Business strategy is never static. What worked a decade ago doesn’t always cut it in 2025. The pace of change, the rise of digital, the climate agenda, and shifting customer expectations mean that leaders need a new lens.
Back in 2014, Oak published the original A to Z of Business Strategy. It covered the fundamentals — from Accountability to Zero Defects — and many of those principles still hold true today. This 2025 edition doesn’t replace that work, it builds on it. The aim here is to sharpen the lens for a new decade: digital disruption, climate responsibility, and customer expectations that never stop rising. If you’d like to see where it started, you can read the original A to Z here.
A — Agility
The ability to adapt quickly to change has become the single biggest differentiator of business success. Agility isn’t just about moving fast; it’s about being responsive, learning quickly, and reallocating resources to what works. Static five-year plans are no longer fit for purpose. Agile organisations pivot without losing sight of their long-term vision.
Ask yourself: Where could we pivot faster without losing focus?
B — Balanced Scorecard
Still relevant after more than 30 years, but it needs updating. Today’s scorecards must track digital adoption, customer experience, and sustainability metrics alongside financials. A well-designed scorecard forces balance: it’s too easy to chase profit at the expense of people and long-term business and personal resilience.
Ask yourself: Does our scorecard measure what really matters in 2025?
C — Customer Centricity
In 2025, strategy starts with the customer and works backwards. Being “customer-first” isn’t a marketing slogan — it’s a discipline. Journey mapping, voice of the customer, and genuine empathy are what turn a strategy from PowerPoint into practice.
Ask yourself: How often do we truly see the world through our customers’ eyes? (Check out our Customer Spectacles blog)
D — Digital Transformation
Arguably, every business is a digital business. But digital transformation has too often meant expensive tech with little return. The modern challenge is aligning digital with strategy — automating to free up talent and resources, using data to sharpen decisions, and making sure technology delivers measurable value.
Ask yourself: Is our digital spend clearly tied to customer and business outcomes?
E — Ecosystems
Few companies succeed in isolation. Strategy today is about partnerships, platforms, and networks. From supply chains to alliances, value increasingly comes from being part of something bigger. Leaders need to know when to collaborate, when to compete, and when to do both.
Ask yourself: Who could we partner or collaborate with to create more value?
F — Foresight
Porter’s Five Forces was once the go-to tool. But in a world of ‘black swan’ events, e.g. COVID-19 pandemic, foresight is more powerful. Scenario planning, horizon scanning, business continuity exercises and future-back thinking help leaders prepare for uncertainty rather than be blindsided by it.
Ask yourself: What “unthinkable” future should we be rehearsing for? And then rehearse it!
G — Governance
Good governance is no longer about compliance alone. Boards are expected to steward not just financial performance, but also data ethics, sustainability, and AI oversight. Governance must enable innovation while protecting the trust of stakeholders.
Ask yourself: Does our governance enable trust and innovation?
H — Human Capital
People remain the ultimate competitive advantage. But the emphasis has shifted from “high performance” to developing, engaging, and retaining talent in a world of hybrid work and skills shortages. A strategy without investment in human capital is a hollow one.
Ask yourself: Are we investing in skills as much as systems?
I — Innovation
Innovation must move beyond hackathons and labs. It’s about embedding creativity, experimentation, and customer problem-solving into the daily rhythm of the organisation. Incremental improvements and breakthrough ideas both have their place in a sustainable strategy.
Ask yourself: Are we innovating at the edges and the core?
J — Journey Mapping
Customers judge a business on the experience, not the org chart. Mapping customer journeys forces leaders to see pain points, moments of truth, and opportunities to delight. Strategy built on journey mapping is far more likely to deliver loyalty and growth.
Ask yourself: Do we really know the journeys our customers take?
K — Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
KPIs still matter, but businesses need to be smarter about them. Too many still measure what’s easy, not what’s important. Leading indicators (like customer sentiment or employee engagement) often predict success better than lagging ones like revenue.
Ask yourself: Are our KPIs leading us forward, or just reporting the past?
L — Leadership
Business strategy lives and dies on leadership. Today’s leaders need to be authentic, inclusive, and resilient. They set direction, create clarity, and give their teams the confidence to act. Leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers — it’s about asking the right questions.
