Choosing a strong strategy model is the first step toward the future we claim to pursue

In the recent session of the Knowledge Management Global Network (KMGN) Strategy Course, Vadim Shyarev began by clarifying concepts we often mix too easily: strategy, strategic thinking, business strategy, and KM strategy. When these terms blur, decisions blur with them.

He referenced more than 50 existing strategy models, mentioning many and exploring several in greater depth. The point was not the number. It was the discipline of choosing. A model is not a strategy. Selecting one requires criteria: relevance to context, clarity of positioning, its ability to guide real choices, and its power to connect ambition with capability.

Among the many frameworks, Vadim shared his “north star” model, HEART, placing knowledge, collaboration, andpositioning at the core of organizational success. Not as operational activities, but as strategic levers shaping how organizations differentiate and compete.

For me, Simon Sinek’s "Start with Why" remains a powerful compass 🧭.

Strategy, in my understanding, is a bridge. It connects the existing reality with the desired future.
It prevents us from declaring intentions and instead pushes us to choose a path that can truly carry us forward.

If we succeed, we may reach a time when we are no longer managing knowledge, but winning through knowledge ✨