Business strategy is appealing because it contains insights that promise to outsmart and outperform competitors, leading to a future that is better, brighter and more rewarding than the present. But where does good strategy start?

In their new strategy book, Crystallising The Strategic Business Landscape, Marius Ungerer and co-authors Gerard Ungerer and Johan Herholdt provide readers with a solid point of departure for conducting impactful, relevant and future orientated strategy analyses and syntheses. Their approach is practice-led applications of strategic management tools that are based on sound theoretical foundations. The strategic business landscape is crystallised by viewing it from different vantage points to inform the development of strategic foresight, insight and cross-sight.

The book is aimed at scholars, leaders and practitioners who wish to learn how to analyse external and internal contexts as a starting point for understanding the current realities of organisations, and to serve as a basis for strategic decision-making. The book is thorough, yet accessible – the perfect companion for conducting strategic analysis and synthesis.

This book utilises multiple contemporary strategy perspectives and practices to give leaders and strategy practitioner’s deep insights about the dynamics and options available in developing good and robust strategies. The core of the book is about stimulating new strategic thinking and action to enhance the competitiveness of a firm.

Navigating strategic possibilities involves the invention and re-invention of an organisation. Strategic leadership, as a part of this navigation journey, is an integral guiding force of the strategic choices an organisation makes to fulfil its future aspirations. In this book, the key strategic choices related to the competitive advantage and positioning of an organisation are presented in an integrated strategic architecture perspective, and the following seven strategic architecture building blocks are discussed:

• Strategic leadership as a key capacity that gives life, meaning and on-going momentum to the strategy of an organisation.
• The development of views on the external and internal strategic landscape and context of an organisation.
• Strategy formulation and development which include a menu of strategic options and choices to consider.
• The development of multiple futures perspectives for an organisation.
• Strategy execution practices to make it a lived reality for stakeholders.
• Strategy renewal and innovation practices to refresh the strategy on a continuous basis.
• Entrepreneurial leadership and strategy practices to foster both entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship.

The future holds an abundance of possibilities for those conscious enough to spot them. The strategy navigation tools contained in this book provides the identification and execution tools needed to flourish. This book complements the book Crystallising the Strategic Business Landscape by the same authors.

Prof Marius Ungerer is a core faculty member of the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) where he research and teach strategic management, leadership and change management for post graduate degree programs like MBA, MPhil in Management Coaching and PGD in Leadership. He is also an annual visiting academic to University of Johannesburg and Nagoya University of Commerce and Business, Japan.

Dr Gerard Ungerer is an industrial engineer and a competitive strategy gamer with a passion for complex systems, strategy, business models, technology and innovation, e-business and management. Aptly, his postgraduate studies focused on competitive business strategy in the digital economy.

Johan Herholdt is a management thinker and an experienced author of more than 10 books (five as editor) and various book chapters. He is an expert facilitator concentrating on individual and team coaching, discourse processes and dialogics, as well as systemic problem solving