The Most Important Question in Strategy with Roger Martin

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. I'm thrilled to welcome you back to a series I did with my dear friend, Roger Martin. He's the author of the amazing book, Playing to Win. In this episode, we discuss the concept of what would have to be true for something to be a good idea.

THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…anyone frustrated by endless debates who wants a smarter way to make strategic decisions.

TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…most teams get stuck arguing about what's true when the better question is what would have to be true. In this conversation, Roger reframes one of the most common breakdowns in strategy: teams debating data, context, and "facts" without ever moving forward. Instead of trying to prove what's true today, he introduces a more powerful approach, working backward from a future outcome and asking what conditions must exist for it to succeed.

KEY TAKEAWAYS… "What would have to be true" shifts teams from arguing about data to aligning on logic.

Strong strategies often make something true that isn't true yet.

Breaking goals into assumptions exposes whether a plan is realistic or wishful thinking.

WHAT I LOVE MOST…the idea that strategy isn't about proving you're right, it's about testing whether your thinking holds up. When you shift from "this is true" to "what would have to be true," the conversation changes completely. It removes ego, surfaces assumptions, and forces clarity.

Running Time: 27:35

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