Many organisations start strategy with an inspiring purpose — and then wonder why execution fails. This piece explains how the gap between narrative and behaviour erodes coherence, damages trust, and weakens strategy at its core.

Why execution fails when organisations stop adapting

We like to think that execution is the rational part of organisational activity. Strategy sets the direction, and execution is just doing what needs to be done. However, this idea only makes sense in a stable and predictable world.

Why strategy depends on how we see, not just what we know

I was walking around one of the lakes in the Dolomites when I noticed something quietly instructive. With every few steps along the path, the landscape shifted. The peaks that had seemed like one solid ridge unfolded into several layers. Valleys appeared where moments earlier there had been only shadow. What looked fixed from one vantage point changed shape entirely from another.

On structural coupling, capability, and the real limits of choice

We often talk about strategy as if it comes first. Leaders design a strategy, and then “align” the organisation to deliver it. The familiar mantra is form follows function.

But the reality is more complex. Strategy and organisation are not linear. They are coupled.

In a world saturated by noise, narrative spin, and institutional echo chambers, the greatest threat to strategy is not what we don’t know. It’s how tightly we cling to what we think we do.

Most organisations will never notice the moment their strategy disconnects from reality. The numbers still look good. The meetings still run on time. The strategy still reads well on a slide. But somewhere, unnoticed, the feedback loop closes.

Most strategy shortcuts look smart, but kill your ability to act when it matters.

Today, many are eager to outsource strategy to AI, attracted by its promise of fast answers and polished language. Yet this rush is framed as progress, even though it misses what truly matters.

But strategy isn’t an output. It isn’t a vision statement. It isn’t a PowerPoint deck.

The value isn't in the plan. It's in how you prepare to adapt.

There's a military adage that's made its way into business circles: "No plan survives first contact." Eisenhower sharpened it further: "The plan is nothing; planning is everything."

But most organisations still treat planning as if the goal is to lock everything down. Define every milestone. Predict every variable. Control every outcome.

And then they are surprised when it falls apart.

Too often, purpose is treated as something you declare, design, and disseminate. It's written on the walls, embedded into decks, and broadcast at town halls. But when leaders treat purpose as real simply because it's been said, they mistake narrative for reality, and control for coherence.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: It doesn’t matter what you say your organisation exists to do. It matters what your organisation actually does.