I’ve seen companies freeze when things get unstable. Meetings pile up, everyone talks about “pivoting,” but nothing moves. Others, though, seem to surf the chaos – calmly, almost elegantly. So what’s their secret ? It’s not luck. It’s how they think about strategy.

1. Stop chasing “certainty” – start betting on adaptability

Forget about five-year plans written in stone. In 2025, a “solid” business strategy isn’t about predicting the future ; it’s about being ready for several possible futures. That’s a big shift.

Take a simple example : during the COVID years, small restaurants that survived weren’t the ones with the fanciest business models – they were the ones that pivoted fast. A few set up delivery systems within days. Others waited, hoping things would “go back to normal.” You already know who made it.

The key ? Build a flexible plan – one that can bend without breaking. Define a direction, yes, but keep room for quick decisions, fast testing, and small experiments. Strategy today is a living process, not a PowerPoint deck gathering dust.

2. Anchor your decisions in reality, not assumptions

When everything changes, intuition alone isn’t enough. You need data – but not the vanity kind. I’m talking about the small signals that often hide in plain sight : customer feedback, churn rates, conversion trends, even that sales call where a prospect says, “Honestly, I went with your competitor because they were faster.”

Listen to that stuff. Write it down. It’s pure gold. I once worked with a consulting firm that spent months crafting a new service line. When they finally launched it, nobody cared. Turns out, their clients were asking for something simpler – not bigger. A week of client calls would have saved them six months of overthinking.

3. Keep your core identity, even when you pivot

Here’s a trap many leaders fall into : in the rush to adapt, they lose what made their business unique. Suddenly, they’re chasing trends – “Let’s do AI!”, “We need a subscription model !” – but the soul of the brand disappears.

Every strong company I’ve met has one thing in common : they know who they are. Their strategy evolves, yes, but their values stay consistent. Apple changes products, not principles. Patagonia experiments, but the brand’s DNA never moves. Your customers should always be able to recognize you, even when your offer evolves.

4. Make your team part of the process

Honestly, strategy built in a closed room by three executives ? It never lasts. The people on the ground – sales reps, support staff, project managers – they see change before anyone else. Involve them early.

I remember a logistics company in Prague that faced a sudden supply chain crisis. The CEO admitted later : “It was our warehouse staff who gave us the best insights. They told us where things were actually blocking.” The new strategy they built together worked because it came from reality, not theory.

So, ask your teams : what’s not working ? What’s changing in customer behavior ? Then use those insights to adapt faster than the competition.

5. Think in short cycles, not annual plans

Let’s say you define your goals every January. By March, the market shifts. Now your plan is outdated. Frustrating, right ?

Instead, work in short, intense cycles – 90 days, for example. Review what’s working, drop what’s not, adjust the direction. It’s like steering a ship through fog : you can’t see far, but if you correct your course every few minutes, you’ll still reach the destination.

Some call this “agile strategy.” I call it common sense. Business moves too fast for static planning. A solid strategy is one that breathes with your environment.

6. Keep an eye on weak signals

Change rarely arrives unannounced. It whispers first – a client asks for something unusual, a supplier changes terms, a new startup emerges that everyone laughs at (until they don’t). These weak signals often point to where the market is going.

If you train yourself to spot them early, you’ll adapt before others even notice the shift. Think of Netflix in 2007 – when streaming seemed like a side bet. They listened to the weak signal that DVDs were fading, and the rest is history.

7. Build mental resilience – because strategy is also mindset

Here’s something we don’t say enough : no plan works if the people behind it are exhausted, afraid, or cynical. A solid strategy isn’t just about spreadsheets and KPIs. It’s about creating an environment where people can think clearly, test ideas, and recover fast from mistakes.

If your team feels safe to experiment, you’ll adapt faster than any competitor obsessed with hierarchy and blame. That’s not fluff – that’s strategic capacity.

In short ?

When the world spins fast, the worst move is to stand still. A solid business strategy today is one that stays clear in direction but light on its feet. It’s flexible, data-informed, human-centered, and deeply connected to reality.

Because, honestly, the world isn’t going to slow down. So you might as well build a strategy that can dance with the chaos – instead of getting crushed by it.