Strategies

A strategy is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal, most often "winning". Strategy is differentiated from tactics or immediate actions with resources at hand. Originally confined to military matters, the word has become commonly used in many disparate fields, such as:


 * Business strategy


 * Strategic management


 * Game theoretical strategy

Origins of the word
The word derives from the Greek word stratēgos (which derives from two words: "stratos" - army & "ago" - which is ancient Greek for leading/guiding/moving to), which referred to a 'military commander' during the age of Athenian Democracy.

Casual and Formal Interpretations of the concept
A strategy is typically an idea that distinguishes a course of action by its hypothesis that a certain future position offers an advantage for acquiring some designated gain. In other words a strategy is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal, most often "winning".

Historic Texts On Strategy
The nature of historic texts differs greatly from area to area, and, while there are some potential parallels between various forms of strategy (noting, for example, the popularity of the Art of War as a business book), each domain generally has its own foundational texts, a brief mention of some of these follows:


 * Political strategy
 * The Prince, published in 1532 by Niccolò Machiavelli
 * Military strategy:
 * The Art of War, written in the 6th century BC by Sun-tzu
 * On War, by Carl von Clausewitz
 * The Influence of Sea Power upon History, by Alfred Thayer Mahan
 * The Air Campaign, by Colonel John A. Warden, III
 * Economic strategy
 * General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, published in 1936 by John Maynard Keynes
 * Business strategy
 * Competitive Strategy, by Michael Porter
 * "Strategy Concept I: Five Ps for Strategy" and "Strategy Concept II: Another Look at Why Organizations Need Strategies", by Henry Mintzberg
 * Winning In FastTime by John A. Warden, III and Leland A. Russell, 2002.
 * General strategy
 * Strategy Safari, by Henry Mintzberg, Bruce Ahlstrand and Joseph Lampel