Ask yourself: Do our leaders model the behaviours we want to scale?
M — Mergers & Acquisitions
Still a powerful way to grow, but in 2025 integration agility is the real differentiator. Many M&As fail not because of the deal, but because of cultural misfit and poor execution. The smartest leaders put as much energy into integration as negotiation.
Ask yourself: How ready are we for integration, not just acquisition?
N — Net Zero Strategy
Sustainability is no longer a bolt-on. Regulators, investors, and customers expect action. A credible net zero strategy can be a growth driver, opening up new markets and reducing long-term costs. Without it, businesses risk being left behind.
Ask yourself: Are we treating net zero as strategy, not PR?
O — Objectives & Key Results (OKRs)
The modern replacement for vague “strategic objectives.” OKRs drive focus, alignment, and accountability across teams. Done well, they connect day-to-day work with the big picture, ensuring strategy doesn’t gather dust in a binder.
Ask yourself: Are our OKRs live in the business, or lost in a slide deck?
P — Purpose
Purpose has become one of the most important levers in business strategy. A clear purpose attracts talent, inspires customers, and guides decision-making. But it must be lived, not laminated. Purpose without proof is just PR.
Ask yourself: Is our purpose visible in how we act, not just what we say?
Q — Quality Management
Quality isn’t just about processes anymore — it’s about the whole experience. Digital products, data, and customer service all need quality standards. Businesses that treat quality as a strategic advantage, not a compliance issue, earn trust and repeat business.
Ask yourself: Do we treat quality as a differentiator or a tick-box?
R — Risk Management
The risk landscape has exploded: cyber, climate, geopolitical, and AI risks all loom large. Effective strategies don’t just mitigate risks — they build resilience and adaptability into the system.
Ask yourself: Where are our blind spots?
S — Scenario Planning
SWOT analysis has its place, but it’s too static. Scenario planning forces leaders to consider multiple futures and prepare contingencies. In a world of volatility, the ability to rehearse different outcomes is invaluable.
Ask yourself: Are we actively rehearsing multiple futures?
T — Transformation
Transformation is no longer a one-off programme — it’s a continuous state. Businesses must build the muscle to change, learn, and adapt as the norm. Transformation strategies fail when they’re treated as projects rather than mindsets.
Ask yourself: Do we treat transformation as a journey, not a project?
U — User Experience (UX)
Every click, call, and conversation matters. UX is a strategic differentiator, not just a design detail. Companies that obsess over UX often win loyalty, reduce costs, and outpace competitors.
Ask yourself: Is UX truly a boardroom topic for us?
V — Value Proposition
Still the cornerstone of business strategy. What problem are you solving, for whom, and why do you do it better than anyone else? In 2025, value propositions must be constantly tested and refined against customer expectations.
Ask yourself: When did we last test our value proposition against the market?
W — Wellbeing
Employee wellbeing is now a boardroom issue. Burnout, mental health, and work-life balance directly affect performance, retention, and brand reputation. A strategy that ignores wellbeing is setting itself up to fail.
Ask yourself: How seriously are we investing in wellbeing?
X — X-Factor
The unique differentiator that makes your organisation stand out. It could be a culture, a technology, a customer experience, or even your story. Strategy should be about amplifying the X-factor, not diluting it.
Ask yourself: Do we know — and amplify — our X-factor?
Y — Yield
In today’s world, yield isn’t just financial. It includes social impact, environmental outcomes, and reputation. The most resilient businesses measure and manage the full spectrum of returns.
Ask yourself: Are we clear on the full yield our business creates?
Z — Zero-Based Thinking
Sometimes the best strategy is to wipe the slate clean. Zero-based thinking asks: “If we weren’t already doing this, would we start now?” It forces leaders to challenge legacy assumptions and redirect resources to what really matters.
Ask yourself: What would we stop doing if we started fresh today?
Final Thoughts
Business strategy is shifting. It’s less about frameworks on a page and more about resilience, customer focus, and adaptability.
This updated A to Z reflects today’s pressures — agility, ecosystems, foresight, purpose, and wellbeing. Combined with the timeless lessons from the original edition, leaders now have a toolkit that’s both rooted in the basics and ready for the future.