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Kia ora. It’s Ben M. Bartlett here and I am writing to you from the awesome country of New Zealand.
What is Kia ora? It’s a greeting from the indigenous people of New Zealand known as the Maori. And it simply means hello or welcome.
As you may know, New Zealand is a developed country of 5 million people located near the bottom of the world.
Here in New Zealand we’re famous for sheep, beautifully picturesque landscapes, the Lord of the Rings movies, the All Blacks rugby team…and that on a per capita basis, we are one of the world’s best sporting nations.
We also have a reputation as being really friendly, down-to-earth and helpful people.
Today I want to help you.
How so?
I’d like to invite you to subscribe to The Strategic MBA newsletter. It’s free. What’s more, when you subscribe you’ll also get a free digital copy of The Strategy Book.
What is The Strategic MBA Newsletter?
Sent to your email inbox several times a week, The Strategic MBA newsletter is a newsletter about strategy. More to the point, it’s a free newsletter about the full process of strategy known as strategic management.
The Strategic MBA newsletter is the foundation component of the Strategic MBA program, which is a comprehensive education and training program on all aspects of strategic management. As well as the newsletter, Strategic MBA includes strategic management workshops, courses, reports and books.
Strategic management defined? In simple terms, strategic management is the overarching leadership skill of planning and executing a strategy to achieve a big goal and vision.
Established as a discipline in the 1950s, strategic management is the most-valued business leadership skill. So much so that strategic management is taught as the capstone – or most important – course in business programs such as the traditional MBA.
However, strategic management is not just the key business skill. Strategic management is a multi-domain skill and process that is required for success in all performance-driven domains including business, elite-level sport, health and fitness, family success and relationships. Put another way, strategic management is the #1 life skill.
Listen up. The secret to success in any performance-based endeavor is strategic management. Put another way, if you have a goal you want to achieve or a problem you need to fix, the actual solution is knowing how to plan and execute strategy.
Again, strategic management is the #1 leadership skill and life skill. Not only is it the core skill of the CEO and/or business owner. Strategic management is also the core skill of military leaders, political leaders, athletes, sports coaches…and even parents.
You need strategic management to help you to excel in all areas of your life. For instance,
To grow a business you need to develop and skillfully execute a good business strategy.
To win a sporting contest you need to develop and skillfully execute a good sports strategy.
To lose weight, get fitter and be healthier you need to develop and skillfully execute a good health and fitness strategy.
To have a successful marriage you need to develop and skillfully execute a good marital strategy.
Strategic MBA is the first program to teach the full process of strategy as it applies to work and life performance. This contrasts with traditional programs that only teach strategic management as it relates to business performance.
Strategic MBA shares important strategic management lessons delivered in a unique, no B.S style. No corporate diarrhea. No academic airy-fairy theory. No motivational mumbo jumbo. No PC nonsense. So if you are into diarrhea, pie in the sky theory, mumbo jumbo or PC silliness then do not subscribe to the newsletter. Otherwise you will be grossly offended.
Again, The Strategic MBA newsletter is free, and is delivered to your email inbox several times a week.
In your subscription you’ll also be introduced to our full Strategic MBA curriculum, as well as our strategy consulting and coaching services including:
Planning With Pictures. Planning With Pictures is a deep dive strategy consulting and planning service that applies our proprietary visual planning system.
Strat Words – a strategic writing service that harnesses the power of strategic words to inform, persuade and sell.
The 10 Diamonds – for the development and management of intangible assets.
Ultimately, our work and services are all about helping you to be better – much better – at strategy. And to have more wins, more often.
Introducing The Strategy System
The overarching framework for our work is The Strategy System, which incorporates the key strategy models, tools and skill sets we help clients to develop.
As the visual illustrates, the heart of the system are our 12 Rules of Strategy, which we apply to three strategy domains, namely:
- 10 Diamonds Business strategy
- Champion Team strategy
- Leadership Skill Set strategy
Then, linked to these domains are crucial strategy skills and methods such as:
- Mindset science
- 5 Mode Health and Fitness
- Multi-mode communication and branding
- Philosophy Design and Build
As well, the system includes:
The Strategy Models Toolkit – comprises more than 100 strategy tools built on the principles of design thinking. Tools include strategy grids, process visuals, scorecards and strategy models. Designed to improve strategic analysis, ideation, decision-making and planning, most of these tools are the intellectual property of BM. Bartlett, while a few are widely known and frequently used tools.
The Planning With Pictures Method – a planning system built upon the well-known “A picture is worth a thousand words” quotation and principle. Applies design thinking principles to help clients develop visual business models, strategic plans, roadmaps and goal trackers on a single page in sizes from A3 to A0.
