We’re Developing Strategy the Wrong Way

Why Identity Should Come First

Many strategy conversations begin with the same external checklist: markets, competitors, growth targets, and innovation plans. Surely, those things matter. But when strategy is built mainly as a response to outside incentives, it often becomes fragmented: hard to explain, hard to sustain, and hard to execute consistently. 

A stronger starting point is internal: identity.

That is the central idea in Identity as Strategy; How Your Corporate Identity Can Fuel Your Success by Stijn van Diemen, and the reason we chose to publish it at BIS Publishers, especially for readers in the public sector and creative fields who need clear direction in complex environments.

Where Identity Ends, and Branding Begins

A lot of organisations mix up identity and branding, but they are not the same:

• Branding is how you present yourself to the outside world (our storytelling, deliberate positioning, campaigns, and promises).

• Identity is what you truly are at your core:  where you came from, what you stand for, what you can (and cannot) do, and why you exist.

Branding can claim you are innovative, human-centred, or sustainable. But if that is not anchored in your actual identity, the gap will show up sooner or later, in decisions that don’t match the message, in behaviour people don’t trust, and in strategies that feel inconsistent. A mismatch between identity and branding often leads to credibility issues, internal confusion, and strategic drift.

Identity as Strategy argues that identity should come first, because it is the foundation that makes strategic choices coherent and believable.

Why identity is a strategic tool, not a “soft” topic

Identity can sound abstract, but in practice, it is a very concrete decision-making framework. When identity is clear, it creates focus:

• It helps leaders choose what fits and what doesn’t.

• It makes trade-offs easier to explain.

• It creates continuity when circumstances change.

Instead of chasing every trend or reacting to every shift, identity provides a stable reference point. Strategy becomes less about “what should we do next?” and more about “what makes sense for who we are?”

Inside-out strategy creates coherence under pressure

Organisations today, especially public institutions, are expected not only to perform, but also to explain themselves: their role, legitimacy, impact, and choices. In that context, coherence matters.

When strategy grows from identity, change feels less random. People can understand the logic behind decisions, even when those decisions are difficult. And that helps organisations stay credible during transformation, not just visible in the short term.

What makes this book a must-read

One of the strongest qualities of Identity as Strategy is how clearly Stijn van Diemen explains the models he uses. The frameworks are not presented as abstract theory: he makes them understandable, and then shows how to apply them through concrete cases. That combination - clear explanation plus practical application - makes the book especially accessible for professionals who want to use identity as a real strategic instrument, not just as a concept.

If you want a strategy approach that starts with clarity about who you are and uses that clarity to make better choices, Identity as Strategy is a valuable next step.