By Ian Sampson

No, this is not a post about a certain famous Australian horse race conducted earlier this month. This one is about the race for survival, from a couple of different perspectives.

I have been travelling for two weeks in Pakistan. Great country. Lots of issues and opportunities. Lousy air.

Like many countries with burgeoning mega cities, East and South Asia has more than its share of chronic air pollution. The race will be whether smog can be reduced sufficiently before there is a pandemic of lung disease– related deaths.

The issue calls for national and international strategies, fast. Will it happen? It depends on whether rulers and governments can understand something that many not-for-profits have provided leadership on for years: the ability to develop strategy and its implementation in concert with the people who have to make it work.

A recent article by Toby Golsby-Smith pointed to the new direction for strategic advisers being signalled by the Booz/PWC merger.

In their new merger they will be moving from a pure advisory role  to one of joint ownership and development of strategy and its implementation.

Just as in the case of world wide reduction in air quality, where policy makers and citizens will have to work together fast to save millions from painful death, so organisations will need to commit to strategy exploration and implementation in concert with both bright advisers and wise and dedicated people.

Some organisations need support in this work. This is something that Cause & Effective can help with. If you are interested in well designed strategies, effectively implemented in your organisation, let’s have a talk.

About Ian:  Ian Sampson (B.Comm., LLB., FAICD, FAIM)  is a Cause & Effective Associate. He is a Strategic Advisor to Boards, an Executive Coach and a Facilitator of our Powerful Leadership in Action Program. He can be contacted here.