The Soul of Strategy Building Customer-Centric Organizations

By Dr. Bernard Jaworski and Dr. David Sprott

• On Sale: November 25, 2025
• Page Count: 304
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISBN: 978-1-394-27993-7

Description

Business organizations applying the traditional approaches to setting strategy have long struggled to compete effectively. The simple reason is that these approaches focus first on the competition (e.g., Porter’s five forces) and/or internal resources (termed e.g., Resource-Based View of the firm) and only secondarily on the customer. Indeed, it is not unusual for a RBV article to completely ignore the customer.

In The Soul of Strategy, Jaworski and Sprott flip this basic assumption and put the customer as the first consideration in strategy formulation. Building on the classic work of Peter Drucker, the authors focus on the inescapable reality that the prime directive of every commercial firm is to create and keep its customers. This is also true of all organizations whether they be a commercial business, a non-profit, NGO, or public sector organization. Competition and firm resources are certainly important – but only after the firm develops deep, unique, and actionable insights about its target customers. Think customer advantage not competitive advantage.

The book introduces a new definition of customer centricity and articulates a three-step customer intelligence process that provides the foundation for the “customer choice cascade.” The cascade is a practical process to develop a customer-centric strategy.

The book offers original and fresh perspectives, practical tools, and step-by-step guides for firms to develop such a strategy. You will also learn the key levers – leadership competencies, governance structures, and technology – that organizations need to deliver exceptional customer value. It also provides real-world case studies and hands-on examples of companies from a wide variety of organizations that have effectively implemented the lessons contained in the book.

The need for this book has never been greater with increased power that customers exert on organizations. This increased power is due to a variety of societal pressures ranging from big data to challenges to our lived environment. Perfect for managers, executives, directors, and other business leaders, The Soul of Strategy is a must-read book for strategists, consultants, advisors, and anyone else with an interest in finding effective new ways of thinking about how to gain “customer advantage.”

Endorsements

“The Soul of Strategy is a straightforward and practical book on customer-centricity; a topic that is easy to conceptualize yet extraordinarily difficult to implement in practice, and at scale.”

^{-Mick Farrell, CEO, Resmed}

“The Soul of Strategy shares abundant guidance for firms wise enough to grasp the importance of orienting their operations around the soul of the customer. That is no easy feat, yet this book is a clear recipe for achieving that goal.”

^{– Gerald Zaltman, Joseph C. Wilson Professor Emeritus, Harvard Business School and Author, Dare to Think Differently}

“This is the definitive guide to becoming customer centric. Compelling, comprehensive, and thoroughly practical.”

^{-Rajesh Chandy, Tony and Maureen Wheeler Chair in Entrepreneurship, London Business School}