Strategy, Perspective, and the Value of Defining the Circle

This artwork — four frames capturing one person examining a single circle from different angles — is more than a simple composition. It is a powerful metaphor for how organisations must think about strategy, perspective, and disciplined focus, especially when operating across diverse and complex domains.

INSIGHTS

11/17/20252 min read

In strategy work, clarity is everything. This artwork — four frames capturing one person examining a single circle from different angles — is more than a simple composition. It is a powerful metaphor for how organisations must think about strategy, perspective, and disciplined focus, especially when operating across diverse and complex domains.

A circle is simple, but it is intentional. It defines what is inside and what is outside. It is a boundary that brings focus. It is a commitment to act with purpose rather than drift with ambiguity.

1. Defining the Circle: Focus Amid Complexity

Even when we do many things, strategy requires us to define the boundaries of what matters most.

The circle symbolises clarity:

What sits at the centre of our value?
What falls outside our focus?
Where should resources align for maximum impact?

Clarity does not restrict ambition — it ensures it lands.

2. Perspective Shapes Strategy

In the four frames, the individual views the same circle from different angles.

Nothing changes in the circle itself — only the perspective.

This reflects how we operate:

Engineers see constraints.
Commercial teams see opportunities.
Policymakers see governance.
Investors see risk and return profiles.
Environmental specialists see ecosystems and community impact.

Each view is valid.

Each view is incomplete on its own.

Perspective does not change the strategy — but it changes our understanding of it.

Real strategic insight comes from integrating these perspectives, not choosing one over the other.

3. Step Back to Move Forward

The sequence shows deliberate pause and reflection — a reminder that stepping back is part of strategic progress.

Whether designing CCUS hubs, evaluating natural capital assets, structuring finance, or guiding policy pathways, perspective requires observing, reassessing, refining, and deciding with intention.

Reflection is not indecision; it is leadership.

4. Integration Is Where Perspective Becomes Strategy

Our strength lies in combining multiple viewpoints into a coherent direction:

Technology aligned with policy
Natural capital aligned with climate finance
Engineering principles aligned with commercial models
Long-term sustainability aligned with project bankability

Perspective alone gives insight.

Integrated perspective gives strategy.

A Call to Rethink How We View Strategy

This simple circle reminds us that strategy is not only about defining what we do — it is about seeing it from the right angles.

In a world where everything is interconnected, perspective is no longer optional — it is strategic advantage.