The 2nd Sumantra Ghoshal Conference on Managerially Relevant Research officially wrapped-up last night. A very worthwhile endeavor again this year! I’ll provide more detail in a follow-up post later in the week, but I just wanted to pass along what I thought was the best quote of the conference. Mark Spelman, the head of Global Strategy at Accenture, had the following nugget of insight to pass along:

The most problematic relationship for the Chief Strategist is the one with the CFO

What a great line. It makes complete sense to me. According to Spelman, the strategist often does not have control, or decision-making authority, over the deployment of any actual resources. Rather, it’s the CFO that holds the purse strings. In this sense then, the Chief Strategist can only influence decisions. So the best strategists are not only keen, intelligent types, but those who can make an influential case that leads others in the organization to take actions consistent with his or her recommendations.

…some food for thought.

More to come as soon as I’ve finished collecting my thoughts.

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