> “Strategy is a system of expedients. It is more than science, it is the application of knowledge to practical life, the development of an original guiding idea under constantly changing circumstances, the art of taking action under the pressure of the most difficult conditions.” > “Strategy is the practical adaptation of the means placed at a general’s disposal to attain the objective of War.” Generalfeldmarschall [Helmuth von Moltke](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmuth_von_Moltke_the_Elder), der Ältere, 1800-1891, father of [Auftragstaktik](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission-type_tactics) (both citations); Great-great-grandfather of the Agile Strategy. We need a strategy to achieve (1) a determinate goal, (2) with limited resources, (3) against opposition, (4) in an uncertain environment. Strategy is about making good judgments on what collective actions to take when those four conditions apply. If operations are about doing things right, strategy is about doing the right things. In strategy, unlike science, there is no progress; Every generation of strategists must re-acquire the core competence of good strategic judgment. An **agile strategy** maximizes both alignment *and* decision-making autonomy. ## Alignment and Decision Autonomy The more **alignment** you have, the more **autonomy** for making **decisions** you can grant. **Alignment** should be the product of a shared common understanding of goals, cultivating **trust** with your reports to achieve and challenge them, and giving **support** for achieving them - rather than tight control and micromanagement. In other words, alignment can only be achieved by [fostering high engagement](2024-06-22%20Rules%20of%20Engagement.md) that in turn allows the propagation of goals and creates a common vision. **Autonomy** implies distributing decision rights by specifying and *maximizing* the area of freedom in which each individual is expected to make decisions and take actions on their own initiative. Constraints should be set, yet **psychological safety** is needed to allow people to violate those boundaries under exceptional circumstances, while metrics and communication lines should be able to swiftly report such deviations. Therefore, high **engagement** again is required to maximize decision making autonomy. A good **decision** is one that is "about right – now." It is robust with respect to all plausible futures, and it opens up, rather than closes down, future options. Decisions should be taken by the people with the best relevant information at the point in time the decisions have to be made, and those people have to be willing to take them (i.e., psychological safety, engagement). If uncertainty is high, reversible decisions should be favored over those that are not. You therefore achieve an agile strategy by following the [Art of Action](The%20Art%20of%20Action.md) and implementing the [3 Properties of Agile Teams](3%20Properties%20of%20Agile%20Teams.md) in your organization. ## Principles 1. What has not been made simple cannot be made clear, and what is not clear will not get done. 2. Giving clear direction involves making choices. 3. In making choices about direction, optimize for robustness and avoid what could kill you. 4. A decision not to take action is a decision. 5. In radical uncertainty, advantage is a function of relative rate of learning. 6. In order to learn, you usually need to take action. 7. People dominate processes. 8. Outcomes dominate inputs. 9. The specific dominates the general. 10. Reward achievement, not compliance. Source: The [Agile Strategy](https://www.agilestrategy.co.uk/) [Manifesto](https://www.agilestrategy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Agile-Strategy-Manifesto-9-Nov-20.pdf)