Our strategic management services apply the system outlined above. And it’s also the subject framework for Strategic MBA. Further, each issue of The Strategic MBA newsletter will feature a topic from one of the above modules.
And my qualifications?
First and foremost, I am a master strategist, which is best defined as someone qualified and skilled in analyzing and developing strategy. So in a nutshell, I help business leaders to solve their biggest problems with good strategy.
In terms of academic background, I attended my first strategic planning course in 1994. And, my qualifications include an MBA (“A” grade average), specializing in strategic thinking.
As well as serving as a strategist, I am a strategic advisor and coach to CEOs, high performing business owners and team members, helping them to improve strategic performance and to get their shit together.
To assist clients, my work is provided via a portfolio of services that help clients to excel at strategic management.
Clients include senior executives at large organisations such as Marley, Red Cross, AIG and Honda…managing directors, boards and team members of multi-million dollar a year privately owned companies, government department leaders, and the owners of small businesses.
My work has been recognised and featured at industry conferences in both New Zealand and Australia, and has been the subject of legal action taken against others who have stolen my – and my clients’ – intellectual property. I’ve helped firms in a range of sectors including investment advisory, accounting, fast moving consumer goods, building and construction, food manufacturing, insurance and wellness.
Alongside my work with business leaders is the role I perform as a fitness/sports coach and life skills mentor, working with youth. This role is a passion that I’ve been dedicated to for more than 30 years. My business career is my career. My youth work is my calling. And the two work perfectly together.
What is my youth coaching work all about? It’s about helping youth to apply strategy principles to excel in all areas of their lives, such as education, vocation and physical and mental wellbeing. You see, when you master strategy you can master life. And that’s the message I drive into the youth that I coach.
My biggest qualification?
Listen up. I didn’t have the flashest upbringing. Born a poor Maori boy in the small city of Gisborne, New Zealand. And surrounded by a dysfunctional environment that included alcohol abuse, drugs, crime and financial hardship.
But, when I reached my late teens I realised that the responsibility for getting my shit together lay firmly on my shoulders. And I discovered that the key to success was learning how to plan and execute strategy.
Long story short. I did get my shit together. And now it’s me telling high falutin’ CEOs and business leaders how to get all their shit together.
A warning
Yes, when you master strategic management, you can master life. And The Strategic MBA Newsletter is all about helping you to master strategy. But here’s a warning.
Because The Strategic MBA newsletter is only for serious business leaders, I expect readers to read the lessons. I expect them to study and learn. And those who don’t read lessons are removed from the email list. Why is that? My view is that those who can’t be bothered reading The Strategic MBA Newsletter are just not serious enough about studying the art and science of strategy.
My policy for those who are removed is just as strict. They cannot re-subscribe.
On that basis then, if you qualify and understand the conditions, then you need to subscribe.
Subscribe and get a free digital copy of The Strategy Book.
When you subscribe to The Strategic MBA Newsletter your learning process will start with a free digital copy of The Strategy Book.
At more than 100 pages long, the digital copy of The Strategy Book is a powerful introduction to strategic management. Some of what you will learn includes:
- The Pictures That are Worth a Thousand Success Words
- What is Strategy?
- What are tactics?
- Your Most Valuable Investment Asset
- The Triumph and Failure of Strategy Execution
- The core tasks of the CEO
- The #1 Leadership Skill
- Simplified Strategy Definitions
- The Most Valuable Assets in a Business
- How to Build a Champion Team
- The engine that powers business strategy
- The 7 Ladders of Leadership
Each of these topics have been carefully chosen to show you how to apply strategy principles to achieve greater business and personal success.
And to get your shit together.
What to do now?
Fill in your first name and email address below, then click the subscribe button.
Eagerly read by CEOs and business owners in countries throughout the world including India, USA, Australia and New Zealand, the The Strategic MBA Newsletter is a must-read for growth focused individuals.
Again, with the The Strategic MBA newsletter you get lessons sent to your email inbox several times a week.
Plus, you will receive invites to free lectures, access to free reports and special offers on a portfolio of strategic management services. Once again, these services are built upon the Strategy System and include:
- The full Strategic MBA program including workshops, reports and books.
- Planning With Pictures
- Strat Words
- The 10 Diamonds
Most importantly, you will get to learn, understand and apply strategic management principles to improve your business and personal life. To subscribe, simply fill in your first name and email address below.
Remember. The Strategic MBA newsletter is free. So subscribe now by filling in your details below.