kurtzman. Ever since then, we’ve chronicled the many ways in which good strategy and good execution depend on each other.
The same logic is the basis of a change in identity for the management consulting firm that publishes strategy+business. Today, the former Booz & Company global management consulting firm is changing its name to Strategy& (pronounced “strategy and”). We are joining the PwC network—a global network of firms in 157 countries, with more than 184,000 people working in assurance, tax, and advisory services.
The name Strategy& was chosen, in part, to evoke the idea that a powerful strategy never stands alone. It is always paired with the ability to put the concepts into practice. Or, as PwC chair Dennis Nally and Strategy& CEO Cesare Mainardi put it in the announcement letter released today, “When you work with us, you get practical strategy advice from people who understand the opportunities and risks involved in implementation…and execution know-how from people who fully understand the strategic context.” For more about Strategy& and its unique approach to strategy through execution, see the website and watch this video.
What does this mean for strategy+business? Our own identity as a magazine—in print and digital formats—is unchanged, as is the current editorial and publishing team. We still draw on the work of our distinguished, provocative contributors: corporate leaders, business philosophers, prominent and up-and-coming academics, and journalists with a track record in revealing patterns below the surface. You can continue to look to us for articles and blogs that illuminate the complex choices that leaders face—in strategy, marketing, operations, human capital, governance, and other domains—and the impact of their decisions. While reaffirming the standards we’ve long held, we will also now draw more on the thinking and experience of the expanding Strategy& firm, and on the remarkable research and insights of the PwC network.
Our chosen audience remains the same: senior leaders, looking for clarity about trends, practical guidance, and perspectives that help you think and act more effectively. You already know that strategy and execution are intimately linked; you are already deeply involved in building the capabilities of your organization and your own leadership acumen. More than ever, we aspire to be the place you look first for the best thinking—and action—on management. As always, we look forward to hearing your comments here on our website and interacting with you on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube.
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Here’s a direct link to strategy+business magazine.
Art Kleiner is Editor-in-Chief of strategy+business and author of The Age of Heretics: A History of the Radical Thinkers Who Reinvented Corporate Management, published by Jossey-Bass/A Wiley Brand (2008).