Understanding the Difference Between Strategy and Tactics

The fastest way to lose credibility with senior leaders is to say ‘AI strategy’ but deliver tactics. I’ve taught data and AI strategy for 6 years. Few understand strategy well enough to work with C-level leaders. Do you? Run the exercise I use in my courses and see for yourself: Give me an example of something you’ve heard called a data or AI strategy, then tell me if it’s a strategy or a tactic. Data Management, Quality, Governance, Modelling, CoE, Readiness Assessments, Generative AI, Knowledge Graphs, Buy vs. Build, AI Literacy. Which are strategies, and which are tactics? All could be part of implementing and executing a strategy, but all are tactics. A step must come first: proving there’s positive value, not the assumption of it. Strategy is a statement of why that forms a thesis for action. Strategy enables an evaluation of tradeoffs by revealing multiple paths to success. Business leaders can pick the best one, not the most obvious one. Data and AI strategy allow CxOs to ask a critical question. Why are we using data and AI in the first place? Businesses with AI strategies can explain why they use the technology with use cases, not buzzwords. Without an AI Strategy, AI increases costs without delivering new revenue or efficiency. Business goals come first. Opportunities second. Use cases third. Then, the business can document an AI strategy that defines what value all those tactics are expected to deliver. Data and AI strategy means one thing inside the data team but something entirely different for the business. If you say ‘AI strategy’ and go straight to LLMs or data engineering, business leaders put you on a lower level, and it’s a tough road to reestablish credibility. #DataScience #DataEngineering #DataStrategy #AIStrategy

Don't mistake these 2 terms as a leader. (Strategy and Tactic) I've been told that I can move a team.   Performance Culture Morale Skillset Engagement.   For the positive.   You would think I am an overly emphatic and "Wooo" leader.   I'm not.   I do love to motivate and excite my team.   But I wouldn't say I am the guy running around the office,   High fiving. ✋🏻   Looking like I chugged a gallon of espresso.   Instead.   Here's what I do.   You can too.   When there is an objective.   I break it down into parts.   If I were to make two large categories.   It would be Strategies and Tactics.   They are VERY different, but compliment one another.   Most leaders I work with don't think in these terms.   When they do, the progress is clear.   Here's how I define them:   Strategies: 🚀Long Term Objective Ex - Increase Market Share 🚀Overall Culture Atmosphere. Ex - Feedback Culture. 🚀Increased Profitability. Ex- Lowering expenses. 🚀Workforce Expansion. Ex - Hiring X number of new teammates. 🚀Enhanced Skillsets. Ex - Rolling out a new sales system.     Each one of these can have a whole lot of steps on how to get them done.   When you have the overall strategy framed out (or the objective) It's time to determine how to execute them. That's where tactic comes into play. They are the "boost" activities to get to the strategy.   Taking the same objectives above and adding the tactic. 🚀Long Term Objective Ex - Increase Market Share T- Analyze top prospects and execute a marketing activity campaign. 🚀Overall Culture Atmosphere. Ex - Feedback Culture. T - Set up a series of skip-level meetings 🚀Increased Profitability. Ex- Increase sell-through on high margin product. T - Scrub existing clients for deepening opportunities and call blitz 🚀Workforce Expansion. Ex - Hiring X number of new teammates. T- Hold informational panels for internal and external potential candidates. 🚀Enhanced Skillsets. Ex - Rolling out a new sales system. T- Identify common gaps and hold a limited series of trainings.     When we conflict strategy and tactics, the long-term vision can be lost. Be sure that you can separate the two. More importantly. That you can articulate them to the team.   In a corporate setting, your strategy is likely laid out for you. The tactics and execution will be in your hands. Don't assume your team will know the difference. Educate them with this information as well.   TLDR: Strategy -> Supports Long term Objective (Larger framework over time). Tactic -> Supports the Strategy (Shorter duration and for specific outcome). 𝗣.𝗦. - This is a dense and technical topic. If I missed something, or it's not clear, please discuss with me in the comments. -------------- 🤵 Hi - Matt Antonucci 🔔 I post on LinkedIn daily #leadershipadvice ->Click my name +Follow +🔔  

I have been thinking about 'Strategy' lately. It's somewhat a buzz word - however a plan doesn't become a strategy just by adding the word 'strategic' in front of it. Generally I consider this framing: - Vision/Outcome - Strategy - Tactics Vision/Outcome is to define a long term principle, modus operandi, outcome of some sort. It could be anything that requires a series of concerted executions to reach - such as obtaining a certain role for an individual, own a certain share of the market, 'change how people do X', etc. Strategy loosely aligns the high-level trade-off considerations. Usually we can't have the cake and eat it, so one needs to pick a lane with the risk/reward comfortable, and best aligns with the competitive advantage. In a competitive game like Starcraft, one could win via gaining economical (war of attrition), technical (early high-tech army), quantitive (large low-tech army), but usually can't have all edges. A clearly well-defined strategy would guide and coordinate the overall execution. 'Gaining competitive advantage with low cost' is not a strategy, as low prices don't necessarily win - the trade-off could be improving superior operational efficiency with lean team / scalable infra that come with their own vulnerabilities, low to average quality of goods, operate at a loss to gain market share, etc., and I find the clear definition of trade-off very important, as it would guide the tactical executions. Once the strategy is well defined as the guiding principles for executions, then the local trade-offs could become more clear. For example, a team could be allocated to work on a certain feature - and with the higher level alignment, it would be more clear for the team to understand prioritization - is this feature a competitive edge, or a moat? Overall how much we should invest and what's the expected outcome? Is the time/resource better spent elsewhere considering the opportunity cost? What should we start/stop? Without a Vision/Strategy, one could be executing a lot of tasks without understanding why. If you go to the gym and watch folks work out, they may be doing the same exercise but for very different goals (gain strength, delay decline, improve cardiovascular health, etc.) - so simply replicate what others do without understanding the motives behind it, prob won't get the best outcomes. A to-do list, despite how detailed, if it's long, and doesn't include a section of (do not do), then it's not a strategy.

Most people can't tell the difference between a plan and a strategy. Let's change that. A strategy is making critical decisions and creating goals. A plan is a plotted path to get from where you are to your goals. A strategy involves logic AND intuition A plan is a logical process Here are 5 things that are NOT strategies: 1. Posting on LinkedIn daily 2. Use storytelling 3. Gain awareness 4. Running paid ads 5. "Being authentic" They are tactics, tools, or vague goals. Here are 5 that are actually strategies: 1. Positioning yourself as a brand expert in a medtech category → Where you stand and how you stand out. 2. Telling emotional transformation stories to build trust with skeptical audiences → A chosen path based on how your audience decides. 3. Focusing only on mid-career professionals burned out from corporate, not early entrepreneurs → A deliberate audience choice (trade-off). 4. Making complexity your enemy and clarity your competitive edge → A principle that guides decisions and differentiation. 5. Reframing branding from aesthetics to behavior change in all messaging → A lens for shaping perception and action. If it's short term, can be bought, scheduled, or executed in an afternoon, it's probably not a strategy. Repost to help your network!