Strategy as Pattern: Navigating Power, Fit, and Time

Strategy isn’t a plan—it’s a pattern.

In this episode, systems thinker and strategy expert Patrick Hoverstadt joins host Mike Jones to explore what strategy looks like in real life: dynamic, context-driven, and shaped by power, fit, and timing.

Patrick introduces the Patterns of Strategy approach, offering a powerful lens to understand the relational, political, and temporal dimensions of strategic positioning—far beyond alignment or linear models.

If you're tired of empty strategy decks and want to understand how strategy really unfolds in complexity, this one’s for you.

🔍 In this episode:

• Why strategy is a pattern of positioning over time
• Understanding power and fit as core to strategic dynamics
• Why “alignment” is often a trap
• How to navigate ecosystems and competing players
• Using patterns, not plans, to steer in uncertainty

Guest Bio:
Patrick Hoverstadt is the author of Patterns of Strategy and The Grammar of Systems. He works with senior leadership teams on strategic direction and organisational viability in complex systems.

📘 Learn more about Patterns of Strategy: https://amzn.eu/d/5ieaTGz

🎧 Keywords: strategy, systems thinking, Patrick Hoverstadt, organisational design, complexity, leadership, decision-making

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🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast

📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality

Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/