Outside In, Inside Out: Unleashing the Power of Business Strategy in Times of Market Uncertainty

“A must-read for all strategy enthusiasts and novices alike. Dr. Mortlock’s significant experience in strategy is evident.” — Rocky Vermani, SVP Innovation & Sustainability, Nova Chemicals

“A masterful guide for navigating the complexities of modern business.” — Mary Moran, Board Director, Kudos Inc.

The business world continues to be fraught with immense risk, uncertainty, and complexity. Post-COVID, we’ve seen the impacts of the war in Ukraine, an increasingly bellicose China, supply chain disruptions worldwide, change caused by artificial intelligence, an ongoing banking crisis in the West, and now the war in the Middle East. Today’s business leaders must be exceptionally resilient, flexible, and agile, and never has it been more critical to create a robust strategic plan than it is today. Outside In, Inside Out: Unleashing the Power of Business Strategy in Times of Market Uncertainty comes at a critical time when organizations need help simplifying the why, what, and how of their strategy formulation and execution.

Using a novel yet simple framework consisting of both the “outside-in” factors (an external environment, including customer needs, competition, market dynamics, and trends) as well as the “inside-out” factors (the operating environment within an organization, such as enterprise risks, portfolio analysis, and business performance), the book will give leaders the tools to make critical strategic choices to propel forward an organization.

Outside In, Inside Out is an integrated, easy-to-digest how-to guide that will challenge assumptions and offer tips and tricks of what to do — and, equally importantly, what not to do — to ensure any business develops a competitive edge and achieves success in today’s complex world. It features various outside-in and inside-out public examples from the likes of Coca-Cola, Spotify, GM, Airbnb, Microsoft, Nike, Snapchat, Starbucks, IKEA, Intel, Samsung, and more; furthermore, the author takes readers on a journey inside the many organizations for which he has acted as an adviser and brings to the book a practitioner’s in-depth perspective, drawing on nearly three decades of strategic work with more than 80 companies in 11 countries.

Dr. Lance Mortlock is a managing partner with global professional services firm Ernst & Young and an adjunct associate professor at the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. He is a columnist and external advisory board member for CEOWORLD and a writer for Chief Executive magazine. Lance is the author of Disaster Proof: Scenario Planning for a Post-Pandemic Future. He resides in Calgary, AB.