90% of CEOs can’t explain their strategy in 1 sentence.
November 29, 2025
By Eric PartakerEric Partaker – The CEO Coach
90% of CEOs can’t explain their strategy in 1 sentence.
The other 10% own their markets.
Which are you?
The distinction is simple:
- Strategy asks “Why are we here?”
- Plans ask “What’s next on the list?”
- Strategy defines your competitive edge.
- Plans define Tuesday’s meeting agenda.
- Strategy stays stable for years.
- Plans change every quarter (or week).
I’ve watched too many founders confuse motion with progress.
- They’ve got Gantt charts.
- Roadmaps.
- 90-day sprints.
- KPIs tracking everything.
But ask them their strategy?
Silence.
Or worse: “Our strategy is to grow 50% this year.”
That’s not a strategy.
That’s a hope with a number attached.
Remember Blockbuster? Perfect execution. Detailed plans. Dead company.
Netflix? Clear strategy. Market domination.
Real strategy example:
“Become the only CRM that connects directly to factory floors, targeting mid-size manufacturers who’ve been ignored by Salesforce.”
That’s direction. That’s choice.
That’s saying no to 99% of opportunities.
The plan supports it:
Q1: Interview 50 manufacturing CTOs
Q2: Build direct PLC integration
Q3: Launch with 3 pilot customers
Q4: Refine and scale to 20
See the difference?
Strategy is your theory of how to win.
Plans are your roadmap to get there.
When you nail strategy first:
- Every decision gets easier
- Your team moves faster
- Resources stop getting wasted
- You actually know what success looks like
When you skip strategy and jump to planning:
- Everything feels urgent
- Priorities shift weekly
- Teams work hard but drift apart
- You’re busy but not building
The uncomfortable truth:
Your competitors with clear strategies are eating your lunch.
While you’re perfecting plans, they’re winning markets.
While you’re tracking tasks, they’re taking territory.
Stop planning your way to nowhere.
Start with strategy.
Then plan like hell to get there.
Strategy chooses your battles.
Plans win them.
Your future depends on knowing the difference.
(Post inspired by Jeroen Kraaijenbrink)
