Distilling corporate strategy into a few simple themes can create a powerful management tool for aligning behaviors and decision-making

The question every CEO faces and many dread: "So, what exactly is your strategy?" It comes from all sides: investors, the media, board members, managers and employees, even suppliers and customers. And to many CEOs, it feels as if no one will ever be satisfied. If the strategy is long on vision, it will be too short on specifics. If long on detail, it will lack the persuasive power of the simple and certainly won’t be motivating and memorable.

Some companies are finding that the most effective answer to "what is your strategy"" is to identify three to five strategic themes that are simple to communicate and comprehend.