Agility is a good attribute for companies to have, but it shouldn’t be the be-all and end-all of their strategic orientation. Responding quickly to evolving conditions and competition isn’t enough to ensure success. Long-term successful businesses are forward-looking and able to prepare for change rather than simply respond to it. Greg Satell makes a persuasive argument for this position in the Harvard Business Review and cites three cases to support his view: Microsoft, which failed to adapt to mobile computing, but was able to leverage its strength in server technology to grow its cloud business; Google, which has not been able to put its stamp on social media, but has built a thriving innovation ecosystem; and IBM, which is shaping its future around Watson, its artificial intelligence initiative based on its long-term efforts in cognitive computing.
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