What the Shard reminded me about strategy

On a recent trip to London, I finally made it to the top of the Shard. We had sunshine, and the view was fab (obviously!) After enjoying it for a while, what struck me most was the reminder of how essential perspective is to being able to truly understand anything.

From above, London’s complexity becomes much more clear. Streets, systems, and structures that feel chaotic and web-like at ground level suddenly make sense.

We spend so much time at street level, dealing with noise, urgency and short-term demands, that we risk losing sight of the bigger picture. But when we elevate our thinking, we start to see the interconnectedness, patterns and relationships that we simply can’t see from below.

 Thoughts from nearly 70 stories up:

Clarity is found in connection

Just like London’s infrastructure, health and care systems rely on the strength of their links. Our collective capacity for strategic impact is amplified when we truly see and understand how the parts fit together

Innovation requires elevation

Novel and sustainable solutions emerge only when we step back and spot the patterns - it’s almost impossible to innovate when you’re focusing on the noise

Foresight matters

Strategy isn’t about reacting - our strategies need to look ahead, not just respond to what’s in front of us

You can’t get where you need to be without a map

Navigating complexity and day-to-day pressures without some sort of roadmap is like trying to cross London without Google Maps AND with a blindfold on!

We talk a lot about system change - but system change starts with system perspective. Perspective isn’t a nice-to-have luxury. It’s an absolute necessity for systems transformation.

If your strategy feels stuck, maybe it’s time to change the vantage point?